Iwata Eclipse HP-CS Airbrush

The Iwata Eclipse HP-CS is one of Iwata's most versatile gravity-feed airbrushes and a popular choice for scale modellers, miniature painters and hobbyists who want a dependable airbrush capable of handling a wide range of painting tasks.

Part of Iwata's Eclipse Series, the HP-CS uses a high-flow 0.35 mm needle and nozzle system that provides an excellent balance between control and paint flow. It can produce controlled fine lines and shading while still delivering enough paint for base coating, camouflage, colour modulation and larger-area spraying.

One of the defining features of the Eclipse HP-CS is its compression-fit nozzle. Unlike the tiny threaded nozzles found on many precision airbrushes, the Eclipse nozzle drops into the head assembly and is held in place by compression. This makes the nozzle relatively easy to remove, clean and reinstall while reducing the risk of damaging very small nozzle threads. Iwata specifically highlights this design as one of the reasons the Eclipse Series is easy to maintain.

The Eclipse's high-flow design also allows it to atomize a wider range of sprayable materials with less thinning than many finer-detail airbrushes. This makes it particularly useful for hobby acrylics, primers and other paints where a very small nozzle can become more sensitive to paint consistency. Iwata categorizes the Eclipse Series as providing fine-to-wide spray performance.

Paint is supplied through an integrated 7 ml / 0.24 oz gravity-feed cup with lid, providing enough capacity for larger painting sessions while still allowing small quantities of paint to be used efficiently. The cup is shaped to promote paint flow and make cleanup easier.

The dual-action trigger provides independent control over air and paint: press down for airflow and pull back to gradually introduce paint. This allows the painter to adjust spray width and paint volume continuously while working.

A quick-flush cutaway handle provides access to the needle chuck without removing the rear handle, making it easier to flush the airbrush or clear minor paint buildup during use. Unlike the High Performance Plus models, the standard HP-CS handle does not include an adjustable paint-flow preset.

Iwata recommends an optimal working pressure of 25–35 PSI, although the exact pressure used will depend on paint viscosity, thinning, nozzle condition and the effect being sprayed.

Features:

• Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush
• 0.35 mm needle and nozzle system
• Iwata E3 head system
• Compression-fit nozzle for easier cleaning and assembly
• High-flow design capable of handling a wide variety of sprayable paints
• Fine-to-wide spray capability
• 7 ml / 0.24 oz integrated gravity-feed paint cup
• Cup lid included
• Quick-flush cutaway handle
• Spring-steel needle designed to resist breakage
• Solvent-resistant needle packing
• Recommended working pressure of 25–35 PSI
• Includes Iwata head-cap spanner and Iwata Lube
• Suitable for scale models, miniatures, illustration and general hobby airbrushing

The Iwata Eclipse HP-CS is an excellent all-round airbrush for painters who want one tool capable of performing most everyday hobby painting tasks. Its combination of a 0.35 mm nozzle, high paint flow and easy-to-service compression-fit nozzle makes it especially well suited to modellers who want good detail capability without moving to an extremely fine and more paint-sensitive airbrush.