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Revell 1/72nd scale Merlin engined Halifax B.Mk.II- converted- FINISHED


tonyot

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Hiya Folks,

Me again,......I`m a masochist I know, but with the Whitley almost finished I`ve decided to make a start on a Merlin engined Halifax in Bomber Command markings which I`ve been promising myself to do for ages,...so here goes!;

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Here are some of the main sprues showing how nice the parts look but how totally innaccurate some of them are, especially the shape of the propellers and the size of the engines, which will be highlighted later.The fuselage is excellent, as are the optional parts which are included for various versions such as the A.Mk.V but the wings, engines and wheels are an abortion and must have been designed on the Friday afternoon before the Christmas knock off!

It isn`t all bad though;

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As stated there are lots of optional parts including the two different fin shapes

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And the interior isn`t bad either,.....the fuselage floor even includes a parachute exit in the floor for the Airborne or Special Duties variants!

Now there are two conversion sets on the market to help make a decent looking Merlin Halifax from this kit;

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First of all,....and the more accurate of the two,...this is the Aeroclub conversion set from John Adams which can be ordered with optional radiator options and with additional exhaust and air intake parts. I`ve built up the inner and outer cowlings in a morning just to show what they look like but I won`t be using this set in this instance as I want to make an Airborne A,.Mk.V variant with four bladed propellers at a later date and my set of white metal Aeroclub 4 bladed propellers which are actually intended for the Matchbox kit will not fit the Freightdog set! That brings us to the second aftermarket set for improving the Revell Halifax;

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This is the Freightdog resin set with the same Block style radiators (Gallay types are also available too, just like Aeroclub) which also includes larger wheels like the Aeroclub set but also includes an insert for the tail wheel, the tail wheel itself and all of the engine air intakes. Rather than being an accurate conversion set like the Aeroclub set, this one is simply a correction set to help make the poor kit parts look better however it is easier and quicker to use and having already used one to build another Halifax in Coastal Command white colours a while ago I did find it very effective.

Here is a comparison of the main parts;

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From left to right are the propellers and radiator parts- - Freightdog correction set, the Revell kit and the Aeroclub conversion,...as you can see the Revell parts are totally rubbish and a figment of somebody`s imagination,.....what a great pity.

More to follow soon,

Cheers

Tony

PS- For those who may be wondering what the Coastal Halifax looks like with the Freightdog Gallay style radiator parts here it is, even though it is an imposter on this thread;

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Edited by tonyot
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Maybe you know already, but a couple of quick tips are to use the Matchbox tailwheel and the Matchbox lower half of the ailerons. White Ensign also do some useful extras.

I think the asymmetric nose benefits from a little rounding at the top edges, and the flight engineer's seat behind the pilot needs removing.

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Thanks everybody and cheers for the tips Graham, I`ve got a Matchbox tailwheel in my spares box somewhere but I`ll save it for the Aeroclub A.Mk.V build as that set doesn`t have one and I`ll use the Freightdog one here this time as i seems OK to me. Unfortunately I don`t have a pair of Matchbox lower ailerons to hand so I`ll have to see about this area,...mind you it will be black as a witch`s,..ah hem `zit' under there so it might look OK with a bit of filler and I won`t tell anybody if you don`t!

All the best for now,

Tony

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Hi Tony

Hope you are feeling a bit better. I look forward to this one, I have the newer Revell Kit and was going to build using the Airfix wings, I think I saw a thread on BM with you and Woody doing work on them and it was a very useful thread.

Good luck with the build

All the best
Chris

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Thanks folks and hiya Pete,

I`m thinking of building this one as a Halifax Mk.II Series Ia, JP113, NA-A `Pegasus` "Get Up Them Stairs" from 428 Sqn RCAF based at Middleon St George in early 1943. It has block radiators, the late glass nose and I`m still researching the tail fins but I`m pretty sure that it would have still had the earlier triangular style? The decals are on Xtradecal sheet X72146 although the artwork for that particular aircraft doesn`t appear on my instruction sheet for some reason!

Latest Update;

As I`m grounded on the settee again following a setback (my own fault,....(typical ex squaddie I overdid it yesterday and I`m suffering the consequences now!) I`ve decided to try something new as I cannot paint here, so rather than pre painting the parts on the sprues first I`ve decided to build the interior up without painting it and have a go at painting it later. As there are a number of different window options for the nose those which are not needed were cemented into place as strongly as possible so that they can set well and be filled over from the outside later. Here are some pics;

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As you can see the floor of the rear fuselage includes the parachute exit used by Airborne and Special Duties Halibags but it isn`t needed here and cannot be seen after the fuselage halves are joined anyway, plus the external exit is plated over later.

