Had a couple of airbrushes 30 years ago - Badger 150 siphon feed and Iwata HP-C gravity feed as I recall it. I don't particularly want to spend the money for the current version of the HP-C (CS or whatever it is), but it's there as the outside limit. Double action, gravity feed. Was looking at Badger Krome, Patriot, and Iwata Revolution CS, all of which range $75-115 on Amazon. Recommendations, other models?

Or not...

Sorry. Brush painter here, so I can't make a recommendation. I'm sure someone will be along with some input.

Brush painter here also; Sorry, can't advise.

Maybe Direct Message some of the other painters here that you've seen use obvious Airbrush techniques.
Or read some of the reviews for those products like at Amazon (assuming they carry it). Maybe there are reviews/recommendations on YouTube as well.

I have a Badger Patriot 105 - I really like it but have found less use for it when painting X-Wing mini's than I had first thought I would. On larger ships it's great for engine wash and some areas, but it's not good for fine work. Other's may be more talented than me

I have a Badger Patriot 105 - I really like it but have found less use for it when painting X-Wing mini's than I had first thought I would. On larger ships it's great for engine wash and some areas, but it's not good for fine work. Other's may be more talented than me

It's $75.13 on Amazon today. I also got a Airbrush Depot TC-20T compressor , but I got that on eBay for much cheaper than they are on eBay.

I have a Badger Patriot 105 - I really like it but have found less use for it when painting X-Wing mini's than I had first thought I would. On larger ships it's great for engine wash and some areas, but it's not good for fine work. Other's may be more talented than me

Yeah, I've ruled out the Patriot at this point. I like the price, but the .5 needle is too broad for what I want it to do. So it's down to the .2 to .35 range. I can get the Iwata HP-CS locally for $126 (Hobby Lobby with the 40% off coupon). The Badger Krome for $115 or so off Amazon (yes, I have Prime), which has the advantage of both a .31 and .21 needle. I've found Iwata parts more expensive (and will note that the parts are available at the local Hobby Lobby, so convenience there), but also more durable, but that was 30 years ago. So what I'm really trying to decide at this point is whether the .35 of the HP-CS will be adequate for now, of get the one that will have the finer option available if I should need it.

My workhorse airbrush is the Paasche Talon. Very easy to take apart for cleaning, has 3 needle sizes available.

I use a Badger Sotar 20/20 for small detail work though.

The Krome is great, that .2 needle is everything. Dealing with Badger's tiny little fittings is a pain, but there are solutions for that, just be sure to order a couple couplers etc. Badger does make hoses if you don't happen to have hoses lying around already. Way more efficient, but it also locks you in to Badger stuff where a more standard 1/8" hose will accommodate a wider varioet of air brushes if you choose to get more down the line.

The .2 needle and some brushes will cover everything you'd want to do to an X-Wing mini. Though I do keep eyeing a Harder and Steenbeck Infinity for the .15 needle. But that price... I'd only get it if I suddenly had a lot of money, anything you can do with it you can do with a #0 paintbrush and a toothpick.

It would seem, harking back to my college days in illustration and advice from professional artists using airbrushes, that getting down to .2 is more appropriate for finer milled acrylic ink than hobby paints. Which I have (Liquitex and FW Ink) - I just wonder how much more difficult the cleaning and fussing to get the right mix gets.