1:144 Pakistani AF insignia, 2 sets

Insignia of the Pakistan Air Force 1:144 (Mark I, decals)

A stand-alone sheet of waterslide decals for 1:144 scale, not a kit. It adds Pakistani national aviation markings to a finished model. The package holds two identical sets, so it will do for a pair of models or leave you a reserve.

The markings

Pakistani aviation markings build on the national colors and national symbolism. This is the kind of marking you usually will not find in ordinary kits, because kit manufacturers fill a decal sheet mainly with the most common users of a given type. It is exactly here that stand-alone sheets make the most sense: they make it possible to build a variant a modeler would otherwise have to put together from spare parts of other sets.

How to handle an older sheet

Decals are not immortal. The carrier film hardens with age and then cracks during soaking, above all on larger insignia. Before you reach for tweezers, look at the sheet against the light: if you see small cracks in the film, or the paper is wavy and yellowed, go over the whole sheet with a thin layer of clear decal varnish and let it dry properly. The varnish creates a new continuous carrier and the insignia can then be transferred whole. Note that after such treatment you have to cut every insignia out close around its outline, because the varnish has joined the whole sheet together and without a close trim you would carry the clear surroundings onto the model as well. Then soak it somewhat longer than usual, as a treated film releases more slowly.

Who the sheet is for

• Builders of Pakistani aviation hardware in 1:144 scale.
• Modelers who want markings not available in ordinary boxes.
• Those building less usual users of well-known aircraft types.
• Collectors building a collection of markings by country.

This is a stand-alone decal sheet, not a kit. The model, paints, varnish and softener are not included in the package.