I used boxwood for the base (thanks for the info Bughunter) coloured with Tung oil and aged with dark oil wash. Not quite right, but better than the kit stand.
I tried being a proper modeller on this one and, to my surprise, I quite enjoyed the experience.
I wanted this particular Dragon Natter because I didn't want the launch tower and thought the engine detail would add some interest to a simple model. But the detail on the engine isn't very good, so I had to scratch-build some extra pipes and wires etc. May not be 100% accurate, but it's better than nothing, as the empty space would have been visible on the completed model.
Also the 'wooden' stand supplied in the kit is awful, not only is the wood grain much too heavy, the shape doesn't look right to me. In reality, the stands would be made quickly & crudely, using the minimum wood possible.
The completed model is supposed to be displayed with the two parts of the fuselage separate, so the inside of the rear fuselage will be clearly on view – but it is devoid of any internal detail. Which led to more scratch building.
Camouflage:
I was going to do a variation of the illustration on the box lid, but I saw a b
