1:48 Mi-24D 3D-Printed & coloured Interior on decal paper (Trumpeter) (Small version)

3D decals for the Mi-24D cockpit 1:48, small version

The small version uses the same color print with three-dimensional relief as the full set; it only covers the interior to a narrower extent. It is not a kit but an accessory, which is glued onto the parts of a plastic model.

When the small set is enough

The cockpits of the Mi-24D are narrow and the canopies small, so once the model is closed up what stays on view is mainly the instrument panels and the upper parts of the consoles. If you are not building a model with the doors open and the canopies swung back, the small version does the visible work too. It also suits the case where you have several Hinds planned, or where you want to try 3D decals first.

How to work with the decals

• Level the surface, spray it dark and polish it with gloss varnish.
• Soak the decal only briefly, until it releases from the backing.
• Slide it on over a drop of water, so that the position can be fine-tuned.
• Squeeze the water out with a cotton swab from the center toward the edges.
• No decal softener and no decal fixer, as they attack the printed resin.

What the decals can and cannot do

Color printing with relief replaces the painting of the instruments, the lettering and the texture of the upholstery, and it does so more evenly than can be managed with a brush at a size matching 1:48 scale. It does not, however, change the shape of the plastic parts. Anyone who wants to rebuild the interior needs resin accessories; anyone who wants mainly color and legible instruments will get by with the decals.

When to apply the set

Always before the fuselage is closed up and only once the sanding is finished. The decal is the last operation on a part, and once it has dried it should not be worked on any further.

Who the set is for

• A builder of the Hind with the cockpit closed.
• A modeler who wants to improve the interior.
• Anyone who is still only trying 3D decals out.