metallic sheen on F-22 Raptor

[Raptor.777]

I was curious as to how to achieve the metallic sheen on the F-22's? Is there a specific clear finish for this or do you have to make your own?

Thanks

Jeff

[riffraff]

I use future as a clear coat, so I  added a small amount of aluminum paint to the future and was quite pleased with the results. 

[uncarina]

That’s a great idea. Which aluminum paint did you use?

 

Cheers,  Tom

[USAFsparkchaser]

18 hours ago, riffraff said:

I use future as a clear coat, so I  added a small amount of aluminum paint to the future and was quite pleased with the results. 

That is why I did also. 

[Thadeus]

I remember there were some top coats that made other colours metallic-ish. I got myself some Vallejo 70251 and kind of hope to use it in such manner. Just didn't get the courage to do so in like a year or so... I did try mixing regular colours with Gunze H8. And top it off with regular clears.

You can see for Yourself. I only finished J-20 so far.

 

[riffraff]

On 10/20/2024 at 8:48 PM, uncarina said:

That’s a great idea. Which aluminum paint did you use?

 

Cheers,  Tom

I used Vallejo Model Air metallic aluminum 71.062. 

[Spruemeister]

Someone needs to bring back Hawkeye Hobbies Raptor Sheen. 
 

Rick L. 

[Alternative 4]

I used this on my F-35 but think it would work better on an F-22

 

https://hobbystation.co.nz/gunze-xc08-mr-crystal-color-moonstone-pearl/

 

It's a clear coat with with a metallic sheen. Spray it on thin and it should look just right, very easy to overdo it though.

[uncarina]

On 10/22/2024 at 8:25 PM, riffraff said:

I used Vallejo Model Air metallic aluminum 71.062. 

Thanks!

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Raptor.777]

Lots of good info here. What do you think the Raptor would look like with a splinter camo pattern? Might look kind of neat

[ORANGF15Guy]

MRP also makes a metallic “sheen”clear cote to be sprayed over their FS color for the F-35 that might work!

[BillS]

I hand mixed my gray adding Testors metallic silver in small quantities. The metallic particles of the silver suspended in the gray are enough to achieve the desired effect, I think. I do like the idea of a clear topcoat with a metalizer like product stirred in though.

[riffraff]

1 hour ago, BillS said:

I hand mixed my gray adding Testors metallic silver in small quantities. The metallic particles of the silver suspended in the gray are enough to achieve the desired effect, I think. I do like the idea of a clear topcoat with a metalizer like product stirred in though.

I added the metallic aluminum to the paint on my F 35s and was pleased with the results. 

[RedHeadKevin]

I mixed 2 custom Model Master enamels. IIRC it was 1 part Aluminum and 3 parts Gunmetal for the dark gray, and 3 parts Aluminum and 1 part Gunmetal for the light gray.

[ESzczesniak]

Whether mixed in to the base colors, or in the clear coat, look for the finest pigmented paint you can find (I used Mr. Color super metallics in clear coat). The coarser the metallic flecks are, the worse it looks in scale. 
 

If you’re going to use the metallic paint in a clear coat, I would also looks for a metallic shade near your base color. While your clear coat won’t be opaque,

it will lay some color on and the closer the shade, the less it’ll alter colors. On my F-35 I used a dark metallic “steel”. For a F-22, I might think about something along the lines of Alclad’s Dark Aluminum. 
 

I would also suggest this be done as an extra clear cost. Don’t try to let this be your final gloss or flat. You want to be able to put it on as thin or thick as you want to get the desired effect. If you’re using it as your pre decal gloss, it may be too dense by the time you build enough gloss. I did mine in a gloss coat before switch back to regular clear gloss to get it glossy enough for decals. 

[B2Blain]

I'm at the beginning stages of building my third 1/48 F-22. In the past I used Model Masters FS36250 as the base coat. Since I cannot obtain it any longer I purchased a bottle of AK FS36250 and noticed there was a difference in tone, more brownish. I was thinking of giving his model a more weathered look and was wondering...

 

I referred to my references and noticed Raptors have a more worn and variegated appearance than when they first were introduced. It seems that overtime they have been patched in the RAM/Paint shop. Did something change over time with the procedure or paint being used? In the past the scheme to be a Mod Eagle scheme - FS36251 and FS36176 with edges and some areas painted in light ghost gray - FS36375. The latter being what I think Academy called out from what I remember. Hasegwa uses a Barley Gray mix.

