1:32 Polish F-16C - Raven 2

The return of the raven motif

Special finishes have a longer tradition on the Polish Vipers, and the raven motif settled in among them so well that it got a sequel. This item relates to the second form of the scheme, that is to the newer machine that built on the earlier artwork and developed it further. For a collector it is a rewarding pair: building both versions side by side shows how the artistic idea changed over a few seasons without losing its main thought.

What you get in your hands

The set offers die-cut masks for applying the artwork by spraying. The extent is among the greater ones in the enlarged scale; special schemes take up most of the airframe and call for more pieces than ordinary national markings. The brand has released the same thing in the smaller sizes as well, so the same machine can be built in several renditions.

How to lay the work out

Start by laying all the pieces out and assigning them to the places on the model where they belong. With extensive artwork the most common mistake is the wrong order, because once a dark area has been sprayed you will not cover it with a light color. Work from the lightest tones, therefore, and leave the dark ones until the end. Between coats give the surface time, so that a mask does not bite into soft varnish when it is removed. At the end unify the sheen of the whole airframe with a single sealing coat, so that the sprayed areas do not look different from their surroundings. Only under a uniform varnish does the artwork begin to look the way it does on the real machine.