First, I have observed serious issues when the distance between power components are not kept as short as possible. The flip side has been an observation of marketers stretching the limits. You end up compromising performance to the extent you either do not have satisfactory flight time or you end up chasing a continual component failure issue.

George Maiorana has always followed the recommendations of his manufacturers and that includes to include margins of error with respect to all components. Using multiple receivers will permit you to move everything close to the motors without having to take any chances. The shorter the leads are, the better off everything is.

The paint issue can be managed by either only clear coating the aluminum sections and not the magnesium areas. Home Depot has the paint on the shelf in their mixing area. I am sure if you wanted to purchase a slightly darker pigment to add to the silver it would need to be of the same product group to assure it won't seperate during curing. Rivet detail should be left until after you shoot silver to prevent chipping. The rivets on a B-36 are an art form in themselves...