 

The metallic sheen seems to be more present in FS36251. Perhaps because it's lighter and catches the reflection of the sun. I was thinking about adding stainless steel to it. I also wonder if the paint shop uses other colors to patch the F-22.

 

Does anyone have more information or tips?

[A-10 LOADER]

For my F-16D that I'm currently on, I'm using AK Real Colors "Have Glass" Gray FS 36170, which has a metallic sheen to it out of the bottle. I wanted a bit more of a silvery sheen so I mixed in some Mr. Color Super Metallic2 ( Super Stainless ) SM 204. This was top-coated with MRP-126 Super Clear Semimatt. To my eye it represents the jet that I'm building when I look at my reference pics, yours may vary.

Steve

[signals]

could the same effect be achieved by mixing alclad with lacquer paints?

[paulsbrown]

On 10/24/2024 at 3:32 AM, Spruemeister said:

Someone needs to bring back Hawkeye Hobbies Raptor Sheen

Was it good? I never saw it used in a finished model.

[A-10 LOADER]

47 minutes ago, signals said:

could the same effect be achieved by mixing alclad with lacquer paints?

Do some testing, they're both lacquers.

Steve

Edited March 21 by A-10 LOADER

[B2Blain]

On 3/19/2025 at 3:31 AM, A-10 LOADER said:

For my F-16D that I'm currently on, I'm using AK Real Colors "Have Glass" Gray FS 36170, which has a metallic sheen to it out of the bottle. I wanted a bit more of a silvery sheen so I mixed in some Mr. Color Super Metallic2 ( Super Stainless ) SM 204. This was top-coated with MRP-126 Super Clear Semimatt. To my eye it represents the jet that I'm building when I look at my reference pics, yours may vary.

Steve

 

I tried AK's FS36170 for a section of the vertical stab. I don't see a metallic sheen. I am guessing that on darker colors it doesn't show as much. I am not having much success changing up the shades of gray on the F-22. In reference to carrier aircraft someone said on one of the forums that the paint shops use whatever they have on hand, not always sticking to the spec when touching up. Would that be true for stealth aircraft? You would think that the shop that repairs RAM also takes care of the painting. They would need to use government approved paint. It would be hard to imagine that a can of Have Glass FS36170 would end up at Langley or Hickam. 

 

I find a hard time imaging why the Raptors look so beaten and non standard. Could it be lighting? Possible. The forward fuselage below the canopy in light looks a lot lighter, more metallic, than the rest of the aircraft. But even in light FS36251 on the vertical stabs do have that same sheen. Could the use of different materials be at play. Or do they use different types of radar absorbent paint for different areas of the aircraft?

 

 

Edited April 7 by B2Blain

[Scott Smith]

On 3/18/2025 at 10:13 PM, B2Blain said:

I'm at the beginning stages of building my third 1/48 F-22. In the past I used Model Masters FS36250 as the base coat. Since I cannot obtain it any longer I purchased a bottle of AK FS36250 and noticed there was a difference in tone, more brownish. I was thinking of giving his model a more weathered look and was wondering...

 

I referred to my references and noticed Raptors have a more worn and variegated appearance than when they first were introduced. It seems that overtime they have been patched in the RAM/Paint shop. Did something change over time with the procedure or paint being used? In the past the scheme to be a Mod Eagle scheme - FS36251 and FS36176 with edges and some areas painted in light ghost gray - FS36375. The latter being what I think Academy called out from what I remember. Hasegwa uses a Barley Gray mix.

 

The metallic sheen seems to be more present in FS36251. Perhaps because it's lighter and catches the reflection of the sun. I was thinking about adding stainless steel to it. I also wonder if the paint shop uses other colors to patch the F-22.

 

Does anyone have more information or tips?

Speaking of brownish…. When I started spraying this one with MRP Have Glass paint set, it literally looked brown until I built up enough coats and it dried.  Reminded me of some home latex paints my wife painted the house with. Came out of the van and on the wall the wrong color, but dried the right color.  
 

[A-10 LOADER]

On 4/7/2025 at 5:05 AM, B2Blain said:

 

I tried AK's FS36170 for a section of the vertical stab. I don't see a metallic sheen. I am guessing that on darker colors it doesn't show as much. I am not having much success changing up the shades of gray on the F-22. In reference to carrier aircraft someone said on one of the forums that the paint shops use whatever they have on hand, not always sticking to the spec when touching up. Would that be true for stealth aircraft? You would think that the shop that repairs RAM also takes care of the painting. They would need to use government approved paint. It would be hard to imagine that a can of Have Glass FS36170 would end up at Langley or Hickam. 

