I just have to vent here. I am in the closing stages of building Hobbycraft’s 1:48 Otter (RCAF Rescue and US Army) and discovered that one of the decals fits poorly. In fact, it doesn’t fit at all. There is a big “RESCUE” decal that goes on the side of the plane from the front door to the rear door in between the wing strut and the side windows. Problem is that the decal is several millimeters too large (top to bottom) and will not fit. I cannot believe that this slipped by the quality control.
I really love the Otter and was looking forward to finishing it. Now it is not worth it. I am soo [censored].
MG, I know this is small consolation, but if you really do love your Otter, buy a sheet of Expert’s Choice white decal paper, follow the instructions, and make yourself a smaller decal using a color copier and the percentage dial. Then paint over the image with some Micro Decal Fixer and you’re back in business. I gave you sloppy, incomplete directions because I’ve only watched others do this, but I know there are many people on this site who make their own decals regularly, some using the laser printer on their computer. If I know those RESCUE signs painted on the sides of such aircraft, it is in big, simple block letters, in black or red, or, on OD planes, yellow.
Also, a new decal is not the only solution to your problem. It is possible to actually reduce the decals on a copier, trace them onto frisket paper (not the film), and carefully cut the letters out. Then you stick it on the proper place and spray it. It’s even better than a decal, just time consuming.
Can someone more schooled in markings than I chime in? This man is obviously in pain.
And, I might add, I haven’t done a Hobbycraft Canada kit in a while, but decent decals on those kits, as good as some of the kits are/were, were the exception, not the rule. They had bleed problems, wrong colors, lines that weren’t straight, and just plain wrong decals. Usually, the first thing I did with a Hobbycraft Canada kit was throw away the decals. The new kits bearing the Hobbycraft name are the opposite: They have beautiful markings on them. But they have the same worthless instruction sheets, with virtually no color callouts, and those they have are inaccurate most of the time.
Tom
Thanks Tom, I’ll give that a whirl. This will give me an excuse to get the CFO (wife) to loosed the purse strings to get a better printer… 