Regarding the polished finish on warbirds, it's done to protect the aircraft. I live pretty close to Fantasy of Flight. Kermit Weeks has the Mustang C, painted as Lee Archer's redtailed "Ina, the Macon Belle," as well as the D model, painted as George Preddy's bluenoser. They're both highly polished. Given that Kermit is a HUGE stickler for accuracy, I asked him about it. The finish used to get that polished look reduces corrosion, protecting and extending the life of the aircraft. Kermit is such an accuracy fiend, he even makes sure the modern wiring in planes he's restoring and having restored has insulation which matches the color and texture of the original, so if someone looked inside, they couldn't tell it was modern wiring. Still, he uses the highly polished finish to protect the planes. Also, airshow judges SHOULD count points off authenticity for something like that, but they specifically don't. That says to me the warbird community is more concerned with preserving the planes, which is how it should be. Personally, I hate the shiny finish. However, if I had a warbird of my own, it would probably be shiny, just because I'd want it to last as long as humanly possible.
-Irish
