Thanks for your input chaps - I appreciate it and decided to go with the collective wisdom. Just goes to show, that's one more example where I would of happily strayed from the beaten path!!
A little bit like I've done here? .........................
This is something I've done on previous builds [non-aircraft] and wondered if it would make the transition? I know this is all old hat to you guys, but I'm kind of on the ragged edge here ... and absolutely nothing does as its told: or works out the way it should!!!!...............
First piccie then...................

Primed with Halfords best grey primer [an auto store acrylic for those not residing in blighty] ... mixed up some colour that looked vaguely woody and then masked off the inside timber work.

The tape and colour goes over the top just for reasons of "keeping things all lined up", I then blew over the majority of the fuselage with my CDL colour "Lifecolours pale stone", I chose this because I wanted a less "creamy" look to this aircraft and thought the colder blue tone would represent the extensive weathering and the maritime nature of the aircraft?

I know - I know? I is pencilled all over it - I'm sure I saw something like this round these here parts, regardless - it stuck with me as a pretty nifty idea, although probably wasted on me as I was already getting a build up of paint and these lines are more embossed than drawn!

A bit rough and ready, and I'm a bit down cast as my paint has spat bits of clag all over the job. It's all sitting like a layer of cream cheese and I keep gouging lumps out of it with my nails ........ But having said that! .... I really like the effect. Rather than the lightness of the canvas as is usually depicted I really rather enjoy the colour of the timber frame showing through: same with the wires. I'm hoping [guessing], that as the build progresses this will just sink into the background of the build and and become a means of endorsing the kind of heavy wet weathering I'm hoping to achieve - I do have the RFC version which I will probably do a cleaner sweeter version of at some point.
Here's a better look at the job. I've removed all the tape - "that was a nightmare" even though I pre-stuck all the tape to the bench and my forehead it was still a bit too sticky to come off without causing some sort of chaos!! grrr!
Anyhoo, smoothed out the "snots" in my paintwork - "highly technical number one finger"! I painted the little hatch thingy, but YET AGAIN that Tamiya paint was just a pain to use, I've stripped it off and a coat of Mister Metalcote looks much better - so far!
I hate the colour of the Aluminium nose panels by the way - and have yet to decide what to do with them - used the Flat Aluminium XF16 you see, logic, and lack of experience said that was the way to go - NOT!! It just looked for the world like a supermarket shelf toy... ugh!
Tried dulling it down with "metallic grey XF56" it took the brightness down alright but the mica or flake is still way too coarse to my taste. ........................ Curses!
Anyhoo ................ that's where I is, and I'm sure I'll stagger forwards with the build, but I can't shake off the feeling that I'm always going to be crashing along the edge of disaster, at least for a little while yet?
Laters.....................