So I mainly do 1/72 and 1/48 aircraft, with an occasional 1/35 armor build. I currently have a Neo for Iwata air brush which has a .3 nozzle.
I am looking to upgrade to a nicer air brush and an H&S Evolution comes with a .2 needle and was wondering if that would be too small. I mainly use Acrylics by the way.
I have an HP-BH with the .2 and use it only for lacquer. I think you’d have to thin acrylic quite a bit to get good flow. The .35 in the Eclipse seems just about right to me for thicker paints.
.2 needles will only spray thin paints. Anything thicker like primers or metalics will struggle or clog. I only use my .2 brush for fine detail work up close with thin paints. General Airbrushing it is just too small. I use an Iwata HP-CS with .35 needle for 90% of my work on 1.48 and 1.35 scales. I have an Iwata with a .5 that sprays primers wonderfully as well. All around .3-.35 is perfect, smaller needles play a small roll as your usage of them is more limited. I could not paint fine line or mottling without my .2 badger. I could and have used a .35 for this but it’s not as easy to do as a .2. Hope that helps.
BK
Those H&S .2 nozzles seem to do pretty well, there are a couple of model paint reviewers who use those quite a lot even with acrylics. I hate to say it but all you can do is try it, you can always get a larger needle/nozzle later on if it doesn’t suit you.
My favorite setup though ( for me) is the .25 on my Badger 200. I don’t always use that but it always satisfies me when I do. Nice fan when shot further away, nice tight lines shot in close. And very good atomization even with the fluid needle cut down next to nothing. My favorite lacquer brush. Thin the paint correctly is all with most any paint. I’ve had that since 1975. Everyone has their own best. Truth be known I use a Paasche H with #3 nozzle setup probably more than any airbrush for plastic models. Just a simple external mix no brainer airbrush. In art work I tend to use a Ganzton Iwata knock off with .3 for acrylic artist paints and thinned craft paints. But that’s another whole topic. That’s my only double action brush.
Paasche H is my weapon of choice for plastic models as well. I’ve had the same one for over 35 years, and use it every day. I tried “upgrading” to an Iwata HP-CS a year or two ago…used it once…and its just sitting there like a bench ornament. Good thing its so pretty. [H]