Fixing The Tailsitter

Thanks to the Canberra PR.9 ballast debacle, I decided to get proactive earlier today and shore up the B-57. I wasn’t 100% positive that I needed to add more weight to the nose but given the fact that it felt a lot lighter than its British cousin, I knew the impending verdict. 

When I need to add weight to the nose for a second time, it’s always after the kit has been assembled to a decent degree. This means that you need to find a way inside the aircraft without breaking anything all while keeping your entry point discreet. With the B-57, I originally decided to drill a hole in the nose wheel bay and add lead weights from there. Upon further thought, I decided instead to go through the cockpit. 

The ejection seats haven’t been installed yet so it was easy enough to drill my hole through the the floor plate. First, I made a pilot hole to make it easier for a bigger size drill bit. Once the second hole had been made, I trimmed as needed until the weights fit through. Problem solved.