Right, Felix, that's how I'm doing it.  I don't know what's going on with DXTBmp, but any changes I make don't get saved, and I'm seeing errors creeping in, windows where they don't belong, other details in the wrong places too.  I would like to figure out the problem, because Abacus can't open all DDS extension types. 
  Also... I've never seen ANY "cheesecake" nose art on repaints available for download on simviation.  Is it against policy, even if it's non-explicit?  (e.g. my pirate babe isn't even topless).  Or has it somehow not occurred to anyone?  It does seem most repaints are of real-world aircraft, fictitious repaints don't seem to be very common.