Here is a 1/48 Academy Raptor completed as a comission. The kit is very decent and has some nice detailing in the weapons bays along with tons of weapons. The owner wanted to keep the lines clean so he wanted the bays closed up. The pit is very nice too.
The challenge was in getting the metallic sheen on the scheme. I used MM enamels mixed with Floquil Silver for the lighter grey and MM Gunship grey with Testor’s Graphite enamel. I tried following a mix I saw on one site but the lighter grey was too silverish so I went by eye and mixed my own brew which yielded a metallic sheen on the paint.
The included decals are from Cartograph and are of excellent quality.
I went with Tyndall AFB markings which has some nice badges and adds more interest. I glossed up the surface with Aqua Gloss and applied the decals without a hitch. I then sprayed Alclad flat to kill the gloss and when dry, lightly polished with an old rag with a tiny bit of Rubb’nBuff to restore a bit more metallic sheen to it. The sheen is more noticiable in person and in sunlight that in the pictures. All feedback is welcomed and thanks for looking.
