This is my version of the snap tite kit from years ago. I picked it up at a discount store for 3.99. There were a lot of little steps involved in making this model. Once it was glued together, I built up the finish in layers. First, I spray painted the whole thing with gray Tamiya primer. Since I liked the color, I decided to keep the main body and "exposed plumbing" the same gray color.

I wanted to have some exposed metal showing beneath chipped white paint, so I painted the front part of the engine and the cockpit by hand with titanium silver acrylic. I then dabbed on some rubber cement where I wanted the white paint to peel. Next, I masked off the cockpit module and the front part of the engines and spray painted those white. After it dried I picked off the paint and rubber cement - voila! chipped paint! I then added the decals and painted the brown hoses on the back and painted the landing gear. I sealed that with a coat of Testor's dullcoat lacquer from a spray can.

When that was dry I used black and gray artist pastels to add the streaks and general grit. Another coat of dullcoat to seal that and I could perform some more instant magic with thinned down oil paints - black and burnt umber. The oil paint got into all the nooks and crannies and really gave it the weathered, beat up look I was going for.

Image: Top view

Image: Belly view

Image: Side closeup

Image: Cockpit closeup