Hi Michael (@michaelt). I was in the same boat with weathering, and I think I had tried everything. Acrylic weathering dried too fast, I liked artist chalks, but they weren't very versatile. A couple of years ago I started experimenting with artist oils and discovered how useful they are. I had taken an oil painting class several years ago, so I had a number of colors already laying around. The more I use them, the more I like them. I keep experimenting and finding new ways to use them. The other key is using Odorless Turpenoid. This is a manufactured turpentine designed for artists. No odor, it is non-aggressive to most other paints, and it dries flat. I paint my models with acrylics, so I can use them directly on the model's paint without dissolving or picking it up. If you mix up a wash, it is easy to apply with a brush, then adjust it using both a dry brush and a brush slightly damp with Turpenoid. It stays workable for hours, so you can work with it until you are happy with it. There are lots of ways to get other effects. If you dampen the surface first with Turpenoid, then brush on tiny dabs of paint, you get one effect. If you apply streaks or dots of paint directly on the model, you can then blend or streak them using Turpenoid. I experimented on this model with using the paints as "filters" to change the color or hue of a specific panel. There are a ton of YouTube videos that show you many ways to use oils. I do differ in one way from most of the others because they say you should apply the oils on a gloss surface, but I have always used it over a flat surface. If you have never tried oils, I think you would really like the way they work. I experiment a lot with the paints, but usually not directly on the model. I will paint a piece of plastic with the paint I plan to use on the model, then experiment with the oils I plan to use. Anyway, if you haven't tried oils, I recommend you go watch a few videos on YouTube and give oils a try. You probably only need 3 colors to get started: black, burnt sienna (oil stains, dirt), and tan (I use tan to lighten panels and simulate fading). By the way, oils are used extensively in armor (armour) modeling, so you can find a lot of good info in videos on armor modeling. Sorry, got a little long-winded here. Let me know if I can help.

The washes do look great, George @gblair

It is finally done. I got the last bits glued on and painted. I had a small unexpected problem at the end when the flaps kept falling off. I glued them on this morning, but the attachment points are fairly small. Finally I was able to use enough thick superglue to hold them on, in fact, I probably used enough to hold the real flaps on. I plan to take some final photos and post on Headlines this afternoon. Thanks to everyone that followed along and for all of your suggestions and support. Cheers.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

She looks absolutely sweet. Great closeups, George @gblair. What a superb finish!

Congratulations, my friend @gblair! Looks awesome!

Well done, George. This was a great build to follow and learn from.

Thanks for following along and your great support, Spiros (@fiveten), John (@johnb), Stephen (@stephen-w-towle), and Gary (@gwskat). I am planning to do one more plane for the group, but I am still trying to decide which one.

I feel your pain, Stephen. For thirty years I bought models that I didn't have time to build. I figured I would have plenty of time to build after I retired. But it didn't work out that way. I am finally retired, and I do have more modeling time than before, but not nearly as much as you might expect. On most days, my modeling time is about 90 minutes, usually divided into two 45 minutes sessions.