Air Defence Grey

Alclad II Enamel Air Defence Grey

Air Defence Grey is an opaque gray shade from the enamel range of the Alclad brand. Right at the start it is good to know that this range is neither an acrylic nor a lacquer: it is a synthetic enamel thinned with solvent, which behaves differently from paints thinnable with water. The shade is one of the lighter aviation grays and suits large-area low-visibility camouflage on jet aircraft.

Chemistry and thinning

Enamel is thinned with an enamel thinner or with mineral spirits, never with water. It dries more slowly than acrylic, which on large single-color areas is rather an advantage: the paint has time to level out and leaves no transitions between the individual passes. So clean brushes and the airbrush with solvent right after the work, as dried enamel comes off considerably less easily. Do not mix enamel and acrylic chemistry in one container and do not thin one with the other.

How to work with the shade

• Stir the paint thoroughly before spraying, as the pigment settles to the bottom of the bottle.
• Lay it on in several thin coats; one heavy coat floods the engraving of the panel lines.
• On a uniform light or gray primer the shade sits more faithfully than straight onto bare plastic.
• Before decals, let the enamel cure properly and use a coat compatible with enamel, not a lacquer overcoat, which would disturb the layer.

Who the paint is for

For modelers of modern aviation subjects who work with an airbrush and want a smooth, even gray base with no visible transitions. It will also be appreciated by those who paint with a brush and are suited by the longer open time of the paint.

The product contains flammable solvents. Work in a well ventilated space, away from open flame and out of the reach of children.