As Graham pointed out,......the Revell kit includes a seat for the Air Engineers position but this is incorrect and was left out,....the pedestal for the seat being cut away from the floor.

All the best for now,

Tony

Edited to include all of the missing letter `T`s' due to my dodgy keyboard!

Edited by tonyot
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Well here is another update,.....as you can see I felt a bit better this afternoon/evening and couldn`t resist it,......but overdid it again. Watch out for the obligatory map!

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I used rattle can matt black and silver to save me from having to sit at my desk too long painting but the Interior Grey/Green and detail stuff was brush painted. After the painting was finished the larger windows were set in place and the cockpit attached to the fuselage ready to be joined,......the portholes will be filled with Crystal Clear later.

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As you can see here with arrows pointing them out (high tech Biro!) the unwanted windows in the nose have been painted on the inside and will be filled in soon using fine filler to hopefully eradicate them and the outer bomb bay doors are part of the fuselage halves and need to be opened out if you want to show the bomb bay open. One last thing,.....I`m going to open up the entrance hatch,.....which is shown `hatched'! Here are some close ups;

The nose windows and outer bomb bay doors;

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The entrance hatch ready to be opened out;

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I`ve also pre painted the wheel wells, gun turrets etc so construction should begin to proceed now and after the fuselage is joined the wings are next,

Cheers for now

Tony

Edited by tonyot
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Feel better soon, Tony -

As always, I'll follow every move!

HOW do you do so much so quickly? It seems to take ages fore me to prepaint then 'weather' interiors before assembling them. You seem to have done all that in under 10 hours!

I'm minded to use the Revell fuselage and tail, and Airfix wings and engines, to create (more or less) a Mk.III - I'm sure someone (?? Woody ??) did that a while ago.

Edited by Jonny
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Feel better soon, Tony -

As always, I'll follow every move!

HOW do you do so much so quickly? It seems to take ages fore me to prepaint then 'weather' interiors before assembling them. You seem to have done all that in under 10 hours!

I'm minded to use the Revell fuselage and tail, and Airfix wings and engines, to create (more or less) a Mk.III - I'm sure someone (?? Woody ??) did that a while ago.

Cheers Jonny,

Yes it was myself and Woody in a joint thread,.....just do a search under either of our names and put in `Halifax' and you should find it mate. If you do use the Airfix wings remember to shorten them at the root first as the Revell fuselage is flush whereas the Airfix fuselage has an inser for the wings! I removed mine from an old Airfix kit and found cutting along the fuselage line of the Airfix kit was fine.

Good luck with yours,.....I`ll be doing another one soon as I have just bought some fab Duch Decals with a great option on it,

Cheers

Tony

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Well done Tony, good to see you were able to make some progress even if as you say you paind in pain afterwards. At the time of your mentioning you were going to close up the fus halves before painting I tought. I thought, 'this will end in tears and grief'!

Colin

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Cheers Colin,

I wasn`t going to button up the fuselage before painting the insides mate!

Another quick update;

As the rear fuselage portholes changed between versions I`ve glued a few bits of sprue in where there shouldn`t be one on the Mk.II Series Ia so that I can fill over them later. The crew entrance hatch in the left hand rear fuselage has also been cut open and will be mounted in place inside at the end of the build.

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Turning to the turrets,.....the 4 gun B&P mid upper turret needed some plastic cutting from the inside to square it off at the back so that the guns could be mounted pointing slightly upwards.

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I just thought I`d show a comparison between the small kit wheels and the larger Freightdog resin wheels.

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Since taking these photos I`ve put the resin tail wheel bay blank in place and then zipped up the fuselage but the light is terrible for photos as it is teeming down here. I`ll leave it for a few days to let the glue cure but might start on the wings in the meantime and also get the decals on my Whitley,.......plus an Airfix Blenheim,.....SH Vampire and a couple of Airfix 48th scale 5 Sqn Javelin`s too,......I`ve got a lot on at the moment!

Feeling much better today but the back is still weak and sore!

Cheers

Tony

Edited by tonyot
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Feel better soon, Tony -

As always, I'll follow every move!

