colin

As Bob Mortimer would say 'it's a beauty' 😀

Great real first attempt, it's all in the prep as you say. Try priming then Tamiya LP11 as a base, you can really attack and smooth out the LP paints. I find it give a better base than gloss black, which is hard to sand back and respray any imperfections you find where as LP11 is more forgiving. We're not trying for a super bright chrome finish after all

No problems I could see when I started one, although I didn't finish it due to lack of space, sold it on to someone with more room to display it. It's well detailed as you'd expect for 1/35, metal barrels for the guns was the only thing I did buy. It's a pity you don't have the Italeri PE for it, although it's still in production I think ,so Italeri may be able to help there as well as the Decals Failing that I would think there would be aftermarket stuff somewhere

Only make sure you have a large shelf. Are you doing a static or RC build

Love the one of the Spitfire literally spiting fire 🙂

Do you mean 1944

Thanks for the tutorial, picked up some handy tips there

Never binned one yet, but have a few in clear storage bins tucked away in the corner, waiting for me to restart and try to finish. But I suppose technically I have binned them, so who am I kidding 🤣

You have to be careful of Micro Mesh grades as they aren't comparable to normal sanding grades I purchased an assortment lot from Amazon ( other retailers are available) and went from there, one piece felt like a brick surface and the fine one like a sheet of A4 printer paper. Their expensive yes, but as you'll find very good at getting into places that sanding pads can't

The reason Iwata screw in nozzles break 99% of the time is they are over tightened the other 1% are that they are dropped. There is another and that is they are lost, due to their size but that's not Iwata's fault really 😉😄

Very nice build, have the same kit and the larger Italeri one. Bit scared to start them to be honest, are you going to slit the decals over the front louvers or leave as is. One of the reasons I'm worried about when I do mine.

I would probably grout now and then paint, and then do as Mike has done with his. They are quite large gaps, looks like they used a wall mould 🙂

Tile grout will be fine to fill the spaces and sponge off the excess with a piece of damp sponge, it's pretty fine stuff anyways

Yes the Airfix twins arrive again 😉😄

Shouldn't be a problem, it's on a large almost flat surface