1:72 F-16AM Falcon FA-129 75 Years 350Sqn 2016 + Stencils

The jubilee coat of No. 350 Squadron

The squadron with the number 350 came about during the Second World War as a Belgian unit in British service, and in 2016 it marked seventy-five years of existence. The machine marked FA-129 received striking decoration for the occasion, which the sheet transfers onto a model.

Two levels of markings

This set joins two things that are done quite differently on a model. The first is the jubilee artwork, usually laid out over the fin and the spine, where it has full attention on a two-tone gray machine. The second consists of the complete net of small service lettering, of which an aircraft of this type carries hundreds. With the artwork, the precise settling of one large piece decides; with the lettering, patience and order while cutting it off.

The transition between the spine and the fin calls for special attention. The surface breaks there in two directions at once and a large piece of print will not sit down on it without help. Warming it with a damp cloth held against the place for a moment does more than another dose of softener.

How to lay the work out

Divide the machine into areas and proceed through them, not by jumping here and there. It pays to have an illustration at hand on which you tick off the lettering already dealt with, otherwise you easily lose your way. Use water drop by drop with a brush, not from a dish, so that the small pieces do not float away. Leave the jubilee artwork for later, when your hand is already in, and before settling it make sure the base has an even sheen – on gray an imperfect sheen is harder to spot than on another color and only the final layer reveals it.

Neither the kit nor the paints are included. Reckon with a gloss intermediate layer and with a matte varnish at the end.