My next project is to make a Spitfire XVIII from the Academy FRXIVe kit which involves filling one of the camera ports. Im a bit stuck here as the hole is rather large. My only thought was to stick in the clear part and fill it and paint over. Does anyone have any tips here?
You’re dead on in your thinking. Use the resources on hand when possible. You could also us a piece of sprue cut to size to fill the void, cement it in then once cured sand and touch up with glazing compound. The more styrene you can use the less worries you’ll have of the fillers cracking or shrinking.
Gerald is right - go for it. One suggestion - after gluing your windows (or sprue) in place, coat the back (inside) with a layer of epoxy or CA - will keep your windows from popping out while you sand/file them to correct level/contour (care to take a guess how I know about this?)
Use the kit clear part. Just make sure it’s glued in solid. Then fill the seam, sand it down & you’re good to go.
Regards, Rick
And if you do use superglue to attach the kit parts, make sure you let that fuselage half “vent” for a few days instead of closing it right up. Superglue, I have found, has a nasty habit of putting off fumes for some days after it supposedly drys, and those fumes can migrate and fog the inside of your just-installed canopy, for instance. Epoxies can do the same thing, as I discovered with the clear plastic cover over my epoxied-on aftermarket display base. Live and learn …