Hi! I'm building the same model. Hasegawa did a pretty crappy job with this one. Accurate Miniatures Dauntless is a lot better for the same money. Oh well, we did the investment a now what, right? You can remove the dive brakes with a razor saw but be careful with the dihedral joints, they are supposed to remain in their place. To avoid the risk of ruin the wings I used a panel scriber to thin the plastic following the panel lines. Once the plastic is translucid (light will come through) I carefully cut the flaps out with a sharp X-acto. Always works!
The plastic brakes were replaced by photoetched ones from Eduard. They are made of brass and are thin and difficult to assemble. Extra care must be used to put them together. They should be glued with CA (i.e. Pacer). Be aware of open the flaps to the desired angle BEFORE you glue the things.
Painting is straightforward, just as if you were using plastic. Have fun!