Painted and ready for decals tomorrow.

The yellow cowling with have the black diamonds over it as decal for the 353rd group marking.

The model is painted with Tamiya RAF colors Ocean Grey and RAF Dark Green, over Vallejo Aluminum lower surface, with D-Day ID stripes done with Tamiya Flat Black and Flat White.

8th AF alerted fighter groups in May that they might be moved to the Continent following the invasion, and they should camouflage their NMF airplanes. All the groups used RAF paints! I have interviewed the maintenance officers of the 334th squadron of the 4th Fighter Group, the 84th squadron of the 78th fighter group and the 61st squadron of the 56th Fighter Group. They all said all groups used RAF paints because they were easily available and US paint was not.

You can now see the surface detail better with the paint on. I really like this kit. It's definitely not the only one that's going to show up in the collection.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Getting into the final lap. Here it is with the decals done. "Butch II" was flown by Lt. Colonel Bill Bailey, an original member of the 353rd who was CO of the group's 352nd squadron, known as "Bill's Buzz Boys." In mid-July 1944, he moved up to Group Flying Exec, a position he held until the group returned to the US in October 1945 to be disbanded.

The decals came from Aeromaster 48-163: Best Sellers Thunderbolts. The underwing decals are from the Fundekals US National Insignia WWII - Late sheet.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Looks very good, Tom @tcinla
Did you take any special approach to make the checkerboard pattern follow the roundings nicely.

Great work piecing the decals together, Tom (@tcinla). I avoid squares and checkerboard so that I don't have to deal with decals that don't quite fit.

Excellent work, Tom @tcinla
Definitely going to read the article on MM.

Unfortunately, Scott VanAken ate a bad something and is suffering the tortures of food poisoning today. Hopefully he will be back from Those Who Wish They Were Dead tomorrow or so, at which time the article will be published.

Awesome Jug. As usual a very informative build. You worked some magic on those decals.

Superb result Tom. Well done.