HOW do you do so much so quickly? It seems to take ages fore me to prepaint then 'weather' interiors before assembling them. You seem to have done all that in under 10 hours!

I'm minded to use the Revell fuselage and tail, and Airfix wings and engines, to create (more or less) a Mk.III - I'm sure someone (?? Woody ??) did that a while ago.

This is the thread here Jonny :)

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234910638-matchbox-airfix-and-revell-halifax-lovechildren/

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Hiya Folks,

After another day of whittling and a bone cracking session with the Physio- terrorist here is another update, first the fuselage is together;

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Then he horrible engine cowlings were built up but the resin Freightdog radiator inserts for the Morris Block radiator version were fitted which make them look much better and some have the resim propellers test fitted to show how they will look. I`ve put the wheel well interior inside the inner engine cowlings just to show what they look like but they were then taken apart and fitted inside the wing as otherwise the cowlings will not fit onto the wing;

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The wings were assembled next and dry fitted to the fuselage while the tailplane was permanently attached. I`ve gone for the later rectangular style fins rather than the earlier triangular ones which the majority of Mk.II`s were built with as by 1944 all of the 6 Group Halibags which I`ve seen had the new fins retrofitted by mobile work parties. All of the various other bits and pieces like turrets and the Xtradecal sheet can be seen here too;

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Last of all here are the engines fitted to the wings which are still dry fitted to the fuselage,....I may leave the wings off until after painting as it will be easier to paint them this way?

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I might sand the engine nacelles down a bit as they do look rather fat, although the resin intakes and propellers do really help to make them look better,...sort of an optical illusion effect,

Cheers for now,

Tony

Edited by tonyot
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Now that I`m near the painting stages here is some of my research into the subject aircraft which is;

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Halifax B.II Series 1a, JP113, NA-A "Git Up Them Stairs" of 428 (Ghost) Sqn. RCAF taxying at its home base at RAF Middleton S George,( then in), Yorkshire and according to the last surviving crew member, Eddie Scott from Liverpool, Sgt. John `Jimmy' William Carrigan the flight engineer from Brighton is looking out of the side window, pilot Flight Lieutenant Charles Ford RCAF is in the drivers seat, and Flight Sergeant `Eddie' Scott the RAF wireless operator is barely visible in the astro dome. Possibly taken between 17-21st April 1944. The rear gunner `Joe' Ardis from Yorkshire ran up to the nose to take the photo before take off.

The Subject Aircraft

The aircraft chosen to be the subject of this model is Halifax Mk.II Series Ia, JP113 coded NA-A from 428 (Ghost) Squadron RCAF based at RAF Middleton St George in Yorkshire (now in County Durham, and called Durham Tees Valley Airport!). It bore nose art depicting the mythical flying horse `Pegasus' with a small Maple Leaf and the name `Git Up Them Stairs' was emblazoned underneath. The usual pilot for this aircraft was Canadian Flight Lieutenant (J.21372 RCAF) Charles George “Chuck” Ford from Melfort, Saskatchewan and his last mission in this aircraft against Lens in France on the night of 20th/21st April 1944 when he lifted off at 2055hrs alongside 11other squadron aircraft, would lead to him being awarded the DFC. This became effective on the 13th June 1944 when the following citation appeared in the London Gazette;

" Flight Lieutenant Ford is a fine captain and a skilful and resolute pilot. He has completed a notable tour of operations during which he has attacked such strongly defended targets as Berlin, Mannheim and Stuttgart with success. On one night in April 1944 his aircraft was badly damaged and several members of the crew were injured in an encounter with a fighter. Nevertheless, Flight Lieutenant Ford flew back to friendly territory. Whilst attempting to land his crippled aircraft safely this brave pilot was injured. Despite this he did everything possible to extricate the members of his crew from the burning bomber before he collapsed. He displayed great courage and determination throughout.1944."

