Thank you all for your words of encouragement, but being new to this forum I'm not sure what level of detail you expect in the build threads, so if I'm overdoing it and posting too many updates showing only incremental advancements, please let me know.
Back to the build, today was spent laying down the primary metal colours. I pre-shaded the panel lines and rivets with MRP matt black (main image picture 1) and then filled in most of the centre panels and fins with Alclad Black Base Gloss (top insert in picture 1) to try and create tonal differences in the AK Xtreme Brass and Pale Brass paintwork. The tonal differences are there (see second insert in picture 1), but I find photographing these real metal finishes very difficult, and these pictures don't do the metal finishes justice (they look almost matt in the photos and I assure you they are not).
The sub head was painted using Mr. Metal Color aluminium, and when thats fully cured I will mist over a coat of AK Xtreme Jet Exhaust on the upper half to darken it.
Finally today, I painted the figure (see insert in picture 2), and yes, I know its bad but I've never been good at small figures, and since it will hardly been seen through the portholes, it will do
Thank you for looking.