Decals conundrum?
Having chosen the aircraft I wanted to build it was time to make sure I had everything I needed! I was pretty sure in my decal stash I had the red codes and serials I needed, but of course I hadn’t realised that these come from an old Model Decal sheet that is over 30 years old!!! How relieved was I to discover that the decals worked very well indeed, just that the glue went a bit milky and this is easily removed and I moved the wet decal about in the residue from the other kit decals to give it enough ‘stick’. Using Micro Set and Sol decal wetting solutions all the decals used went on really well.
My subject aircraft is Halifax B.Mk.II, JP246, FS-B No.148 Squadron RAF, operating on long-haul bombing and supply missions like Brindisi, Italy where, sadly this aircraft crashed on 8 October 1944.
Before the final coat of flat varnish, more Johnson’s Klear is sprayed over the decals once they are completely dry – this has the effect of sealing them in and hiding any traces of decal carrier film.
The model is given a good coat of the excellent Alclad Klear Kote Flat varnish, a good basis on which to later apply pastels that will form the remainder of the dusty weathering process.