BillS

MM, Xtracolor, and Mr Color are all dang near equal and should satisfy the most discerning modeler. They all spray effortlessly and can be wet sanded between coats.I think MM dropped enamel GGG in the bottle but you can decant their rattle can.

When I do prime I like Tamiya gray primer in the rattle can. This may sound blasphemous to most guys but I often use the final color as the primer and wet sand between coats. If I can avoid another layer of stuff, I’m all the more the happier.

In the past I’ve used Xtracolor but their color consistency is WILD all of a sudden. Model Master looks good as does Mr Color and Xtracrylics. Personally I’m not an acrylic fan. My bug bear with all of these paints except Xtracolor is they’re flat and flat means spraying on gloss, then flat again. I have a thing about layer after layer of paint. To date I haven't found anything that sprays more effortlessly and finely as Xtracolor. I’ve been shopping for another alternative since Xtracolor quality is dodgy and it’s hard to get. I bought $200 worth of Mr Color the other day so I’ll give it a whirl. So far I’ve shot a 1/72 A-4 and an AC-119. The colors look true enough and they sprayed well but not as well as Xtracolor in my hands

How ‘bout vacforming a new one. I’ve g ot a mattel vacuform. It might take several stabs and careful trimming but it’s doable

Future airbrushed on works well. Decal solvent can jack with though. It’s worth trying.

What is a good source of Mr Color in the US? Is this stuff going away? It seems the online shop’s inventories are hit and miss.

I’ve searched high and low for images clearly defining where the 990 had gray. It looks kind of like there was some on the lower fuselage at least on American’s jets. Any advice?

Hi, I was in the 301FW/457FS with block 32s from ‘95-03. On my trips to SW Asia we “rainbowed” with the other two AFRC 10 AF F -16 squadrons; the Makos from Homestead and 419th from Hill (Rattlers). Each unit would send over 2-3 jets for 90 day Air Expeditionary Force rotations. So 6-8 F-16CGs in any of those unit’s markings would be on the flight line together. THEY most typically were loaded with AMRAAMs on stations 1 and 9. Stations 2 and 8 had “stubbies”with AIM-9Ms, while 3 and 7 had TERs (BRU 42 type). These carried “slant mount” GBU 12s on the outboard shoulder and lower racks for a total of 4 bombs. Stations 4 and 6 were 370s and the centerline carried a 184 pod. The Lightning pod was on the right intake mount. In place of the laser munitions, we did 1000 lb JDAMS parent mounted to their respective pylon. All units had 110 motors but my unit had small mouth jets. So, if you can live with AFRC markings, there’s three possible squadrons to choose from. BTW, right after 911 our guys flew the longest fighter sorties ( single seat?) ever flown, staying airborne over 11 hours on some missions.

I’ve experienced the same issue with low-viz markings. It would be helpful if the decal manufacturers would suggest commercial paints that are compatible with their decal colors. They seem to be all over the map. At this stage if it were me, I’d experiment with some other paint brands until you find the right combination. As distasteful as it seems, a full repaint might be the answer. In the end, you might be happier with the finished product. This issue really is a dilemma since the various paints have so much variability. Best of luck.

Thanks guys. I was kinda thinking OD as well. These replies make the choice easy.

I cant find an image of a USAF F-4C in the gray/white scheme with a SUU-23. In the 1965-66 timeframe I wonder what color the pods were painted. Anyone?

It really didn't fly. It was so ugly, it scared the ground away!

I’m pretty certain there were some differences in panels/doors. If I remember correctly the crew chief’s comm panel and boost pump lights were under a smaller panel on the LH intake. Some blade antennas were different as well. Just behind the aft transparency was an A/R light. You should be able to see its location in photos. You might see how much the HUDs differed in appearance.

I dont have a corroborated definitive answer but I’ve got an old corrosion mil standard. It explains painted areas such as lavatories, interior areas etc. in general terms. I’ll see what it says. If it were me, silver is always a safe bet or maybe interior green wells and silver inside doors. I know I’ve seen several 135s with adc gray later in life. I would think somebody out there has a 135 corrosion tech order that might offer a clue.

If you're looking to use rattle cans for the areas you mentioned, I strongly recommend Tamiya’s various silver and gunmetal sprays. They are very realistic, spray ever so nicely and hold up to masking. For the areas you're talking about, i lean heavily on Bare Metal Aluminum, Dark Gunmetal and Light Gunmetal. I also use Tamiya acrylic clear Amber and Blue to airbrush heat staining. If you spray this over the spray can metal colors but don’t like the effect, you can wipe it away with a little alcohol and reapply until you get the desired result.. I’m sure other modelers have worthy ideas on the topic.