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AFV Painting & Weathering
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Matthew Toms
Iwata HP-C Plus or Iwata HP-CS
nheather
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United Kingdom
Joined: November 12, 2007
KitMaker: 295 posts
Armorama: 204 posts
Posted: Monday, February 15, 2016 - 11:36 PM UTC
I am looking to buy a general airbrush and thought I had decided on the High Performance HP-C Plus.

But their is a fly in the ointment - I keep reading about praise for the Eclipse HP-CS.

I can understand the attraction of its nozzle system but is it really preferable to the HP-C Plus.

Makes some sense in the UK because the eclipse is typically $50 cheaper but in the US they are pretty much the same price, I have even seen HP-C PLus the cheaper of the two.

I have the opportunity to buy in the US so to me it makes sense to get the HP-C Plus but I want to make sure I'm not missing something special.

Cheers,

Nigel
PRH001
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New Mexico, United States
Joined: June 16, 2014
KitMaker: 681 posts
Armorama: 603 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 - 01:34 AM UTC
Nigel,
They are very different airbrushes. The fixed .30 mmnozzle of the HP-C+ will spray at lower pressures and potentially do finer detail than the Eclipse HP-CS series brush which uses a cone tip assembly with a permanently attached nozzle of .35 mm diameter. The Eclipse has the advantage of spraying heavier/ thicker fluids than the C+ but will require more air pressure and volume to do so. Both are excellent brushes, they were just designed for different primary functions.

Hope this helps,
PH
nheather
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United Kingdom
Joined: November 12, 2007
KitMaker: 295 posts
Armorama: 204 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 - 02:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Nigel,
They are very different airbrushes. The fixed .30 mmnozzle of the HP-C+ will spray at lower pressures and potentially do finer detail than the Eclipse HP-CS series brush which uses a cone tip assembly with a permanently attached nozzle of .35 mm diameter. The Eclipse has the advantage of spraying heavier/ thicker fluids than the C+ but will require more air pressure and volume to do so. Both are excellent brushes, they were just designed for different primary functions.

Hope this helps,
PH


Thanks, so if you were to have just one for 1:35 armour modelling and some 1:72 / 1:48 aircraft modelling, which would it be?

Cheers,

Nigel
BBD468
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Texas, United States
Joined: March 08, 2010
KitMaker: 2,465 posts
Armorama: 2,383 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 - 04:39 AM UTC
Hiya Nigel,

I happen to have both airbrushes both. Both are Excellent! However, i only use the High Performance HP-C Plus for soft-edge, freehand camo and some pre-shade jobs. Everything else as well as what i just mentioned can be done with the Eclipse HP-CS. Were i to sell one and keep one....id sell the HP-C Plus and keep the Eclipse ANY DAY!!! It (The Eclipse) can do pretty much anything the HP-C plus can do, but the HP-C Plus cant do everything the Eclipse can do. My HP-C Plus rarely see's the light of day because of my trusty workhorse....the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS. FANTASTIC Airbrush fella!!!

Gary
PRH001
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New Mexico, United States
Joined: June 16, 2014
KitMaker: 681 posts
Armorama: 603 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 - 05:42 AM UTC
If I was spending the money and I was only going to have one of the two brushes mentioned to do armor, 1/48 and 1/72 aircraft, I'd go with the HP-CS Eclipse. You can mask the 1/72 aircraft to get finer feathering on the camo, but the ability to use more/ heavily pigmented or thicker bodied types of paint with the Eclipse makes it more versatile.

With that said, people have used the HP-C for years for modeling with huge success.

The good news is, both are fantastic brushes so you can't make a mistake.

Hope this helps!
PH
BBD468
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Texas, United States
Joined: March 08, 2010
KitMaker: 2,465 posts
Armorama: 2,383 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 - 06:10 AM UTC

Quoted Text

If I was spending the money and I was only going to have one of the two brushes mentioned to do armor, 1/48 and 1/72 aircraft, I'd go with the HP-CS Eclipse. You can mask the 1/72 aircraft to get finer feathering on the camo, but the ability to use more/ heavily pigmented or thicker bodied types of paint with the Eclipse makes it more versatile.

With that said, people have used the HP-C for years for modeling with huge success.

The good news is, both are fantastic brushes so you can't make a mistake.

Hope this helps!
PH


I Absolutely Agree!!!
jomark
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Metro Manila, Philippines
Joined: April 13, 2015
KitMaker: 117 posts
Armorama: 100 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - 06:29 AM UTC
+1 on the HP-CS for me. Main factor is the ease of cleaning the nozzle after every paint session.
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