Pegasus 1/72 BAe Experimental Aircraft Programme.

I bought this kit in the late 1980s after the EAP had first flown but before the Eurofighter was a reality. 

The kit contains a few basic parts in soft plastic on heavy runners, some white metal parts for the ejection seat and undercarriage, a very thick clear canopy and a basic decal sheet. There is a very basic instruction sheet with no diagramme but a brief description of how the construction should be tackled. The three-view scale drawing is an essential aid. 

The main fuselage parts removed, trimmed and ready for assembly. 

Forward fuselage stuck together, filled and rubbed down. I thought it would be easier to add the cockpit detail by sliding it in from the back rather than sticking it to one fuselage half before assembly. It turned out to be tricky but probably a good strategy. 

Undercarriage wells boxed in. I wasn't going for an accurate and detailed finish - I just wanted to avoid aview into a huge and empty fuselage. 

Cockpit components prepared and ready for installation. I assumed that the block of plastic supplied was for the instruments. I was right, but later found that the canopy wouldn't fit over it, so I had to file it down quite drastically. 

Cockpit assembled. Not very neatly detailed, I know, but I just wanted to create an impression of the instruments rather than an accurate miniature. The area behind the pilot's seat is something of a mystery: photos show that there is a bracing strut behind the bulkhead, plus test equipment present. However, I couldn't find any details of what is actually there, so I just stuck in a random few bits of plastic. 

Rear fuselage assembled. There were three parts to this - the base, plus two sides, and it was difficult to hold them together and match them to the forward fuselage. As a result the rear section ended up wider than the front. Also the rear end of the kit was a mess, so I added a plastic card blanking piece to attach the jetpipes to. 

Front and rear sections attached to each other and the huge gap filled with Milliput and rubbed down. 

Fin, jetpipes and air intake attached. The fin fitted very much where it touched and so needed a fair bit of fettling to get a secure joint. 

Wings attached and it's starting to look like a proper aeroplane! As with the fin, the wings fitted quite badly and took much filing to produce a decent joint.