1:48 F-4B Phantom II VF-111 Sundowners 153019, 201 for Tamiya kits

A toothed mouth above the deck

The VF-111 squadron belonged among the units that made the artwork on their aircraft their recognition mark. Its Phantoms carried a gaping dragon's mouth on the nose complemented by a rayed sun on the rudder - a combination that even someone who otherwise takes no interest in aircraft remembers.

Why the mouth cannot be stuck on

The nose of the Phantom is rounded in two directions at once. A decal cannot read such a surface: it either wrinkles at the edges or tears, and softeners only ease the situation. A sprayed mouth does not have that problem at all, because the paint follows the surface regardless of its curvature. It is with this motif in particular that the difference between a stencil and a decal is most clearly visible.

Cut for one particular kit

Unlike geometric markings, which fit anywhere, this set is cut to the outline of the parts of one particular kit. A deviation of a few tenths of a millimeter in the profile of the nose would tell on a motif that flows around the whole nose. The manufacturer of the kit is therefore given, and it is good to stick to it.

What else comes out in 1:48

The teeth of the mouth are about two to three millimeters on the finished model, and the sun's rays on the rudder similar. Those are shapes that cut film manages without losing sharpness. The small data lettering around the cockpit is no longer so generous and remains the domain of the printed decals from the box. The light base of the mouth is sprayed first, and the dark outlines only after it has dried. The model and the paints are obtained separately.