 

I find a hard time imaging why the Raptors look so beaten and non standard. Could it be lighting? Possible. The forward fuselage below the canopy in light looks a lot lighter, more metallic, than the rest of the aircraft. But even in light FS36251 on the vertical stabs do have that same sheen. Could the use of different materials be at play. Or do they use different types of radar absorbent paint for different areas of the aircraft?

 

 

AK's 36170 most definitely has a metallic sheen to it but, it's subtle, which is what you want for the scale. Take whatever you sprayed outdoors, in the sunshine and, you'll see. Our models live indoors unlike real aircraft so, that's why I chose to add some Mr. Color Super Metallic "Stainless Steel" to my mix. My reference pics for my 16 show the jet to have a very "silvery" sheen to her at certain angles. Also, the HG5 scheme takes on different sheens depending on the angle at which it's viewed at and, the lighting conditions.

I don't know how the carriers are handling the new stealth coating "touch-ups" these days but, everything else was touched up with either a small detail spray gun, like one's that a body shop would use for door jambs and small parts or, spray cans ordered thru the supply chain system. To the best of my knowledge, there are never any full repaints done on a carrier, they don't have the facilities for that. I have two cans of Light Ghost Gray that we used on stuff for the A-10's out in my paint locker in the garage. So Langley and Hickam would absolutely receive cans of 36170 if they were available in the supply chain. Aircraft usually only get repainted for two reasons, 1. They are getting a special scheme applied or, 2. They went to Depot for work or "upgrades" and they would repaint the jet before sending it back to the unit.

Steve

Edited April 11 by A-10 LOADER

[B2Blain]

On 4/7/2025 at 4:03 AM, A-10 LOADER said:

AK's 36170 most definitely has a metallic sheen to it but, it's subtle, which is what you want for the scale. Take whatever you sprayed outdoors, in the sunshine and, you'll see. Our models live indoors unlike real aircraft so, that's why I chose to add some Mr. Color Super Metallic "Stainless Steel" to my mix. My reference pics for my 16 show the jet to have a very "silvery" sheen to her at certain angles. Also, the HG5 scheme takes on different sheens depending on the angle at which it's viewed at and, the lighting conditions.

I don't know how the carriers are handling the new stealth coating "touch-ups" these days but, everything else was touched up with either a small detail spray gun, like one's that a body shop would use for door jambs and small parts or, spray cans ordered thru the supply chain system. To the best of my knowledge, there are never any full repaints done on a carrier, they don't have the facilities for that. I have two cans of Light Ghost Gray that we used on stuff for the A-10's out in my paint locker in the garage. So Langley and Hickam would absolutely receive cans of 36170 if they were available in the supply chain. Aircraft usually only get repainted for two reasons, 1. They are getting a special scheme applied or, 2. They went to Depot for work or "upgrades" and they would repaint the jet.

Steve

 

Thanks! I did notice the metallic sheen in the sunlight. I am using a combination of laquer and enamels. A while ago I bought a tin of xtracolor for FS36251 that I think comes closest to the mod Eagle base coat. I made custom mixes to create different shades with a metallic sheen. It just a matter now of deciding how alternate the colors and create weathering and patching effects. 

 

I thought the paint on stealth jets had radar absorbent properties? Why would an F-22 shop order paint that used on an F-35? 

[A-10 LOADER]

1 hour ago, B2Blain said:

 

Thanks! I did notice the metallic sheen in the sunlight. I am using a combination of laquer and enamels. A while ago I bought a tin of xtracolor for FS36251 that I think comes closest to the mod Eagle base coat. I made custom mixes to create different shades with a metallic sheen. It just a matter now of deciding how alternate the colors and create weathering and patching effects. 

 

I thought the paint on stealth jets had radar absorbent properties? Why would an F-22 shop order paint that used on an F-35? 

The paint on stealth jets does have radar absorbent properties.

I'm not up to speed on the colors of the F-22 to be honest. I thought the 22 and 35 had the same color codes, some quick "Googling" set me straight so no,  a F-22 paint shop would not order paint used on a 35.

Steve