Well, I've made progress and I can finally see the finish line..
1. masking with silly putty
2. finsihed raw paint job
3. Future coated, oil wash and paint chipping
4. Decal added, flat coat followed by a tinted flat coat of Tamiya dessert yellow as a filter and to tone down the really bright white decals.
Next up I'll add stowage, weathering powders, final weathering details, detail sin commanders inside hatch, and add the machine gun. As always, your comments, criticism, and advise are most welcomed.