Decals, Decals, and More Decals

The kit comes with three different types of decals that all have their own way of being applied. Two large light blue sheets have peel-and-stick decals; one white sheet has a shiny plastic overlay; and the other white sheet has a flat finish and waterstyle decals.

For the peel-and-stick decals, which are mostly for the wing, I lightly sprayed glass cleaner on the spot where each decal will be applied. This allows me to move the decal until I have it in the right location, then I rub it from the inside out until it is all smoothed down. Use a paper towel to wick away the cleaning solution. The body decals are on the white paper with the clear plastic overlay. These are applied by peeling off the backing paper, so the decal and clear plastic oversheet stay together. This keeps the letters aligned and makes it easy to line them up on the fuselage. Place one side of the decal down on the fuselage and slowly rub out the air bubbles, working your way from one side of the decal to the other. Rub only on the decals, and don’t worry about the clear plastic. Be careful as you cannot lift up or shift the decal around after it has been placed down.

The flat-finish water decals are used on both the body and fuselage. Cut around each decal, place it in water for 30 to 40 seconds, and pull it out. You can now move the decal on the backing paper so that one of its edges is hanging off the paper. Place that down in the correct position, and slide the backing paper off from under the decal. You can move the decal into the correct location while it is wet, but be aware that it is fragile and will easily rip apart. The best method is to place the edge of the decal in the proper position so that, when you slide out the paper, the decal lies down without needing to be moved. Dab the decal with a paper towel so that it wicks up the remaining water. Let it dry completely before touching it again. When you’ve finished, you will be surprised at just how much detail all those decals add to the plane.