Getting closer

Now the fun starts. I used my thinned out mixture of red (50% of Mr. Color RLM 23 Red mixed with 50% Mr. Color thinner) to lightly mist the center wing. I continue to add coatings until I was happy with the coverage. Basically, I was looking for the entire area to be red but want variations in tone so that you can see the streaking. At this time also painted the struts and the top of the lower wing plus other areas; cowling, wheels, etc. The areas painted light blue almost end pink.

I then placed on the unit number decals. According to Cutting Edge the unit numbers also peak thru the red. The Cutting Edge decals are excellent; they are thin and go down easily with Micro Sol. I then put a light coating of Future on all the areas I painted red (I am trying to prevent damage to the paint while handling) and over the deals.

I then put the gas tank filler neck on. I glued it in and put on the center wing to position it correctly.

The center wing connection to the fuselage turned out to be a pain in the butt. I had cut the struts in half in hopes of making easier to place the wings (not sure if this made things easier or created more problems). Both end of the struts had to be trimmed down to fit into the wings. SO, I had to juggle both connections while gluing and kept checking to make sure the wing was level. After it was all said and done there was a significant gap between the center wing and fuselage. I pulled Tamiya Putty and slowly filled the area and then sanded smooth. Since I had damaged the area, I had to spray a light coating of Khaki Drab and let it dry.

If there is a next time around I will have to figure out a better way to connect the center wing and the fuselage. Live and learn.

I have some touch up work to do. Hopefully I get the whole thing painted red by next weekend. Only 2 more free weekend until the model show.