I just bought Academy's 1/72 F-35. It looks like a good kit. Although it's molded in several colors, I want to paint it anyway for more realism. The actual plane appears to be in a medium dark gray with some lighter gray details, but they seem to have a sort of metallic sheen about them. Is there a way to add that sheen to my model? What is the purpose of this color in real life? Is it part of the stealth coating?

wen the model is moulded in different colors, don't forget to prime it completely with grey primer first. Otherwise you risk that the difference in color of the plastic will show through the final paint coat you are laying.

As regards the color, I find references to FS36081 Engine Grey for the main fuselage colour and FS36118 Gunship Grey for the lighter parts