1:48 P-38F 3D-Printed & coloured Interior

Quinta Studio 1:48 P-38F — colored 3D cockpit decals

An add-on set for detailing the cockpit of the American twin-boom fighter in the P-38F version, in 1:48 scale. These are not decals with aircraft markings and not external markings: the contents are interior features printed with real thickness on a backing decal paper. The instrument panel, the side walls and the consoles therefore have relief and cast real shadows in raking light. The printing is in color including the dials, the placards and the colored switches, so the parts are applied finished, without any further painting. The set is developed for a particular kit — so make sure it matches the model you are building.

Why a 3D decal instead of painting or photo-etch

Because the P-38 cockpit sits in a short nacelle between the tail booms, it is fairly visible even with the canopy closed, so it is worth investing in. Painting dials with a brush in 1:48 means working under a magnifier with an uncertain result, while an etched set calls for cutting, bending and painting and is flat. A three-dimensional decal combines the advantages of both: it arrives finished, in color and with volume, and because it is thin and pliable it does not change the dimensions of the part it is applied to in any fundamental way.

Use

• Paint the plastic cockpit parts in a dark base, go over them with a gloss varnish and let them cure fully; the parts have no adhesive layer of their own and hold on the gloss.
• Sand the molded instruments on the plastic flat so that the decal seats over its whole area.
• Leave the cut-out part in lukewarm water for about fifteen seconds and slide it off the paper with tweezers by the edge, straight into place.
• Once it is in place, press the part down with a cotton swab from the center to the edges; do not use a decal softener or a decal fixer, as they attack the printed resin.
• The finished cockpit can be evened out with a thin matte varnish and completed with a light wash in the corners.

Who the set is for

• For modelers who want a convincing cockpit without hours of work under a magnifier with the finest brush.
• For builders who find etched sets laborious and too flat.
• For collectors of American Second World War fighters in 1:48 scale.

This is an add-on set, not an aircraft kit. The base model, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.