Thank you Spiros. I keep forgetting to ask if anyone knows what the area in the oval is all about; is there a different version to this kit that requires it? It was on the other build as well and serves absolutely no purpose.

Thank you. I went through all the Hasegawa A6M5 releases thinking that the area may be for batteries for a motorized version but not so.

I don't know if the fuselage change much from earlier variants. If it didn't then this may be a leftover from Hasegawa's A6M2 or 3. Anyhoo...appendages added...

It's a plane! Looks better all the time @blackadder57! And for that insert, I know nothing, but batteries sounds plausible. (And I notice the tailwheel is covered by the tailplane)

All these great small details addressed add to the final realism.

George, @blackadder57
I am sorry to hear this about your masks not fitting properly. I can imagine how upsetting this must have been, especially when you come home from work all excited, ready to go since your parts have arrived, only to be disappointed later when you discover they don't fit.

I only used masks once in a while, and I'll admit they are much easier to use than having to mask off the windows using tape. Hang in there buddy, at least you're not masking the windows in a G4M Betty !

Please keep us posted on how this works out for you.

Thanks guys, all good now. I added some extra Tamiya tape to the gaps. Even though the masks were a poor fit it was still better than trying to do some of the tricky curves myself. Just painted the small anti-glare area in front of the I.P. black and the rear deck under the rear canopy area white. When that dries I'll start the main paint. My plan is to spray the area that held the Hinomarus Tamiya XF-11 J.N. Green. I'll then haphazardly spray the rest off the upper air-frame the same colour. When dry I'll cover the area that held the Hinomarus with two pieces of tape in the shape of a cross and then spray white over the entire air-frame

Indeed, painting plan is super, as my friend @airbum commented. I am tuned in here.