hi there Dan
Just to answer your question about the reason I prefer building in wood rather than plastic - I do work with plastic to a small degree - making fittings and various small superstructures from plasticard and plastic-strip (as you can see from the photographs which follow).
However, when I am working with wood, I do feel more in control by being able to shape and manipulate the wood to my advantage. I also find that working with wood - you do have a variety of wood materials to work with - because you can work with balsa, hardwoods, and plywoods etc. to achieve various finishes and also shapes.
When you are working with plastic though - that is it you are working with plastic - the only thing which varies are the thicknesses/ colours and also the bonding materials.
You will find there are a lot more glues which will bond timbers successfully that will bond plastics.
I will admit that it is far easier to achieve a finish on plastics with less effort than you do with timber.
Anyway, here are a couple of photographs of the air intakes, these are situated at the stern of the bridge midships and these are made from some left over net-curtain - window nets now 2-3 inches shorter (dont tell me Mrs)
some plywood 1/16 thick and plasticard of various thicknesses.
See what you think.