Stormhawk Interceptor (Part 4)

Got some more work done on this thing since Part-3.

Current progress level.

In particular, I focused on making the main guns interchangeable. The interior cavity above the weapon mount is perfectly sized for a magnet.

The hole is made.

I used a drill bit that would make a hole smaller than the magnet that would sit in that cavity.

Testfitting the magnet.

I superglued the magnet over the hole. This will allow the smaller magnet, that will be attached to the gun, to make direct contact and therefore have a stronger connection.

Defining the hole.

I had to work on the hole with my exacto to whittle away the excess plastic to allow the smaller magnet to connect better.

Working with the magnets.

With patience and tenacity, I was able to get this to work perfectly!

Success!

Next I tested out the fit of the cockpit section with the fuselage. It joins beautifully. This is an amazing designed kit, and I am impressed with how nearly snapfit it is!

Fitting it together.

Once I got the the guns together I made sure to test how well they joined up before final assembly. Once I glue these main sections together there will be no going back.

Trying out the guns.

Satisfied, it was time to permanently glue the two halves of the cockpit together. Like I did with the fuselage, I applied a rubberband for a few hours to assure maximum bonding. After this, I glued the cockpit and fuselage together, completing section 1a of the assembly guide. For those keeping track, the two guns complete the bottom subsection of section 1e of the assembly instructions.

The tighter the bond...

You may have noticed I have been painting some parts as I make progress. I will discuss this more detail in a later part...