Guys,

Working on Tamiya's 1/48 Nighthawk. Helluva kit; nobody's lying when they say it's a joy to build. My question revolves around the (relative) ease of painting this kit. It would seem (by studying the instructions) that it would be most practical to assemble the main fuselage/wings after painting it (since the gear bays and weapons bay are completely separate from the lower fuselage and would not require masking) then attach all the smaller (already painted) parts like doors. But...

...since it's obviously going to wind up flat black, what procedure would you experienced guys suggest?

A: Flat black enamel -> gloss clear enamel or lacquer -> assembly & decaling -> flat clear enamel or lacquer.
B: Gloss black enamel -> assembly & decaling -> flat clear enamel or lacquer.

What I'm trying to get at is that if painting is done before assembly, this kit will be handled during installation of the bays, cockpit, doors, elevons, rudders, etc. What is the most finger-friendly (flat paint with gloss clear, or gloss paint only), given a 7- to 10-day curing time? Should I consider using rubber (or latex or soft cloth) gloves to prevent fingerprints and blemishes on the surface (has anybody done this)?

I guess, more than anything, my question is what do you guys do when assembling a kit's body after painting it?

On a sidenote, has anybody tried "dusting" their F-117 with a dark grey (Gunship or Euro I Gray) after the black to give a lighter (and scaled) "patchy" effect?

As always, thanks for any assistance!

- Johnny Dangerously