How to NOT make 6 versions of the same mandible pit: plan your steps carefully.
Step One: Attach this landing gear greeblie underneath the tank deck like so:
Step Two: Add the other greeblies to the top of the tank deck:
Step Three: Use the rounded-back tank deck as your placement guide (without gluing it in) for the sidewall 8rad and Aurora Munitions carrier greeblies, and for the spacing of the Handly Page engine greeblies:
Step Four: Do the same thing for the sidewall greeblies on the opposite side:
Step Five: Still without gluing in the tank deck, use it to figure out spacing and permanent gluing location of the spoke/wheel greeblie in the center, that receives the landing gear pipe:
Step Six: Do the same thing for the Nagato greeblie and then permanently glue down the Handley Page engine greeblies:
Step Seven: Now lay your pipes out, while the tank deck is not "in the way" of all that cutting/filing/sanding/angling of the pipes.
Step Eight: Once you're happy with your pipes, go ahead and glue in the tank deck, and clamp the landing gear greeblie to ensure a strong bond to the tank wheel greeblie it connects to:
Step Nine: Attach the other identical landing gear greeblie to the sidewall, next to the Bandai 1/48 tank deck section greeblie, and the Bristol Beaufighter engine greeblie:
Then cut and trim to desired appearance:
Step Ten: Add final landing gear greeblies and photograph from all sides to document your work:
In my experience, this was the hardest and most complex of the eight mandible pits, and is the only one you have to build in a very specific sequence to avoid tragedy.
But now, at long last, the pits are done:
Lower Pits
Upper Pits
Light shot with flash
Shadow shot without flash
