Same feeling than Martin ... you're into something special here, George.

I started "weathering" the stars. The ones on the tails need a little extra work, but the ones on the wings look pretty good. I accomplished this by sanding them very carefully with a 180 grit sanding stick followed by a 1500 grit pad to even them out a little. The numerals will get the same treatment. I left half of the decal off on the port side as it represents an airframe that received new panels. Engine exhausts are on, but not glued. I finished the canopies this evening and they're miniature models in and of themselves.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Hey Johannes- Yes! many, many stencils. I've been away for a few weeks (hence my silence) and have returned only to now catch up with real work. I'm hoping to have this done by Christmas so that I can start on my next project and finish a few others.

Thanks, Greg. I experimented/practiced on a couple of extra AMK decals I had before I attempted it on the model. Initially, I used a 180 grit sanding stick very lightly so as not to damage the paint, and followed up with a 320 grit.