Another awesome entry, my friend @tcinla! Looking forward to it!

Got some work in the past few days.

Here are photos of the construction area that has all the Muddle Gnus confused, saying the difficulty here makes the model "a putty monster" as one put it.

What is needed with this model is to remember that you are dealing with a "high end limited-run" kit. So be sure to clean things up, get rid of flash, be sure mating surfaces are clear. The basics of modeling.

To here we have shots of the cockpit - I used a resin seat I already had and Eduard Look instrument panel and photo etch seat belts.

Following that is the engine. Rather than assemble it separately and then attach it, I attach the first part and build out from that, which makes sure I am getting the parts in the right alignment. Then the cowling panels (sand the mating edges so they are straight and flat), You start with the bottom, then each side, then the top. Rubber band it to get all together, then attach the cowling flaps (you have the choice of open or closed, I always choose open.

I began painting it today, I'll have photos tomorrow. I am now a huge fan of Mr Color metalics and the Tamiya lacquer-base metallitcs. They cure rapidly and are hard, and they "look like metal."

Here are the shots. Notice there is no putty. Take care in assembly and you have what you want.

14 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Here is the model with the basic coat of Mr Color Super Metallic "Super Duralumin."

THIS PAINT IS FANTASTIC! I am a convert!

It's a lacquer-base enamel like the other Mr Color paints, and it dries to the touch in about 20 minutes and is cured to where it can be masked on (I never use anything stickier than Tamiya Tape) in a couple hours. The paint gives a hard surface that other metallics don't. It won't eat your model like some Alclad paint will. Thin it about 60-40 paint/Mr Colo Leveling Thinner, and you can tighten down the airbrush to the point you can apply other colors without masking and not "paint outside the lines".

Look at the reflectivity. That's like actual Duralumin.

More pix soon of the final 'multi-hue" paint using Super Metallic "super fine aluminum" and Tamiya lacquer "Gloss Aluminum".

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Gorgeous NMF color Tom. I purchased a few of those Super Metallic colors when the range was on sale at an online vendor recently, but havent leaned too hard into running them through the paces. Looks like im missing out... also seems that I may need to get this kit too...

Here it is with decals to do Joe Laughlin's "Five by Five," circa February 1945. Yes, he did sink a German light cruiser with two 1,000-lb bombs that struck just right.. (Actually, a little research from an "original source" last night reveals there wre no larger German warships in Brest harbor. He gave the "final blow" to the unfinished and damaged French battleship Clemenceau, which sank - a good thing since the Germans were going to move it to the mouth of the harbor that night and sink it in the channel)

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

The painting looks really perfect, Tom @tcinla
Same is valid for the decals.

Yep. Those two shots settles the quality question, no doubt about it, Tom @tcinla