I've done a lot of finishing and paint work - it made sense to do it while I have a clean airplane and fresh surfaces. But I'm not done with painting!

- After I build the cowl I pull out my paint equipment and address hangar rash, fairings, et al. Right now I am marking those areas with a good masking tape.
- After Phase 1 I will head back to the paint booth for a final sanding and clear coat, then accents and N-numbers. The paint manufacturer has advised that I can use the clear they recommend for all their color paints - it will do fine over the white. I like the idea of vinyl accents, and that fits nicely with the gloss over white. And yes, I have to do a control balance test, so controls have to come off.

Accents. As to what kind of accents to apply, right now I'm looking at pictures. Watching a Scheme Designers presentation, they have the diea of doing a full scale mock up on the airplane before going final. Make nice sharp lines with tape, make sure you like the look, then go final. Yes, vinyl is more flexible than paint, but this is still a good idea.