1:72 Bristol Blenheim Mk.I 3D-Printed & coloured Interior on decal paper (Airfix)

The real subject

The Bristol Blenheim Mk.I is a British twin-engine light bomber of the second half of the 1930s with piston radial engines. You can tell the Mk.I version by its short glazed nose, which later versions replaced with a lengthened one. The glazing is extensive, so the pilot's compartment is clearly visible on a model.

What the set contains

Color three-dimensionally printed elements for the instrument panel, the side panels, the seat with its belts and other interior surfaces. The instruments, scales and markings are finished in color, so painting tiny detail with a brush falls away. The elements have real thickness and relief, so the controls stand proud of the surface and the interior does not look like flat printing. They have no adhesive layer of their own: the decal paper is a carrier from which you slide the element after a brief soak in lukewarm water.

How to work with the elements

Level the surfaces of the kit, remove any burrs, degrease them and go over them with gloss varnish of the Future, Klear or Tamiya X-22 type; the element has no adhesive layer of its own and holds reliably on exactly that glossy surface. Soak the cut-out part in lukewarm water for about fifteen seconds, slide it off the paper into place and press it into the recesses with a rounded tool; on broken-up surfaces a drop of super glue helps. Do not use a decal softener or a decal fixer, as their chemistry attacks the printed resin. Finish the interior before you close the fuselage and fit the clear parts; mask those before spraying so that they stay transparent.

Who it is for

The set suits modelers who want a legible interior behind the extensive glazing of the Blenheim without lengthy work with a brush. The job takes one evening, and the greater part of the detail comes finished from the factory. The package contains only the sheet with the elements; the kit, paints and glue are not part of it, unless stated otherwise.