1:48 U.S. Serial & Code Numbers Black

The numerals every American machine carried

Aircraft of the American air arm carried a serial number on the vertical tail and a code marking on the fuselage. The height of these characters was not arbitrary: regulations graduated it in inches according to where the lettering belonged and how far away it had to be legible. Anyone who wants faithful markings needs several sizes on hand at once, because one machine usually carries two or three different ones.

Nine graduated heights

The set covers characters 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 and 36 inches high. The small rows serve for technical lettering and data around filler points, the middle grades belong on the codes along the sides of the fuselage, and the largest formats were drawn on the underside of the wing and on postwar identification lettering. The black version suits everywhere the base is light: on unpainted duralumin, on the light gray of lower surfaces or on training machines with conspicuous finishes. The difference between two neighboring grades is slight after reduction, yet it decides whether the lettering looks convincing on the finished model.

How to transfer the sheet to a model

The characters are released from the backing paper with water. The area under them should be smooth and glossy, otherwise air is trapped under the film and the edge turns white. Cut every numeral out close to the edge, use a decal softener on riveted transitions and let the film form into the relief. The finished markings are covered at the end with matte varnish, which suppresses the glossy island around a character. Paints and varnishes are not part of the delivery. Store any unused remainder of the sheet dry and away from light; the carrier film grows brittle over time and cracks when used later.