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Definitely works! as others pointed out, sealing is key - I usually go with a gloss coat since the powders stick way better to that than bare plastic.
The main thing I've learned is to be super light-handed with application, like use a barely-damp brush or a soft sponge, because it's easy to go overboard and end up with muddy-looking streaks instead of realistic weathering 😅 After you're happy with how it looks, hit it with a matte varnish to lock everything in place so the powders don't shift around or rub off.
Absolutely, I use weathering powders on my plastic models all the time. Just seal everything first with a gloss or matte coat depending on what look you're going for, then apply the powders with a soft brush and fix them with a light spray of matte varnish so they don't smudge off.
I actually got into model building during a rainy stretch a few years back when the mushroom season was slow, and it's surprisingly similar to other detail work once you get the technique down.
The key is going light with the powder application since you can always add more but it's tough to remove if you overdo it.
You can absolutely use weathering powders on plastic aircraft, but I'd push back a bit on the "gloss coat is better" thing. What actually matters more is the *type* of sealer and how you apply the powders afterward. I've had better results with a matte varnish than gloss, honestly - the powders grip just fine and you don't get that plastic sheen showing through your weathering, which kills the effect.
The real technique is using a fixer or setting spray after you've positioned your powders. A light mist of something like Testors Dullcote or even a 50/50 mix of water and matte medium gets sprayed over the weathered areas, and it locks everything down without needing to be heavy-handed. The earlier answers aren't wrong about sealing first, but they're missing that middle step - if you just brush powders onto sealed plastic and call it done, they'll absolutely shift and dust off when you handle the model. The powders need that secondary fixative to really bond. Start with a thin seal coat on your plastic, apply powders dry with a soft brush or sponge in light layers, then hit it with your fixer. You can even build up weathering in stages this way, adding more powder layers between additional light coats of fixative if you want heavier wear effects on high-traffic areas like wheel wells or intake edges.
One thing worth knowing: don't use a gloss sealer and then try to dull coat over weathered areas. You'll trap the powder between layers and it gets muddy-looking. Stick with matte sealing and matte fixing, and your weathering stays crisp and realistic.
I've done it on a bunch of my model planes. The key thing I learned the hard way was that you really need that sealer coat first or the powders won't stick properly and you'll just get dust everywhere, which I found out when I made a mess all over my desk while my cat knocked over my supplies.
Once you've got a good base coat down though, the weathering powders blend so much more naturally than paint for that worn look, especially on aircraft where you want those subtle dirt streaks and panel line shadows.
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