So after working on the cockpit, I moved onto the cargo bay. The only other major interior space, it also needed to be 100% complete and sealed in before the outside could be completed.
As you see from this reference photo, the rear hatch is straight and hinged, making the build that much more difficult.
I decided to go fanfic on the interior configuration since the whole ships was not built exactly 1:18 to scale. Taking cues from interior environments we've already seen in the live-action movies and CW cartoon, I began making believable structural components. I also looked at modern naval ships for additional inspiration on the utilitarian nature of "ships".
This was the first time on this model where I did not cover every inch with styrene either. I kept areas of chipboard and foamcore exposed to save time and material. Later on, painting would prove that I should have covered everything. In order to get the paint looking the same on all surfaces, I had to spray several more coats that I normally would have.
I used jewelry box hinges glued and sandwiched into the styrene doors. The doors, even after painting, work quite smooth.
Although a little grainy, the finished paint included oil stains and rust weathering to give the ship a used look. The seams around the perimeter of the interior panels show the white foamcore structure beyond. I've learned my lesson that I should pre-paint the substrate to avoid this in the future. During final paint, these will be filled with a black pain wash to make them disappear.
Next up, the wings....all three including two operable ones.
