Quest Raptor, Anybody paint before assembly?

[BABAR]

figured i’d Take a break from scratch building and do a kit.

Opened up package of Quest Raptor I got on sale a while back.

Paint scheme is main body tube silver,
One ring fin silver with a red stripe on one end
One engine pod all black
Fins black with red panels on outside of fin winglets (“triplets”?)

Was thinking of masking the fin and tube attachment points.

Papering fins, flat edges with no airfoiling.

Attaching the Body tube and tube fin together, priming and painting silver (again masking the attachment pointS BEFORE priming, sand down any glassine on them first)

Painting fins black. Sand paint off the attachment points.

Attach the fins (kind of unique style here, all four fins are attached to the TUBE fin.)

Use a black sharpie to touch up the attachment points.

Use Trim Monocote to do the red strip on the forward end of tube fin and the outer plates of the winglets.

Any advice?

 

[MALBAR 70]

I painted mine, then masked the fins off. The red stripe and the red panels are decals, but Monocote would look much better. The only advise I have, is find a good, solid way to attach the fins. The fins on my Raptor are always popping off for one reason or another.

 

[hcmbanjo]

I did some painting of assemblies off the model, and the red trim from Trim Monokote.
Here's the build from finish to start, scroll back to the beginning:
https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/search/label/Q Raptor

I agree with Malbar70, those small antenna fins on short, rear tube are always breaking off.