Tru-Color Paint is a manufacturer of model paints based in the US. They have an extensive line of railroad and car paints and they are continuously expanding their military line (aircraft, naval, armor).

This review includes the following colors, all of which are part of recent releases:

• TCP-1396: FS-11136 Insignia Red (used in F-101 Voodoo, A-3 Sky Warrior)
• TCP-1397: FS-17925 White (used in C-2 Greyhound, C-130 Hercules, E-2C Hawkeye)
• TCP-1601: RAL-7038 Light Grey (used in the experimental camouflage of F4 Phantom 37+51)
• TCP-1602: RAL-9005 Black (used in the experimental camouflage of F4 Phantom 37+51)
• TCP-1602: RAL-5014 True Blue (also known as Pigeon Blue and used in the experimental camouflage of F4 Phantom 37+51)

The first thing you notice about these paints is that the bottles are larger than the standard hobby bottles; they come in 1-oz and 2-oz are available too. That means their smallest bottle has about twice (or more) the paint provided by most other hobby paint manufacturers. Consider that fact when you think about their price.

The second thing you notice about these paints is that when you open the bottle, they are smelly. Make sure you have proper protection when using them. Now, having said that the paints are smelly -perhaps a drawback- that also means they dry out fast -an advantage.

I’ve found the paint is ready to be sprayed out of the bottle, after mixing it with a paint mixer. Spend some time mixing the paint well, as I’ve noticed that some of them needed a good 10-sec mix to really get the “true” color by properly mixing all the components of the paint. Once it is mixed it has a consistency like partially skim milk.

I sprayed the paint at 25 psi (dynamic, not static) and it atomized beautifully. All the colors had good density; a couple of light coats, probably about 3-4 inches were all that was needed to get a uniform and dense color as shown by the test cards.

I should point out that the manufacturer recommended pressure is 28 to 35 psi, but 25 psi did just fine. Although I live in Colorado and altitude might have played a role in getting away with just 25 psi. By the way, the manufacturer recommends to not use their paints when outdoor temperatures are above 95F.

As I mentioned before, the paint dried fast. You can mask within 20 to 30 minutes of painting, but I prefer to wait at least 4 or 5 hours instead. Call it playing safe. With my approach of waiting a few hours, I experienced no paint lifting when doing tests with different masking tapes (3M, Tamiya, Shurtape).

On the topic of the paint finish: they dry to a satin finish. If you have good quality aftermarket decals you might not need to apply a gloss coat to the paint job.

Another thing to mention is airbrush cleaning: You can use acetone for that. Once you are done painting and need to clean your airbrush put a bit of acetone in the cup, let it sit there for about 30-45 seconds -you will notice how the paint pulls away from the cup- and spray away. Rinse with a bit more acetone and your airbrush is completely clean.

In summary: these model paints are excellent. With proper ventilation and a respirator, the strong smell of them is no problem. They dry fast and can be masked over within a few hours. They have good color density, and they atomize fantastically. To top them off, the adhesion (to a primed surface) is outstanding.

Finally -and this might or might not be a consideration for you-, Tru-Color Paint is based in Arizona. That means your business stays in the US economy, supporting jobs in the US, rather than overseas.

Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Tru-Color Paints and IPMS/USA for the review sample.