Filling out that nasty Spitfire fillet area . . .

As I mentioned before, one thing that really detracts from an opened-up large-scale Spitfire is a bell-shaped interior cross-section.

There are ways to correct it, since Hasegawa only did a partial job on its Mk V and Revell never saw fit to do so on its 1/32 classic.

 The best (or least worst) way (above photo) is to lay in your bulkheads and upper stringer and longeron detail and then cut to fit a couple of pieces of .010 sheet styrene for the space between the two bulkheads pictured above and for the space aft of those bulkheads. Pre-curl each section as part of the fitting.

Once they’re cut to shape and fit, use a file or sanding stick to bevel the top edge of each piece to almost a paper-thin edge. Super glue the top edge under the longeron shown above. (I wasn’t paying attention and set one of the sections in the lower photo below a different longeron.

Once that attachment sets, you can attach the lower edge of the section to the lower fuselage centerine joint with a hot liquid cement like Tenax, Ambroid Pro-Weld or – my witches’ brew of choice – straight methyl ethyl ketone.

If done carefully, you get two advantages from this.

- the visual effect is a lot more realistic

- the new inner skin sections give positive support to the fuselage frames you’ve cut and installed.

The next time around, I’ll show you how to get the same effect in the cockpit area between the seat frame and instrument panel.