2019 Monogram F8F Build

Tamiya white putty almost feels harder than the plastic, so strips of tape were added to protect the model. 

I was considering not filling the gaps between the wings and fuselage, but they were too apparent. 

The canopy was affixed with white glue, after being masked for painting. These small canopies are getting to be too small for my fat fingers and poor vision. 

Decided to prime it with a matt Humbrol dark grey that was from the estate of a local modeler. This step helped me check the quality of the gap filling - sufficient but not excellent. The texture added from the paint was a bad idea though, for gloss. 

Letting the first coat of color dry in the sun. The gloss acrylic was not applied heavily enough to overcome the texture of the primer. I tried to build it up better on the second pass. Don't do what I did. Prime with black gloss or something. 

15 minutes before needing to head out to the model club meeting. Decals are still drying. Details like yellow propeller tips didn't get accomplished, though I never really had planned that step anyhow. Had to borrow decals from a second kit.