So, without further adieu, here we go!
Here we have a side view of the airbrush.
The brush feels nice and solid, with the typical chrome plated finish that most airbrushes have these days. It has some heft to it, making it feel solid in your hands, but not heavy enough to cause hand fatigue (maybe with a marathon painting session it would, but you bring that on yourself!)
The paint cup is a 7mL screw in style, which makes flushing and cleaning a snap. I'd say it takes me 1/2 the time that it took me to do the same with my Iwata HP-CS that is in storage back in the US. The paint cup lid does what lids are supposed to do, not much I can really say there...
There is also an adjustable needle stop at the back of the body for limiting needle travel, preventing you from accidentally squeezing the trigger too far and ruining a potentially award-winning paint scheme. Turned fully "in" (clockwise) a full pull of the trigger nets you only air coming out, and fully turned "out" (counter-clockwise) will get you the most paint that it will push at your given psi/bar setting. Takes only a few seconds to find the desired needle stop setting for the particular task at hand, be it a mottled camoflague scheme, detailing access panels, or laying down a base coat.
Here is what the spray pattern looks like using Tamiya Acrylic thinned according to Tamiya's specifications using X-20A Acrylic thinner.
Mind you, I haven't picked up an airbrush in over a year, and the one I was accustomed to using before this was my Iwata HP-CS, with the button style "down and back" trigger on the top, so this was my first experience with a legitimate "trigger" style airbrush.
I found it quite easy to use, and very ergonomical as well. Maybe it's my history of playing XBox 360, but the actual action of pulling the trigger to varying positions and holding it were second nature to me.
The trigger action on the brush is nice and smooth, with no catching or rough spots throughout it's range of travel. Time will tell how well it holds up, but the quality of parts so far appears to me that it will hold up along the lines of my Iwata.
I also purchased a Mr. Hobby compressor setup, which consisted of the compressor and an inline water trap/pressure regulator. The compressor itself is a low level entry model diaphram style, but with properly thinned paints, it shoots paint flawlessy. Quiet barely scratches the surface of describing the compressor. My wife asked me how loud it was (I do all my modeling after my 2 year old son goes to sleep) and the first thing popped into my mind was - "mouse fart". If you model with the TV on for background noise, you won't hear the compressor.
It also came with two stands, one for your airbrush and one for the inline water trap/pressure regulator. Not bad, but not the greatest either. They both do what they are designed to do, which I can't complain about.
Here is a shot of the first kit I've actually put some effort into since I was 13, an Italeri Willys. I used the airbrush to do the main base coat for the body, Tamiya Acrylic Olive Drab. Paint layed down nice and smooth, with no sputtering or globs. I pretty much refuse to use rattle cans (aside from primer at the moment) now that I have this invaluable piece of kit. Hope you enjoyed my little "/review".
