IDF Widgeon

Box contents - wee bit of flash, molding gates a bit thick, but clean up easily 

Wing floats - sharpen / define the ends of the struts, pontoons halves will fit nicely - the are a bit long into the mating surface.  

Engine nacelle fit is good to start - Parts are 16/17, and 16/17, so keep them straight! 

I decided to place the floor in through the overhead to ensure alignment, the interior will get some added details as I go - placing the floor first for a proper base -  

The engine 'face' will need a stop to keep it from falling in - there is no alignment rib in the nacelle halvesw a n 

Engine lump installed, cowling as made - definition is a bit soft- 

Notice the cowl openings have 'walls' 

 

will fill opening with putty and reshape 

Interior gear pillars will need to be extended up the wall inside. Too short and boxlike as made. 

Added rear bulkhead, boxed out footwell forward. KP has done great with the panel fit, and depth is pretty good. Shiny spots on walls are from chiseled off large ejector pin marks 

Rangers coming along, the first cowl came out pretty good. - NOW THE BAD NEWS- KP did not make exhausts - not on the sprue, not in the instructions, no strangely unidentified parts. They aren't there.

Grrr - good thing they look pretty easy to make.  

Wing floats pair nicely if you sharply define the struts before mating the halves  

Bulkheads added, primed and zinc chromate -For now. Best information I can get using Bill Norton's book, and internet records, both IDF Widgeons were specifically G-44A models, Grumman build number 1426 (built July 1945) - Used by IDF as B-73 / 1202 - this one crashed into Lake Tiberias on 7 DEC 48, killing all 4 aboard.
The second machine was Grumman build number 1470 (almost the last built, June 1947) - Used by the IDF as B-71 / 1202 - reportedly crashed ,but also reportedly resurfaced and bought by an American in 1952 - nothing further found so far! 

Added risers, or seats will be far too low - The seat backs should be slightly above the side window frames. - KP nicely points out to add plastic card at the tail for the tailwheel.  

Ready to close the fuselage finally 

Before gluing, I checked the fit of the windscreen - I filed a groove into the coaming just behind the red line following the arc, fit is much improved doing this. Almost clicks into place now. 

Closing the fuselage, bit at a time, starting with belly first - oh , and I thinned the trailing edge of the rudder quite a bit too. It's rather thick. 

Engine nacelles prepped, lower wings drilled for float rigging and trailing edges thinned 

I used a #78 drill for float rigging holes all around.  

Rigging strut to strut "X" on floats - just fine fishing line 

Looking ahead problem - engine to wing fit will need work.  

About the same fit on the top. I'll try to deepen the leading edge groove first to narrow the sizable gap at the wing fairings  

Fuselage closed, I purposely left the cabin overhead as last, so I could align the windscreen arc with no need to sand / fill. The right fuselage is thicker at the top so a distinct 'lump' had to be level to the left side - few swipes and its gone. 

Still need to thin the trailing edges further inside - wings are almost uniformly thick, so more to be done here  

Test fitting wing - anticipated this gap when aligning fuselage.  

May be problems, we'll see when wing is thinned and glued together  

Not #19, not a gear leg - it's the exhaust 

Not #19, not a gear leg - it's the exhaust 

Ignore #19-both sides 

This is where they go! Yay exhausts, and Thanks to Britmodeller poster Follasha 

Panel lines need correction across fuselage 

Fuselage wingtop panel lines 

Small flare middle of bottom nacelle is correct, but lose the gap from flare to wing each way - Good photos can be found online