Thanks for the heads up Stik! I knew there was something going on. I knew I was going a bit over the top but didn't realize it was that bad lol.
To answer on the weathering I went grey primer base followed by black pre shade shade on the panel lines. I then applied the light grey to the bottom half. I used putty to mask the light grey and touched up my black panel line preshading prior to adding the blue to the top half. I then added slight amounts of white to the blue and hit specific panels with different lighter shades of the dulled blue. I really think this is the simple man's method of attaining a weathered/ faded look. Then I go futures (I use mm enamel paints so need a water based layer) for a few coats with a brush and addgadd decals. Finally go to townw your favorite enamel panel washes, dot filters etc. Finish with dull coat.
Thanks everyone for the comments. On to the osprey for the VTOL GB!