I'd be up for that, for sure, Chic.
Besides, I think I have the shortest drive to Muncie!
The F7F is about 118" wing span. The kit-maker is a local (Iowa) guy who I met last summer at a warbird event. I was sold immediately! Details on the kit will appear in my thread (coming soon). But here's a video which documents the most important detail: this model can be successfully built and flown!!! Mike Brown and Rich Jennings did a series of construction articles for High Flight Magazine over the past year, and the end result of their efforts appear in the video. Quite a nice result considering it's a complex plane and the flight was a true maiden voyage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjeYrQ0GhI4
Anyway, Chic your F82 is going to be a monster! I didn't realize it was so large.
Before I departed for work this morning, I added some more detail to the control surfaces (an oversight when I thought they were finished).
I added spar inspection hatches. Just like before, I used the foil tape. Just traced a penny on the tape, cut with scissors, and then made impressions around the perimeter with a piece of threaded rod. For whatever reason, the rod made very nice impressions that look pretty much like fasteners. I recommend experimenting with the impression-generating-tools on scrap before anyone decides to use this method for their project. For my hatches, I used some brass tubing to make impressions, too. But the rod just ended up coming out nicer.
Anyway, the hatches were place along the bottom of the elevator halves, and two were added to the right side of the rudder. Placement was determined using pictures and the small plastic model.
The surfaces will get primed again, and then wet-sanded to prepare the finish for final color, as well as reveal some of the details in the hatches (as shown above on the wing panels).
I think this weekend I'll fabricate all the control linkages and mount the horns on the control surfaces and install the servos in the wings for ailerons and flaps. Might as well get some of that business taken care of while I wait for better painting weather.
Noah