What the citation does not mention is that they were attacked by a night fighter while returning from Lens and the Halifax caught fire in the fuselage and port wing, causing the pilot to order the crew to bail out but only the three men in the nose heard this. These were bomb aimer Flying Officer (J.25069 R.C.A.F.) A.H. Murphy (possibly on his first operation?) and wireless operator Flight Sergeant (1089363 RAFVR) E.S. Jones who both became PoW`s (Murphy was interned in Camp L3, PoW No.4720) and navigator Flying Officer B.D. (J.14675 R.C.A.F.) McGregor who would evade capture. Thankfully Flight Lieutenant Ford was able to regain control and the wing fire went out while the other crew members, mid upper gunner Flying Officer (J.26495 R.C.A.F.) Beverley Donn `Joe' Ardis from Ottawa, rear gunner Pilot Officer (54437 RAFVR) Arthur `Artie' Shaw from near Halifax, Yorkshire and the flight engineer Sergeant (1807113 RAFVR) John William `Jimmy' Carrigan from Brighton managed to put the fuselage fire out too. They had left their positions to fight the fire so were not on the intercom and therefore did not hear the order to jump. The four remaining crew members managed to fly their damaged Halifax back to the UK where it was crash landed at RAF Attlebridge in Norfolk at 0120hrs on the 21st April 1944 but they were all injured and hospitalised. Unfortunately the 24 year old recently commissioned rear gunner Pilot Officer Arthur `Artie' Shaw died a few hours later after suffering a fractured skull and he was buried on the 28th April 1944 at St. Anne-in-the-Grove Churchyard, Southowram near Halifax in West Yorkshire (Sec. 1884. Row G. Grave 43).

As well as their pilot, both surviving crew members were also deservedly decorated for getting their Halifax home yet Artie Shaw, their dead rear gunner colleague unfortunately received nothing. Sergeant `Jimmy' Carrigan received the DFM and the recommendation for his award read;

"Sergeant Carrigan has completed many sorties as Flight Engineer against targets in Germany and France including Nuremberg, Munich, Berlin, Mannheim, Hanover, Kassel and Caen besides mine-laying operations. He has always remained cool and efficient in his duties, often under very difficult conditions. His aircraft has been attacked on several occasions and on the night of 20th April 1944, was set on fire. After helping to put out the fire, he assisted other crew members in navigating the aircraft to safe territory besides carrying out his normal duties. In the subsequent crash-landing, Sergeant Carrigan was seriously injured, sustaining concussion, abrasions and lacerations. His efficiency, initiative and quick action during this incident are commendable and I consider him worthy of an immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal."

Flying Officer `Joe Ardis was awarded a DFC and his citation gazetted on the 13th June read;

"As air gunner, this officer has taken part in many attacks on targets in Germany including several on the capital. He is a keen, vigilant and resolute member of aircraft crew and has played a worthy part in the successes obtained."

During June 1944, 428 Sqn RCAF re equipped with Lancaster`s and pilot Flight Lieutenant Ford DFC was repatriated to Canada on the 4th September 1944, due to back injuries sustained in the crash although having flown at least 28 sorties with his crew he was near to the end of his tour anyway. Posted to Patricia Bay, he met his future wife Muriel Pearl Hall here but moved on to Edmonton in 1945 and undertook a course at No.1 School of Flying Control. Posted to Western Air Command `Chuck' retired from the RCAF on the 29th September 1945 to attend The University of Saskatchewan after which he settled down to family life to have four children and work for the Veterans Land Act and Farm Credit Corporation until he retired in 1978 to Sidney, British Columbia where he died on the 11th February 1995 following complications to a nerve disease known as CDIP

`Joe' Ardis DFC the mid upper gunner from Ottawa was discharged from the RCAF on the 30th October 1945 but he did not actually receive his well earned DFC until it arrived via registered mail on the 23rd November 1949! He married Sally Webster in New York where they raised four sons but as a direct result of the head injuries that he suffered when Halifax JP113 crashed at Attlebridge on that April night he became a victim of early onset Dementia and he died on the 6th May 1997 in Greenville, Dallas, Texas.

Unfortunately John `Jimmy' Carrigan the British survivor from JP113`s crash at Attlebridge has been harder to locate but fellow Englishman wireless operator `Eddie' Jones who baled out is apparently the last living survivor of JP113`s crew from that night. Still residing in Liverpool where he has lived since being demobbed, in post war years he started a job as an artist with city advertising firm Pagan Smith and about that April night which should have been the penultimate sortie of his tour he remembers;

“We’d been bending some railway lines at Lens in northern France, succeeded in blowing up an ammunition train and then set course for home when were pounced on by a Ju 88, and it started a fire in the fuselage".

When the pilot gave the order to bail out, Eddie, the navigator, and the bomb aimer all managed to prise open the escape hatch, although Eddie’s parachute was accidentally unfurled in the chaos when he picked it up using the wrong handle.

“I bundled it all together, stuffed it back in, and then I bailed out,” he says. “I had no rip cord to pull because I’d already done it. So I just took my hands away and the ‘chute opened beautifully.”

