The plane was painted with Chevron (perfect) paints in the correct colors. For washes I used acrylic enamels applied with an air brush. I tried to go verticle on the fuse where a row of rivits would collect the dirt. As you may know, weathering on dark colors turns light and on the lighter colors it turns dark. Thats what I tried to duplicate. A light weathering job in the right places looks convincing IMHO unless your documentation shows otherwise. I avoid using black for weathering by adding some white to it. I also like to use 0004 steel wool and rub it over the paint in the direction of the weathering. It adds a certain texture that looks very pleasing. After the steel wool you can use the air brush or chalks to add your weathering..
Something I experimented with and was sucessful at was duplicating the "Fabric" look on a sheeted wing.. BEFORE I glassed the wing, 1/32 chart pack tape was applied to the rib stations on the top of the wing. The wing was then glassed over them.. The result was a wing that looked like it had ribs covered in fabric as well as metal in the right places.
I liked your creative way of operating the gear doors, very clever idea..!! Regards BobH.