The Little World

When someone says ” uniform corporate image ” to you in an effort to make you paint the delivery van beige or paste the logo on the toilet rolls, look them steadily in the eye and then punch it. They are full of shit and you need not do what they say. The United States Air Force didn’t, and they had Curtis LeMay and the A-bomb.

I am drawn to this conclusion by researching the possible livery of my new KB-29A tanker on the internet. Leaving aside pictures of other scale models made by other hobbyists, I am still confronted with real pictures taken in the 50’s and 60’s of real aircraft in service. And I swear that no refuelling unit anywhere paid any attention to a standard colour chart or ID instructions. In a way, I am grateful to them.

I have a stash of unused decals from other kits. I essayed to make up a decoration set for this model from what I had already. History has made this easy. The US Air Force painted everything, everywhere, on everything. It’s been easy.

The Italeri decals I used were 1990’s products and have aged a little. They did not leap from the paper. You needed to soak them for some time and ease them from their beds. But when they finally consented to slide free, you had exactly what you wanted and all you needed to do is steer them to their new homes. People can be ever so twee about decals, but I view them as a boon – a way to make things look interesting without painting skills. I accept whatever inaccuracy traps the graphic designers have fallen into in the humble knowledge that I would do worse.

That said, I do not appreciate stencil decals that try to make something look so authentic that the Air Ministry is nervous. I am satisfied with a sketch, and do not need a microscopic diagram.