How do I add detail to millitary aircraft?

I want to keep the sleek look, but at the same time I want the craft to be very detailed. How would I go about that?

First, by looking at pictures of real military aircraft to get an idea of the sort of details that will bring your model to life. https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1304&bih=666&ei=FzqOWpLKEdL8jwPe-q_wCg&q=f-16+detail&oq=f-16+detail&gs_l=img.3...1384.4412.0.4726.13.10.0.3.0.0.180.801.3j4.7.0…0…1ac.1.64.img…3.6.700.0…0j0i30k1j0i8i30k1.0.RTdvONALF_g .

Decide on one detail and work on it. Then take a look at your model. Is it detailed enough yet? You don’t have to add every detail, sometimes just the suggestion is enough. But if it’s not detailed enough, rinse and repeat until it is.

If you’re having trouble implementing a specific detail, then ask for help. Or, you know, give up and try another one, that’s fine too. It’s totally reasonable to say, “This isn’t going to be worth the effort.”

Make use of the shrinkwrap modifier.

Model the base and them use a new object to model the details.

You can uv unwrap the plane and export it into photoshop or gimp. Then make details like panel lines or wing ribs or rivets as a bump map and use that map to texture the plane. This adds detail without adding geometry.

Thanks for the advice.