Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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vacant
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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Pull the other one.
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Zee28
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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vacant wrote:I didn't have any wrap around decals for the stripes and even if I did, I doubt if I would have used them.
Eric Mc wrote:I always paint my invasion stripes these days.
Out of interest guys, why?

I am fundmentally lazy so will always use decals if they are offered! Haven't got the patience for all that masking.....

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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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Decals are rarely thin enough to wrap around a leading edge successfully and if they are that thin, they might tear or highlight any minor blemish underneath. They are also likely to give far too uniform an appearance, which is not in the spirit of D-Day stripes. and would be especially at odds with all the paint on the rest of the model.

Apart from that, I just prefer to paint them.
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Zee28
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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vacant wrote:Decals are rarely thin enough to wrap around a leading edge successfully and if they are that thin, they might tear or highlight any minor blemish underneath.
Good point, although on my previous Beaufighter they worked a treat with just a tiny overlap on the underside of the trailing edge which was barely visible.
vacant wrote:They are also likely to give far too uniform an appearance, which is not in the spirit of D-Day stripes. and would be especially at odds with all the paint on the rest of the model.
Now that I really can understand, and you are quite right. Somebody once told me some RAF folklore about crews sometimes putting them on with a broom!

But the trouble with being a modeller is that we all get a bit OCD about different aspects of the hobby, and scruffy invasion stripes might be correct, but they would jar with me and, rightly or wrongly (well wrongly TBH), I'd get all anal about the imprecise appearance and would want to tidy 'em up!
vacant wrote:Apart from that, I just prefer to paint them.
That's because you're not fundementally lazy like me mate!

Please don't loose sight of the fact that you guys are proper modellers, where-as I'm a lazy bodger who will always take the path of least resistance.

Regards,

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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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Don't knock bodgers - they were highly skilled craftsmen, though they worked with wood rather than plastic. The word, unfortunately, has come to mean something different.
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Stuart
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

Post by Stuart »

Those are a very nice pair of Beau's Vacant - it's really nice to see the old kits still being built!

(I paint my stripes too - although I've never had a kit with stripe decals yet).
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Zee28
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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Stuart wrote:(I paint my stripes too - although I've never had a kit with stripe decals yet).
Seems I'm in the minority with my lazy decal approach!

Purely for your interest, here's a pic, I think this is the decal sheet I've got. It's actually too big for the kit box! It wraps around the parts bag.

Although not entirely accurate, experience has taught me that they fitted and worked really rather well. They even have a cut-out in the wing stripes for the little intake thingies on the leading edge. I don't recall having any issues with them at all.

Image


But of course, you guys are doing it properly.

Again, purely for your interest, there were a few classic Airfix kits that came with invasion stripes as decals, the Fairey Firefly springs to mind. These.

Image


The little ones wrap around the pose-able ailerons.

But, to the best of my knowledge, it was only Airfix that were this generous. The other CBK manufacturers expected you to paint them, hence I am very unlikely to do the Suez version of the Frog Wyvern that is sitting in my stash!

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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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Go on, do the FROG Wyvern. Just ;paint a big yellow area then use masking tape. Or if you are not happy with that, paint or spray black paint over some clear decal paper, or even use a drawing program to print some black stripes. Then you can cut out the stripes and make mistakes until you get it looking 'right', or near enough. The FROG Wyvern is a real classic build that you will enjoy.
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Eric Mc
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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vacant wrote:Decals are rarely thin enough to wrap around a leading edge successfully and if they are that thin, they might tear or highlight any minor blemish underneath. They are also likely to give far too uniform an appearance, which is not in the spirit of D-Day stripes. and would be especially at odds with all the paint on the rest of the model.

Apart from that, I just prefer to paint them.
:Pretty much my reasons too. They just look a bit more non-clinical when painted.
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Zee28
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

Post by Zee28 »

vacant wrote:Go on, do the FROG Wyvern. Just ;paint a big yellow area then use masking tape. Or if you are not happy with that, paint or spray black paint over some clear decal paper, or even use a drawing program to print some black stripes. Then you can cut out the stripes and make mistakes until you get it looking 'right', or near enough. The FROG Wyvern is a real classic build that you will enjoy.
Oh Vacant mate, you make it sound so easy.... Remember this me you're dealing with!

All those compound curves around the fuselage, trying to get masking tape to conform, I can only see a world of pain trying to paint them straight, slowly driving me mental. Give me a wrap-around decal any day!

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Eric Mc
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

Post by Eric Mc »

I find wrapping a decal around a curve more difficult than wrapping Tamiya tape around a curve.
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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I seem to remember having considerable problems with the Airfix Firefly D-Day decals. They were too thick to curve and they also cracked as they dried. It's on a back shelf, never photographed. I could probably resolve problems such as these if I used the various softening products one can buy, but I have never used any of them.
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Zee28
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

Post by Zee28 »

I haven't built the Firefly yet. When I do I'll let you know how it goes. Maybe it'll change my opinion about favouring decals to painted stripes!

But I do liberally use decal softeners and the like. I find most older CBK decals can be uncooperative without the softeners.
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CementNotGlue
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

Post by CementNotGlue »

Nice pic of a Beau in invasion stripes can be found in an article on the evolution of invasion stripes by Ian Huntley, in the August 1984 edition of SAM. No codes but underslung bombs visable.

For those who paint sripes, I trim the edges of household masking tape and once I've sprayed the paint I pull it off by doubling it back on itself so as to leave an unblemished edge. Sorry to those of you who I'm teaching to suck eggs!
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Re: Bristol Beaufighter: Airfix 1/72

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I would only caution over household masking tape as it can be a bit more sticky than modelling tape such as Tamiya tape. Sticky tape can lift paint. Even Tamiya tape can lift paint. Another tip is to paint the edge of the tape with Klear. That helps seal any gaps so you don't get seepage, e.g. along panel lines. As for sucking eggs, I've never done it. Does one need to use a straw or hollow plastic tube? A sharp blow with a knife or smashing on the top with a spoon is as far as I have got with that one.
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