Use the whole Falcon canopy, George, and open it up. You've got that nice rear cockpit to see, too. Also, it looks like you can cut the side panel masks before you take them off the sheet, just match them to the upper canopy mask.

Thanks, Tom (@tcinla) and John (@johnb). I hadn't thought about using the top panels on the masks as a guide to cut the lower ones. The missing frame isn't straight, but that might be something to try. Great suggestion. I will have to think about using the whole vac canopy. Every time I have tried them in the past it turns out to be a disaster, including my last model, a Kingfisher. I had planned to match the configuration in the photo, which is having just the forward canopy open. I will need to think about trying the whole canopy. Cheers.

George R Blair Jr (@gblair)

It's been a few days since I have checked in here. You have made some progress for sure. Hopefully you guys will not contract the virus. I echo what the others have stated above about the masks and the use of the vacuum canopies and masks. If you use the kit supplied windscreen like John mentioned, you should be able to pull it off. I have been having good luck with using the Tamiya PE saw blades for cutting plastic. They will fit right in place of the #11 exacto blade. I have got to where I use them more than a razor blade. I feel as if I have more control with making fine / delicate cuts.

Good progress, my friend @gblair! I also agree with the above Gents suggestion. Looking forward to your progress!

George R Blair Jr (@gblair)
I think that you are a bit timid with using these vacuum formed canopies because of your recent bad experience with the Kingfisher canopy. Which I think is one of your best builds to date...

You really should try to give them another chance...like TC said. Tom Cleaver (@tcinla)

They say that Rome wasn't built in a day, and good things come to those who wait. I can remember my Dad telling me the story of how he learned how to swim. Some of the older kids threw him in the lake ! They told him "Sink or Swim !" and turned around and started walking away... So he had no choice but to swim or else he likely could have drowned. Times were much different back then... True story.

Because of this, my Dad could swim like a fish, and he actually enjoyed swimming. It came in handy one time, when my little brother was drowning. My Dad saw it happening and immediately jumped in. I saw it too, it's something I'll never forget. Dad was able to rescue my little brother in the nick of time.

I think you have the capability, you are just a little bit gun shy that's all. You can do it, I have no doubts.

I hope you enjoy your time with the family.. and the sound of a Corsair and a Hudson sounds great ! I'll definitely be looking forward to seeing that.

Take care my friend.

So, the plan is to use the kit canopies for the windscreen and the very last canopy section, with the 3 middle canopy sections from a vacuform canopy. I have never had a lot of luck with vacuform canopies, so I usually avoid them like the plague. I managed to get the canopy sections cut out and cleaned up, but things really slowed down when I started masking the vac canopies. I had masking set from both Montex and Eduard, but both are for a later version of the T-6 which had fewer canopy frames. I knew from the start that there would be a certain amount cutting and fitting to allow for the extra canopy frames. What I didn't count on was that neither set really fits either the kit canopy or the vac canopies. After spending a couple of fun-filled hours trying to make the pre-made canopies work on the kit canopies, I decided to hand-jam my own masking for the vac canopies. It took a little over an hour to cut and place the tiny strips of tape used to mask just one section of canopy. After 3 fun-filled hours, the vac canopies are more-or-less masked. I think I am in a position to start painting, so now on to the fun stuff!

3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

That looks very good, George, @gblair. Keep it going. You might consider cleaning up some of the rough cut tape edges with some thinned liquid mask applied with a liner brush along the tape edges before you enter paint shop. That’s what I do. You can always go back and clean up any excess paint after de-masking using a toothpick with the tip cut at a chisel angle and lightly scrape the unwanted paint away. Hopefully without leaving scratch marks. What I don’t like about cutting masks for vac canopies is that no.11 blades can do a heck of a lot of noticeable damage in terms of blade scratches and gouge marks but there’s nothing you can do to repair them. Clear styrene is way more forgivable.

That’s why I stick with acrylics although I’ve had no issues scraping away lacquers. Yet.