RE: Best way for aluminum/metallic type covering?
I've not used the Flight Metal ... a bit too rich for my budget. I have used chrome Monokote, and it looks good, but a bit too perfectly shiny, to be honest.
My thoughts lately, and I haven't tried it yet, is to use the chrome Monokote and then buff it with steel wool or Scotch-Brite to make it look more like aluminum. If that works well, you could mask off panel sections and buff it in different directions or with different grades to get just enough of a differnet look to the panels to make it look really realistic.
I've also had great luck with Rustoleum spray paint over Ultra-Cote, and one of the next projects on my to-do list is a Top Flite F4U Corsair. So, what I'm thinking on that one, is to cover it with chrome Monokote, do the panel buffing idea, then paint it with navy blue rustoleum. That way, if any paint chips (and I might just cause a few chips on purpose) it'll look like bare metal under the paint! Although, perhaps it should have a different color primer underneath, as well ...
Haven't tried it yet, but I don't see why it shouldn't work very well.
Photos, 1st is Guillows P-51 with chrome Monokote, 2nd is RV-4 with Rustoleum paint over white Ultra-Cote
Phil