1:48 Decals Stencils for Missile R-73 (AA-11 Archer) and APU-73 Pylon

FOXBOT decal sheet 1:48 - technical lettering for the R-73 missile and its pylon

This set contains neither the missile nor the pylon, only decals with the technical lettering that goes onto them. It is used where a kit or a detail set supplies the weapon parts themselves but their markings are missing or illegible. The product therefore belongs among finishing accessories, not among kits.

The real subject

The R-73, under the Western code designation AA-11 Archer, is a short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missile. It is carried on a launcher of the APU-73 type, which is hung under the wing or under the fuselage of the carrier. Real examples tend to have a range of small service inscriptions and colored bands that bring a model to life markedly, because the stores under an aircraft are clearly visible.

Decals on small cylindrical bodies

• First smooth the body of the missile perfectly and varnish it with a gloss coat - on a cylindrical surface silvering is especially conspicuous.
• Seat the decal in the middle and only then wrap it gently around the body with a cotton bud.
• A softener is practically essential for wrapping around a cylinder; apply it thinly and then do not touch the film.
• Rather divide small bands and inscriptions into shorter sections than fight with one long piece.
• Seal the finished stores with varnish before you hang them on the model - handling easily damages a fresh decal.

Who the set is for

For modelers who are finishing a model with underwing stores and want to bring them to the same level of detail as the aircraft itself. Working with small decals on rounded bodies assumes experience with a softener and a steady hand.

This is an accessory. The missile, the pylon, the model, paints and varnish are not included in the package.