The Little World

At least do not decal when you can paint.

I am in awe of modellers who can make a decal panel lay down over an undulating wing or fuselage and have it come out taut and flat with no silvering or air bubbles. Even more so when the decal involves several panels abutting each other. I’ve watched a club expert, Ian, deal with a lozenge decal for a WW1 fighter plane and I know I would never have the courage or patience to do it.

So I reach for the masking tape and the airbrush whenever I can. The only schemes I can do are pretty darn basic, but I know they will lay flat and not break at the edges.

Unfortunately the attempts up until now to paint roundels or other insignia have come to naught – they still need to be lain down as decals for the intensity of the hues and the sharp outlines. Also, fortunately i think I have most of the decal procedures in hand and the biggest disasters may be averted in the future. I’ve even coaxed life out of historic ones…though some have been rather zombie-like when finally placed. There is no substitute for a good decal printer.

The wing panels and boom stripes are painted – a bit of a pest to mask off, but really dead simple geometry. I’ve no idea whether they were real service markings when the thing flew, but my pattern aircraft has them so I’ll follow suit. It may be the blind leading the blind, but if you are a fair ways back in the line most of the stumbling blocks have been found by the leaders anyway. Just listen for the howls of pain…