Paint will add more weight to your plane than iron on covering. As for airbrushing, you can use almost any paint. The trick is how much you thin the paint and the application of the paint. If you are painting surface prep is important as well. You may want to do a search here on RCU as there are quite a few treads going on painting. If you go with iron on covering, look for the article written by RCU moderator Minn Flyer as there is no better how to article on the web. Good Luck, Dave