Matching the Macross logo across four different separate pieces = Insanity.

Matching the Macross logo on the wings.

Basic idea is done. Time to trace the panel lines.

To accurately trace the panels I switched the base to grey and followed illustrations and closeup drawings.

Adding the panel lines as bump maps.

Changing the bump maps to normal maps.

Tracing the rest of the fuselage panel lines.

Test using normal maps and a light.

Working out the metallic fuselage shader.

To get a better info on reflectivity for the fuselage, I switched it back to grey.

I actually love this result.

Increasing the reflectivity values on the metallic shader.

Bright aluminium!

Panel lines under the wings.

Panel lines for the rudders.

Detail work on the wings.

The plane in storage configuration.

Playing with some lights.

The shader in Batroid mode.

Working out a specular map with different values for the panels. Since each panel can be replaced it should have different specularity, which makes it look more realistic.

The lines are feeling more reflective than the panels, though...

It looks cool but I can't find out why my map looks inverted.

I made a grey version to figure out why the parts that were supposed to look less shiny were shinier.

Happy accident: the result looks amazing.