Phew! I feel ready with that nose. I wouldn't by me without giving in to my AMS and double-checking the results by some additional photoshopping.

The side profile photo of the model in my last post was imported to imaging software and compared with 4 profile photos of the real a/c found on the web previously.

Zooming into the middle three images, you can see that the proportions of the Tamiya fuselage are generally very good. The reworked nose seems to conform to the outline of the original, although the profile of the extreme chin should be a bit deeper - this, however wasn't possible to achieve without re-working of the air intake under the spinner.

You can also play by overlaying the model photo on top of the real photo... which hopefully shows why I'm happy to move on at this point!

Time to restore the missing panel lines...

Pretty good Mk 1 eye work Martin, well done.

The backside of starting to modifying a kit is that as you learn more about the subject, you will keep discovering incentives for even more changes as you go.

Having attached the twin cheek intakes, I thought that they were protruding a bit too prominently...

So having done all that work on the nose, I decided to modify them, too.
Before...

...and After:

...and comparison with the real thing:

1 additional image. Click to enlarge.

Looking good Martin, you've really changed the whole look of the nose. Once you get farther along it would be nice to see a side by side comparison between your modifications and the stock kit. You can use the pictures of mine if you like that idea.

Rick:
Nice idea, let's get beck to it whenever I'm ready with this build.

Al, this is the first edition of the kit which has the US-produced Scalemaster decals in the box and unfortunately they are so-so, especially the reds are way too dark for the French insignia. I have ordered a Berna Decals sheet this week, waiting for it to arrive within a couple of days.

You might try a hypodermic needle or a pieces of hollow metal tubing held in a tool handle. Pressure will sink the plastic & leave the fastener in the middle.

Martin the rivets, panels and fasteners look great. I think once you get a coat of paint on the "depth" issue on the fasteners will disappear. On the canon ports, since the top of the opening is on the centerline of the leading edge I would either; use a "rat tail" file to round off the edges or insert a piece of hollow plastic tube and sand it to match the airfoil.

Thanks all. Ah, I should have guessed that there would be a French Colors question 😀
This guy seems to have sorted it out...
http://www.ratomodeling.com/finished/d520/