Excellent jobs on creating the wingtip lights and the windscreen frames, my friend @clipper!

Thanks again Spiros (@fiveten) and John (@johnb). I love that UV cure resin, very useful stuff.

In preparation for painting, I am getting the base ready for mounting the aircraft. I am gluing the support rod to the model before painting as it will make for a convenient handle while painting and I can stick it in the base while I let the paint dry.

The base is a simple block of wood with routered edges and varnished. However, I am attempting to make painting masks for the squadron emblem for the squadron that will be represented by my plane. I found a low resolution photo of the original patch from that period and a higher resolution of the same emblem later in the squadron's history (60s or 70s, I believe) . I am using the higher resolution image to create the artwork for the masks, but I will swap out the name of the squadron at the time the aircraft was being used. This is going to be painted on the front part of the wooden base. Hopefully it will turn out okay.

The support post was made from 1/4" acrylic rod heated over a heat gun and bent slightly, then cut to length. The bottom of the aircraft has a corresponding hole drilled into the wing and the post has been epoxied into the hole. This is more than enough strength for this model as it is pretty light weight.

Nice approach on the base and the emblem sign, Carl @clipper
This will look great.

All your work on this is paying off, Carl!

Today was masking, priming and getting the base coat on the model. Primer was MrSurfacer1500 Black. After this had dried for awhile, I did a marbling coat with sky grey. Then using about 15% Tamiya Nato Black, 10% Tamiya Hull Red, and about 75% Mr Leveling Thinner, I spray light coats of the base color. I'm going to let this dry until I can look at it in better lighting tomorrow and see if I need to do any other colors. I will be doing some post shading, but I want to see if it needs any different shades of black, sort of like what we do for bare metal finishes.

Great preperation prior to the final paint, Carl @clipper

Thanks Spiros (@fiveten), John (@johnb), and George (@gblair). I'm still not sure where I want to go next with this finish. I have thought about adding some preshade lightening of the center of panels, selective painting of certain panels with different shades of black, and misting on a sandy grey to make it look a bit dusty / chalky.

But all of those would require a strip and redo if they didn't look like I want them to. Part of my problem is trying to determine just how much weathering of the finish should be done. Looking at photos, other than some chipping, most of the night fighter F-82s looked pretty clean.

So I think to start, I am going to apply the decals and then a grey panel line wash and matte coat. From there, I will see how it looks and decide what else I want to do. However, barring a change in the weather, I will be taking my boat out tomorrow, so the model building will have to wait another day.

I did get a gloss coat applied today. I have also painted the propeller spinners blue and the drop tanks aluminum. These match the scheme I am going for.

Good idea to proceed as you said and decide later on on weathering, my friend @clipper!
Have fun with your boat!