The engine cowl was added next. Three pre-cut pieces of soft balsa are provided to shape the front of the cowl and two pieces of light-ply are used for the sides. I joined the sides to the front by using some scrap balsa as bracing. The top pieces will be cut, shaped and glued on later. The cowl needs to be recessed into the top of the nose sections. The actual position in the real plane is offset to the left from the pilot's perspective (facing forward). The holes in the front of the cowl have been offset and these should line up over the centreline of the plane. I positioned the cowl and traced an outline on the plane to mark where I would need to cut. Make sure you leave adequate room for the forward machine-gun, which needs to be positioned on the right side of the cowl. I cut through and did some test fittings to ensure the placement was good and the fit was snug. The gun trough was cut next and sheeted with 1/16" balsa. I cut the slot right down to the brass tube on F2. The exhaust stack is a prominent feature of this plane and there are several styles you can go with. I drew up a design in a graphics program, using a scan of the plan as a reference for positioning the exhaust and for size.
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