Well, I took another bite out of the elephant today. I grew weary of cutting holes in the wings so I to tackle one of the jobs that had me worried. Working with the clear resin. I cut the lower nose glazing from the pour block

(one of the few in an HPH kit) and then squared it up on my sanding "block'. I then gave it a trial fit to the rough cut they had in the fuselage. It needed a little help in the fore/aft direction. I held the front of the glass even with the nose then scribed a mark around the vertical cut with a new X-acto blade as a reference. I used my dremel on low speed to take away the bulk then came in with my jewler's file to get to my mark. Once everything was good that direction I held the bottom of the glass flush with the fuselage opening and scribed a mark to adjust the horizontal cut. I used the same technique as before here as well. Then it was just a matter of working with Finesse-a Williams to get the glass just right. The only thing that would help would be a wider file to make sure everything is as straight as my clear part. The file I was using is only a 1/4" wide. If I can find a wider one that isn't too course at the hardware store I'll probably get it and make one final pass to knock down any high spots make sure everything's true. As it is it isn't looking bad at all but there's always room for improvement. I'm looking for some input for attaching the clear resin. CA is out as I don't want to worry about clouding issues. (And no, Future is not an option. Some say it only belongs on the floor, I won't even use it there.) My two thoughts are: White glue, but I worry about longevity as I don't want parts falling off. I've heardCrystal Clear (Krystal Kleer?) works well (I've heard some people even make entire small windows with it) but can't seem to locate it. Perhaps if anyone can tell me the actual trade name. (Also, is the Testors clear parts cement the same stuff, just in different packaging?)

One of the items holding me back on this build is about to be addressed. Peacemakers could be colorful and exciting, or boring depending on where they were in their service careers. HPH chose the late white belly option. (Boring.) I approached #David Kopielski about scaling up some decals if I found a set that I liked.

Warbird Decals to the rescue. I bought the set as I'm building a 1/72 version for a friend along side my big one. I've chosen Circle W, a B-36D based at Loring AFB. (A B-36 sporting the Geometric tail codes would've been in service just before the service cycle where the silver lacquer and clear coat started to be applied so the finish is quite stunning. (We'll see how well I can do a NMF on something as big as this.) Here's a shot in the corner of my living room with its little brother, the B-24. Also Monogram's 1/72 B-36 for a size comparison. (Truth be told, the big one is not really that much bigger when you put one on top of the other.)

Thanks for the input on the Testors cement Mark. I've also noticed a complete lack of build threads on the internet. I think most will be bought, sat on and sold at higher prices like the Aeroclub Vulcan. Maybe some are afraid of the finished dimentions. Certainly it's not due to being a difficult kit. (HPH seems to have their act together in the design department.) As it is brand new I've seen resellers go over double the price versus getting one direct from HPH. I'm tempted to get one to sit on as well. (And still another to convert into the C-99, or as a spare in case things go south on this one!) The only big HPH kit I've seen being built on the web is their 1/48 Concorde. Someone over at Britmodeller is doing one and I'm watching to see what to do/not to do on mine. I saw your B-36 build back in April. I highly recommend this kit if you are a fan of the Peacemaker! (If space is an issue, you can leave the wings removable. I'm either building a coffee table to house this and my HPH B-52, double stacked, or hanging them from the wall like HK gave the option for with their 1/32 B-17.

Hello Spiros! I found some ClearFix on Amazon and watched a video of a guy making windows on YouTube. Can only flat windows be made, or will they follow a slight curve and how big can they be made? (I'm thinking it might be useful on my 1/48 Concorde's passenger windows if it will follow the curve of the fuselage.)

Hey Josh @jpatt1000!

Clearfix tends to stretch between the borders of the hole it is applied. To obtain that curvy look, just put a generous amount at the toothpick and work it around the hole borders. After some trials, you will be able to make fantastically curvy windows. I have the 1/72 concorde in my stash, Heller recommending Clearfix for the passenger windows. 1/48 windows aren't that bigger and I would definitely try my luck with Clearfix, even before starting the project, just to see how it will come.

Word of caution: sometimes when Clearfix dries, you may observe a couple of air bubbles that ruin the window look. Just remove the dried Clearfix and redo - no worries! It comes off in one piece, no residues left.

All the best!

Josh, enjoying the progress here. (sorry I can't comment on Clearfix, however Kristal Klear is a bit "greasy" and as far as I have tried is not good to mask) Your earlier comparison that a 1/48 is not that big compared to 1/72 - well, that 1/72 looks quite large too. Thanks for sharing this interesting build!

It would seem as you have passed a major hurdle, that of cutting out the canopy position on the fuselage and cutting the canopy out of its molding block and...…….it fits! I like how HPH has molded the canopy making blending it into the fuselage a lot easier than the Monogram kit. You can putty and sand without damaging the canopy windows. A nice touch. As to the front greenhouse, it looks like some minor sanding on the fuselage and you have it nailed. You are doing yeomans work here and breaking a lot of ground in modeling as yours is the only build log, that I know of, that is out there.

Hey Josh @jpatt1000 and EriK @airbum! I wouldn't recommend masking Clearfix, as it does not bond strongly and will be lifted form the model together with the masking tape. But there's no reason to mask it -just do not apply it beforehand, but only after all painting and rest of the work at the model is finished, clearfix being the last thing to do. Just apply to the finished model. Also, cured Clearfix shoud be handled with some care, as it is not as strong as styrene.