The thing with the A8/R2 which was beefed up with added 30mm cannons outboard of the 20mm cannons near the wing roots is that it does not have the machine guns mounted under the hood in front of the cockpit. It does have something with pipes running forward under the engine top cover. It does have the mouldings in the top cover where the machine guns pocked through though which is a bit odd. Anyone know what the gun like looking things are under the top panel? In the pics of my model above, the blocks can be seen but I have not put the pipe things on as yet.
It also has armour plate on the sides of the cockpit and thick blocks of armour glass on the sides of the canopy to protect the pilot from the heavy fire from B17s which is what the A8/R2 was modified to go after.
Interesting new thing for me in modelling was the gluing of thick clear parts onto the side of the cockpit canopy, not something you could do with normal glue. As these blocks have to be masked as they are in their own frames, the masking of the canopy even with the supplied masks, has been a nightmare which i will not wake up from until it is finally painted and the masks can come off. My biggest fear now is that paint may have 'bled' between the canopy side and the block of armour 'glass'.
I have moved on a bit now as it has been primed up and pre shaded. Painting at this stage has it's problems as I cannot glue up the engine side panels or the top panel as they will be open. Also, given it is all held together for the camo painting with blue tack, the engine has had to be left out as I have no doubt there will be some spray go through the panel gaps.
After painting and slight weathering, the engine will then be glued in place and I will have the fun job of cutting the side panels into two pieces each. From the pictures I have seen before and supported by Steve's great research pics, the side panels hinge at the panel line just above the height of the wing where there is a bulge on the side panel.
I was also thinking of putting some lead wire on the undercarriage legs for the brake pipes. Would these be painted or natural metal?
Onwards and upwards as they say......