Pulling the beast together…literally!
With a model of this size and with as many sub-assemblies as it has and with on occasion Trumpeter levels of fit putting the fuselage together on an HKM kit is a moment of trepidation. I need not have worried. The two sides literally snap together with a very satisfying click indeed. All that was required was a drop of Xtra-thin cement and some tape to ensure the fit was permanent and bob as they say is your mum’s brother!
Cheyenne Turret
The ‘Lace’, and incidentally the kit come with a nice representation of the Cheyenne Turret fitted to the G model. Inside is a little agricultural and given the amount of glass I suggest aftermarket accessories may be a good option here too? At the very least I’d replace the ammunition belts, add some straps and some wiring to the gun-sight, the prominent heating element and other bits and bobs. This is an out the box build, so for now what you see is what you get. Ignore the apparently inward canting 50cal breeches I got these straightened out after the pic was taken. The wooden ammo boxes and floor and green interior make for a pleasing look and it was a quick and simple assembly in line with the instructions.
Adding the completed turret to the rear fuselage is also a breeze so far then no dramas at all.
Double glazing anyone?
HKM have to be congratulated on providing what I believe to be some of the finest, best detailed glazing I have ever seen on any kit. Not only is it thin, crystal clear and distortion free but in every case can be fitted from the outside of the fuselage, almost without glue. I need to stress right now that any issues at all with the glazing however small are of my own making and not the kit.
Popping the glazing on takes care. I chose not to use white glue like Glue-N-Glaze as it’s simply too thick for the fabulous fit of the glass. Instead I inserted the glazing and ran Xtra-thin cement using capillary action. This worked fine. I have added a few photographs to try and show the sublime clarity of the parts and how much you are able to see without the usual distortion.