I wanted to follow up on the new Mission Models acrylic paints. The new colors came out right around the 4th of July, and I placed an order for the new Luftwaffe colors and some of the primary ones. I have been a big fan of Vallejo Model Color and Model Air and was anxious to see if my initial happiness with MM would continue. I had used the Olive Green and the Rotbraun on a Tricolor camo scheme and was very happy with the results.
This time I tried the plain white and the Light Ghost Grey colors on a 1/72 F-16 I am working on. I can say that these two colors covered very well. I had used the Stynylrez grey primer and the white came across as white, not grey. The light ghost grey also held its color against that primer. The fine details on the Tamiya kit were not lost when spraying.
As far as the colors themselves go, I cannot talk to whose “shade” of RLM02 is more accurate. I also cannot say that one paint gives a better overall result when looking at the model sitting on a shelf. But, there are a couple of reasons that I would recommend you try these paints.
1. They do spray with very little overspray and you can work close without a ton of masking.
2. I found that the mixture, or the consistency, of the two (Model Color/Air vs Missions) had me being able to get the same results but with a much lower pressure with the Missions ones. A mixture that would have me getting good smooth results with Model Color thinned down for say 15 to 18 psi could be had with the same mixture with Missions at 12 and even 10 psi. Less pressure lets you get closer with finer lines.
3. Clean up is super easy. I was able to get a clean brush with just a soaking using Missions thinner for about 10 minutes in the cup followed by some IPA. No need to disassemble the nozzle and caps or use lacquer thinners.
4. You can brush paint with these much more easily than with Model Air or Tamiya’s acrylics.
5. Lastly, and for me the most important, is that once the paint is in the cup and the cup is capped off, I can enjoy the painting without constantly fighting the tip dry. I sprayed and then picked up another piece and replaced some missing tape and tested a couple of things to see about the color lines, then picked up the brush after a few minutes and just started to spray again. I only once or twice used a cotton bud to wipe off the needle. I know that I would never have been able to get that kind of spray time without a lot more cleaning and clearing of the brush with a blast or two with the other acrylics.
I have used primarily a Grex .3mm airbrush with the Missions paints.
They come in 1oz plastic bottles with a shaker ball in them for mixing. If the paint sits for a while, you MUST shake it up well. I have had no problems just shaking by hand. I have had no problem measuring out my drops with the bottles. The thinner does give me a bit of a challenge with the measuring as it is of course quite a thin liquid and it can come out in bigger drops. I have gone to using a pipette for measuring it. The cost I paid was $5.75 for each bottle and compared to the $2.99 for the 17ml Model Color/Air it is a very comparable price. I am still experimenting with the “best” mixture ratios but generally speaking this paint gives the same results with a thicker consistency. The more traditional 2% milk seemed to give me a more translucent finish. Yes, you do have to mix paint, thinner, and the poly mix additive, so it is more effort up front than just say Tamiya’s dump in and shoot. I should say that you don’t have to mix, but it seems that this gives the best results as opposed to just spraying it neat. The folks recommend mixing in a separate cup and then transferring to the airbrush. I didn’t think I would be able to do all the counting and mixing and transferring without getting frustrated, but the results and the reasons I like it stated above I find it is worth the few extra minutes. After all, the paint job is the first thing we see.
I haven’t done a lot of masking to test the durability, so I cannot comment there, nor have I used their primer. I still really like Stynylrez from Badger as my primer of choice.
Finally, I want to thank John Miller from Model Paint Solutions as he has been very kind to answer all my questions and offer suggestions to help me out. I am not compensated by anybody in any way, and you may get different results, but I recommend you get a bottle or two and try it out. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Anything I have said that is different from the manufacturer’s recommendations is of course my own conclusion.
John