I see Mr Cody G. has embraced Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover (2x) paints now...

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

In the May 2014 Cody’s Office, Cody paints up an HO roof air conditioning unit (I think it’s a large Walthers unit) with the choice of many on this forum, Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover spray paint. However, unlike me, he’s using not the primers (which usually result in a great initial finish), but I believe a light gloss green.
Hmm, I think I’ve tried the Ultra Cover spray bombs in gloss color once, using the same fast pass technique that Cody showed, with less than optimal results - he didn’t mention any other techniques like warming the spray in hot water, just shake (and wear a respirator, which I always do with rattle cans and airbrushed solvants anyway). Yes, he briefly showed the finished unit (dullcoated, with some extra detailing wash and touched up access door) and it looked OK on screen, but not having it in my hand staring with it under a bright light with my Optivisor, not sure how smooth he got the finish.

Who around here has gotten really good results with the regular Ultra Cover (NOT PRIMER, I know that works) paints (good results meaning very smooth even finish).

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I use the flats and satins, but not any gloss that I recall. Been using them for several years now. The formula seems to have improved and there’s little tendency now to get a too-thick coat, a problem with several colors I had in the first cans I used for them.

It’s not an airbrush and it’s not Floquil, but for most things around the layout, ROPT works well for me. I do still use model paint for models that have a special appeal to me, but that’s a lot easier to work into the budgetwhen 90% of what I do is with paint from the Big Box.