That's some superb ship modeling, David. One might almost say "shipbuilding"! The LED lighting alone is an impressive exercise in care and patience. I like your approach to ejector pins marks by laying over styrene sheet. Very neat and thorough. I am feeling emboldened in getting to my small photo-etch challenge after seeing your results here. I also have a 1/350 Trumpeter Essex to do some day, alongside the Fujimi Zuikaku. I may yet get up the courage. Thanks for posting your detailed build progress. It is very instructive and fascinating to watch unfold.

18 of these tiny 'fleas', incredible nerve-wracking work, David @davids_models
Even at this scale the detailing looks amazing.

This is unbelievable, incredible work, @davids_models!
Kudos to your amazing skills, Sir!

Progress this week is going slowly on the USS Hornet build. All things being equal 1/350 modern jets are much easier to build than World War II fighters. With the landing gear finished I needed to install the antennas. Using the Glue Looper V4 and a Pic-N-Stic I was able to place a small drop of CA glue and CAREFULLY place the antenna.
( Check out the Tips and Tricks section for the items I used at https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/photo-etch-tools/ )
It may look easy but it took one evening just to install them on 18 aircraft. With all the photo etch added I painted all the aircraft and their wings. With the wings being in the folded position I needed to put the decals on before the wings. I had purchased the Starfighter Decals Hornet Air Wing decal set. I am not sure if it was the decal film was too thin or somehow they got degraded but the squadron numbers and the aircraft numbers on the cowl were very difficult to slide and place. They kept falling apart and cracking. After messing up many of them I decided to just make my own numbers. I printed out a set for all the squadrons and replaced the ones that messed up with my own. With the decals all placed I added the canopy, wings and propeller. So the first F4F is done, only 17 more to go! Once these are finished I will be starting on the Devistator torpedo aircraft.

See more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-350-uss-hornet-cv-8-doolittle-raid/

6 attached images. Click to enlarge.

It looks like you have setup an entire aircraft factory, David @davids_models
You made a good decision to create your own decals for the numbers.

The F4F Wildcats of “Fighting 8” for the USS Hornet are completed and aboard! I set up an assembly line. First I placed all the decals on the wings and lined them up. The decals were then applied on the fuselage. While they were drying I grabbed one of the 3-D printed Moto-Tugs from BaconFist on Shapeways and painted one of them. The detail for such a small tractor is awesome. The engine was painted engine gray. The body was painted intermediate blue with a black dash and seat. I also painted the front grill openings and tires. Once the Wildcats were completed I placed them in the aft hangar bay. I will set them in place later when I add the figures. I am finally starting the Devastators for “Torpedo 8” today.

See more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-350-uss-hornet-cv-8-doolittle-raid/

8 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Fantastic work, David @davids_models
Even with folded wings those planes were cramped into the carrier.
Agree on the details of those tugs, unbelievable at this scale.

This is incredible work, David @davids_models
Unbelievable that there are detail sets, options to have the canopy open or closed and even the presence of a gun for the reargunner in this scale.
What kind of magnifier are you using to get all of this done.