1:144 RNZAF Insignia 1943-1945 (2 sets)

1:144 RNZAF Insignia 1943-1945 from Mark I

A decal sheet of a small scale aimed at New Zealand aviation markings of the last war years. It is not a model or a part of one but a final decorative layer that the customer adds to a finished and painted airframe. The name carries the designation 2 sets, but the contents of the sheet are not described by it and you have to go by the print on the sheet itself.

The markings of the Pacific theater

At the end of the Second World War the Royal New Zealand Air Force operated above all in the Pacific area, and its national insignia at that time differed from the British pattern. The red center disappeared from the circular marking so that the machines would not be confused at a distance with Japanese aircraft carrying the red disc. This detail is immediately legible to those in the know and turns an ordinary model into a machine with a clearly established allegiance.

What to watch out for during the build

Circular markings without a red center easily reveal every unevenness of the base, because a light area hides nothing. It therefore pays to sand the area with a very fine abrasive before applying them and to polish it. Then seat the decal in one go, without sliding it about, and draw the excess water off at once; repeated moving about on the clear coat leaves marks that are visible under a matte finish.

Who the sheet suits

• for builders of aircraft of the Pacific theater
• for collections of Commonwealth countries in one scale
• for modelers who want to set a machine apart from the British version
• for finishing conversions without the matching markings