A single session build

The cockpit

I started my build with the normal "first the cockpit, then the rest over a couple of sessions" attitude. Because the cockpit was so very simply (the tub got the ejection seat, the IP and a joystick), I kept on building until I'd got to the point where I would have to paint something before assembling anything else anymore.

The bottom half

After the cockpit I built the air scoop for the engine / front landing gear with its door. With the same flick of my wrist I glued that subassembly on the bottom part of the airframe. The wonderstick that was to be inserted into the air scoop tried to fight me a bit, but I won in the end.

As I had got up to good speed with the bottom parts, I started working on the main landing gear. It got a pylon in the middle and a couple of small wings behind it on both sides. I had never noticed anything like these in Falcons before, but then again, I have never paid much attention to their shapes. To be honest, I barely regocnize the basic shape of the plane.

The installation of the main landing gear doors I pondered on for fifteen seconds. First I thought that gluing them on would make painting a bit more complicated, but as the bottom paintjob would most likely be a boring light monocolour, it wouldn't matter much. The only complication could be coming up with the most optimal painting order and the masking that requires.

Now I had arrived to the moment in my build that triggered a breakpoint. I pondered on that for a moment, dry-fitting pieces together, wondering if and how I could do the cockpit painting and decaling with a closed airframe. Finally I decided to ignore my concern of these tight spaces and kept on building.

Looking straight

The rest of the build

The left rear wing tried to droop

Those droptanks I decided not to glue on at this point, to keep them from shadowing everything else during the painting phase. Confusingly all this had taken a bit less than an hour. I guess this just has to mean that the painting will take a ludicrous amount of time, as I cannot be able to finish a model as quickly as I'm progressing right now ;)