Unfortunately he was taken prisoner but he had some `unorthodox' clothing on, as he remembers:

“Being on a Canadian squadron, they used to get lovely parcels from Canada because there was no rationing there, and they shared the stuff with us. Anyway, I got this pair of pink pyjamas, and on my last trip, it was a late take off and I went and had a shower, came back to the Sergeants’ Mess and saw these pyjamas lying on the bed. I thought, well we’re only going to northern France, we won’t be away very long, so I’ll put these pyjamas on with my flying kit over them and I’ll be ready to get into bed, but I never got back. I finished up at a Dulag Luft (PoW transfer camp). I found a bunk for the night and as I started to undress, somebody noticed these pink pyjamas and shouted down the hall “have you brought your toothbrush with you as well?’!”

Eddie eventually ended up in Stalag Luft VI in what is now Lithuania.

`The model will be dedicated to everybody who flew aboard JP113 on that that eventful April night'

Sortie List For Halifax B.Mk.II Series 1a,

JP113, NA-A 428 (Ghost) Sqn RCAF

from the logbook of Rear Gunner Pilot Officer Arthur `Artie' Shaw,

the pilot in all cases was

Flight Lieutenant Charles George Ford DFC RCAF

Date

22 November 1943

24 November 1943

26 November 1943

02 December 1943

20 December 1943

20 December 1943

29 December 1943

03 January 1944

04 January 1944

09 January 1944

28 January 1944

02 February 1944

21 February 1944

25 February 1944

07 March 1944

11 March 1944

13 March 1944

21 March 1944

22 March 1944

23 March 1944

26 March 1944

29 March 1944

17 April 1944

18 April 1944

20 April 1944

Notes

air test

special cross-country

Operations - Stuttgart- landed East Moor

East Moor to base

air test

Operations - Frankfurt

Operations - Berlin

air test - S/L Reilander (passenger)

air test -Possibly rectangular tail fitted during this time?

air test - Possibly rectangular tail fitted during this time?

Operations - Berlin [2 fighter attacks]

Operations - Kiel, mining

Operations - La Rochelle, mining

Operations - Copenhagen, mining

Operations - Le Mans

Operations- Lorient, gardening

Operations - Le Mans, marshalling yards

Operations - Kiel, recalled

Operations - Kiel, mining

Operations - Laon, railway yards

Operations - Coutrai, marshalling yards

Operations - Paris, marshalling yards

Operations - Kiel, mining

Operations - Copenhagen, mining

Operations Lens, crashed Attlebridge

Hours Flown

1:40 day

2:45 day

8:20 night

0:30 day

0:30 day

7:40 night

8:10 night

1:00 day

0:35 day

1:35 day

8:50 night

6:45 night

7:00 night

7:10 night

6:10 night

7:40 night

6:20 night

3:00 night

7:40 night

6:45 night

5:20 night

6:40 night

6:00 night

6:50 night

6:00 night

-17 Operations- However this is by no means conclusive as the nose bore at least 24 mission markers and in a photograph taken in April 1944 these consisted of 17 bombing and seven mine dropping (Gardening) sorties.

-Artie Shaw flew 28 operations with Flt. Lt. Ford in total before his death, most in JP113 but other Halifax Mk.V & Mk.II`s were also used too.

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Cheers,

Tony

Edit- Sorry but the table that I have drawn up showing the sorties that I`ve located so far has gone totally to pot upon transfer from my word doc to here! I hope that it still makes some sense?

Edit- because I`m a dope and forgot that RAF Middleton St George is now in County Durham, not Humberside, and is now called Durham Tees Valley Airport- cheers Bob & Paul!

Edited by tonyot
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Hi Tony - looking forward to this one as per all of your builds.

Please check you mailbox for a PM.

Cheers!

Bill

Cheers Bill,.......a very,...very big Cheers!

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Hi

Nice story to go with the build but I Think that Middleton St George is Durham Tees Airport and Humberside was Kirmington (from memory)

Regards

Paul

Cheers Paul,

A good friend of mine has just told me the same thing so I was just going to change it when I saw your post! I was going from memory and should really have double checked,....doh! I`m changing it now.

All the best

Tony

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Incredible progress there Tony, it's looking really good. I love the subject you've chosen too, really nice nose art.

Quick question - any tips on attaching the front firewalls to the wheel wells, they seem awfully floaty if you know what I mean.

Pete

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