Underside of the body

I have cemented the back section of the cover to the halves of the body. The rear bulkhead is in place for positioning and clamping purposes but still movable. The thickness of the various parts in play here is not in the practical range, so I wonder what I will get once the rubber bands are off. I have still not decided how to tackle the sides of the cover. From some period pictures, a gap can clearly be seen. Reproducing the same effect may not be easy. I am not fond of cutting the part as it is too definitive a solution, but I would like to give a more solid look to the body.

I have spread Tamiya putty onto the whole underside to level the joint between the halves and to mask the disastrous battery trapdoor. I am not satisfied by the result. It is smooth but not even in some places, but as it is only the underside, I do not worry about it. I need to patch the line where the nose cone will fit and all will be ready for a first layer of primer.