Wheel well help

[Brickie]

So I'm building the Airfix Tucano T.1, which is proving something of a trial with some distinct fit issues.

I want to build it wheels-up, but it's engineered for wheels-down only, meaning the flaps don't really sit in the wells, they just fall in because there's no "lip" for them to sit on. Any tips for dealing with this?

[DavidWomby]

Probably no help to you this time, but I always try to put on the undercarriage doors before joining the wing halves and fuselage halves. That way I can add bits of plastic to support them and tinker a bit so that they fit flush. When I am happy with the fit, I glue them in place before assembling the model.

David

[PaulBradley]

Add a lump of putty to the well, then add the doors as best you can. Any excess will ooze out the edges, which you can remove before it dries, and clean up after drying.

[coptermech]

Maybe some small strips of Evergreen around the wheel well to create a lip for the door to sit on?

[beany]

Add a lump of putty to the well, then add the doors as best you can. Any excess will ooze out the edges, which you can remove before it dries, and clean up after drying.

I do most of my aircraft wheels up so often have this problem, but what Paul says is right. Use anything, scraps of sprue, bits of cardboard - I've even used cotton wool or tissue to fill up most of the gap - fill up just enough to hold the doors in place while you glue them, then fill any major gaps with putty (use nail polisher remover on a cotton bud to smooth it and clean off the excess 99p a bottle from Boots). I avoid using blue tack to fill the gaps as I don't want it to dry out over the years and end up rattling about in there forever after - ask me how I know?!!

Cheers
Al.

[Dazzled]

I agree with Paul and Al. Stuff the wells with the filler of your choice and glue the doors over the top.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Put some Blutack on the outside of the doors and put a cocktail stick in that.
Put a thin coat of quick setting glue along the edge then just hold the door in place long enough for the glue to hold it in place.
Run a thin coat of glue around the edge, wait till fully dry and gently remove the Blutack & stick.

[fredk]

I would use sprue as internal support. Old style Airfix sprue is good for this. It has flat sides, cut a piece to fit the leg portion and a piece to fit the wheel area, if the wheel itself is not used. The door[s] can be glued on top of these.
Filling with [Milliput] fillers isn't a bad idea either.

[splash]

If going down the filler route I would use miliputt as I have had problems with tube filler in the past when the solvent softens the plastic on both sides of the wing then shrinks and causes indentations on both sides, this only shows after a couple of days.

Regards Splash

[TobyC]

Never had this problem as all my kits are wheels down

[rob_van_riel]

I think I'd simply ignore the old covers, and fill in the entire wheel well with a generous blob of milliput. Once set, sand it level with the wing, and scribe lightly along the edge (difference in colour and hardness should help a lot here).