Nice job! You've come a long way from your earlier builds like the Monograms. On exhaust stains, take your paint in the exhaust color you want and thin it down super thin with drugstore isopropanol (90%, dries faster). I use Tamiya paints but should work for mission or vallejo. Thin down 20:1 or more iso to paint, then make multiple passes to "build up" the stain until it looks how you want. That way, any one pass where you don't stay steady isn't a disaster. Also don't stay in one place too long or the iso will start to eat your paint job.

Excellent build! Yes, you are right. The decals on tamiya kit are difficult to work with. I am about to finish the tamiya 1/48 F-35A and the ram tape decals have taken up most the build time and have almost made me give up on the kit a couple of times.

That looks absolutely fantastic, Tamiya still make some of the bedt kits on the market, even their older kits fit like well made gloves, best regards from Australia

nice work the bird looks good keep them coming

Great paint job on such an old kit.

Looks awesome. 👍

Goo0d job !! Congrest ...

Nice job

What was the problem with liquid mask on wheel hubs?

Will you be buying multiples of the same kit to do each variation?

It's odd that Tamiya can make such good kits but has always had garbage decals. I've found ways to make them work better but it's really not worth it, either paint on the markings or go aftermarket(or use leftover Eduard decals).

Would look even better if you bought an even more expensive airbrush.😂😂😂😂