That was pretty much my idea of how they might work from those drawings too Erik, but I can’t quite get my head around it all. I guess YouTube was around then for a video ha ha!, but thanks for your thoughts and input, always very welcome.

So the sanding of the plasticard didn't really work very well, so I cut my losses and cut them off and opted for Plan B...self-adhesive vinyl which is thicker than my usual masking stuff. The photo of the Finnish Gauntlet also confirmed for me that the ribbing extends further forward on the fuselage than on the kit. I wasn't too confident about the best way of achieving the ribbed effect but opted initially for a curved blade and scraping resin away, it seemed to work and a coat of primer afterwards showed it's OK (a small blemish only to be filled). Really enjoying this kit, such fun!

6 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Vinyl looks like it worked well, Max (@maxw). This is like a clinic on handling all the many intricacies of this kit.

Mea culpa, I'm guilty...yes I've succumbed to temptation as I inevitably knew that I would, I've put shiny panels on my Gauntlet! I know (in all probability) that 56 Squadron's Gauntlets had the anodized panels in the same way that I know (in all probability) that their Gauntlets didn't have the chequerboard design on the upper wing...but mine will...so there! It's also got some numbers on the wings ...and it might have some chequers and roundels on the fuselage tomorrow, who knows?

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Nice and shiny result, Max @maxw
Looks great.

Thanks Christopher, all good news but I'd value your thoughts on this matter; before moving on too much further forward I need to get to grips with the front starboard side of the fuselage (funny how virtually every drawing shows the port side only!) This is the best photo that I can find of the contentious area, and I've enlarged it and tweaked it to death, but there appears to be five openings/caps/pipes of interest. 1 and 5 appear to be filler/inspection caps (radiator related?), 2 and 3 appear to be drain/vent pipes and 4 possibly an exhaust vent.

1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

Further shots from a slightly different angle, and is that a pipe running along the lower edge of the oil radiator, and possibly one on the top edge too?

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Amazing really, guys!
@maxw
@christopher
I am standing in awe!