Sure, buy the regular size minis, they're a little easier to paint! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ;D [wildandcrazy] ??? ::) :-[ :-X
Seriously though, if this is in your first go at it, more power to ya!
I'm far from an expert, and way rusty, so take my recomendations with a grain of salt.
I would get a finer tipped brush for your cockpit windows, so that you can get right up to the edges of the framing.
I personally stay away from "black" blacks as a base color, as I feel it is one of the hardest colors to use and not hide a lot of the details of the mini.
But, your cover is consistent with the reds, and I like the overall scheme.