vetteman42
Lancair about your B-17 I have only one thing to say.
OUTSTANDING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
What vetteman said times 20!
!
Have been following this build for some time and have enjoyed every moment. About the only( "mistake"?), I noticed is some staining behind the hot air vents on top of the wings. But yours are done light enough to be fairly accurate, Most of us , (myself included ) have made some pretty dark oily stains coming back from those vents. Once ,after being made aware of this , I did some researching, checking color reference pics , found that often the paint looked a bit more faded behind those vents or (as you have done) had only light staining . I love the effect of the #4 engine showing signs of an extensive oil leak or fire staining the wing , not an uncommon sight among many warbirds of the time.
As far as the bomb bay being painted? My feeling is, these warbirds were flying off the assembly lines so fast , unless one had interior pics of the actual plane being represented at a specific date, it's hard to really tell whether the bomb bay should be painted or not. That goes for all WWII warbirds. True, there were often official guidelines as to how the interiors were finished , but with all the rapid changes both at the factories and in the field , there were also many variations.
I have one more thought . If being rivet counter accurate is what it takes to impress the judges enough to award a particular model , then the judges are missing the point of this hobby
. Accuracy is and should be important, but sound modeling skills and representation of a subject while enjoying oneself is the cornerstone of our hobby. Creative gizmology goes a long way in this hobby.
Outstanding work, Lancair.
Howard