1:35 AH-64A 3D-Printed & coloured Interior on decal paper (Academy) (Small version)

3D decals for the AH-64A cockpit 1:35, small version

The small version designation means a narrower extent of the same line of color 3D decals, not a different technology. The printing, the way they are applied and the final look all stay the same as with the full set; what differs is the breadth of interior coverage. Compare the actual content of the two variants from the manufacturer's illustrations.

When the small version is enough

A helicopter cockpit can be fitted out down to the last panel, but once the canopy is closed most of that work disappears. On the AH-64A the cockpit is tandem and the canopies are fairly small, so what you end up seeing in the model is mainly the instrument panels and the side consoles. If you are building a model with the hatches closed, for a display case or in a series, the small set does the visible part of the work.

The gluing procedure

• Level the base, spray it with a dark color and polish it with gloss varnish, as the element has no adhesive layer of its own.
• Soak the decal only briefly, until it releases from the backing.
• Put a drop of water on the place it is going, and the decal can then still be moved.
• Press it down with a damp cotton swab from the center toward the edges, so that no air is left under it.
• Do not use a decal softener or a decal fixer, as they attack the printed resin.

What the set does not take care of

Decals work with surface, not with shape. Missing volume, new seats or reworked consoles cannot be added this way; resin accessories are there for that. In return the painting, the shading and the waiting for varnish to dry between coats are all done away with, so the interior is finished sooner than the first color would have dried in the hand-painted method.

Who the set is for

• A modeler who is building the Apache with the cockpit closed.
• Anyone who wants to try 3D decals for the first time.
• A builder of several models at once.