Thanks again. Spent a good chunk of the afternoon applying a panel wash. I used my own concoction rather than risk that paint-eating Tamiya stuff and I'm happy with the way it behaves. Black pastel shavings dissolved in water with a couple of drops of dish soap. The following pics are both to show status as well as to give me an idea how things look up close. Seems I can apply a bit more wash around the engine areas.
The anti-glare panels got some scuffs in the form of Tamiya Khaki applied in small blotches with an eye-liner brush. They were then flat coated. I really like the polished mirrors that Tamiya provides in the form of reflective decals. The one below went well but I made the mistake of using a setting solution on the first one and it showed every tiny wrinkle.
I also noted the black fairings around the gun openings so hand painted those as well. A bit rough in the close-ups but I'm not sure I can do much better.
As you can see, the cockpit has been unmasked so the next step will be to install the armour plate and pilot's seat. That and a bit more grunge and exhaust stains to finish her off. Talk soon.
Finishing off and installing the pilot seat were next on the menu. I had some Eduard steel belts still in stock so decided to use those but before folding the shoulder straps over, I made a back cushion out of a piece of shaped styrene card. Tamiya tape was stuck over that and creased as I applied it to make it look wrinkly. I then printed the "U.S. AIR CORPS" decal I made for my B-25 and applied that over the Tamiya Khaki paint and sprayed all with Tamiya Flat Clear.
And here's the finished seat in place. The roll-up windows have also been set in place with PVA glue.
Down to the final punch list items now: Cockpit latch handle (scratch built add), brake lines in the u/c, glue the antenna back on, crew ladder, and a final inspection.