1:72 F-22 Raptor - Part 2

The decal sheet 1:72 F-22 Raptor - Part 2 from Caracal Models

This item is a decal sheet in its own right, not a kit: a plastic model of the fighter is obtained separately. It was published by the American brand Caracal Models, which has long devoted itself to the markings of postwar and contemporary US Air Force machines, and the designation Part 2 follows on from an earlier sheet for the same type.

A few words about the Raptor

The F-22 is a twin-engine fifth generation fighter built around a reduced radar signature. Thrust vectoring keeps its agility even at high angles of attack, the weapons disappear into internal bays so as not to disturb the shape of the airframe, and the aircraft manages supersonic flight without the afterburner lit. The look of the machine goes hand in hand with the effort to stay unobtrusive: the national insignia tend to be gray on a gray surface, the codes on the vertical surfaces are small and the technical legends are barely readable from an ordinary distance.

How to settle the sheet

Low-contrast features give away every unevenness underneath them, so polish the surface beforehand and go over it with a gloss coat. Release the decal in warm water, slide it into place and finish it with a decal softener so that it sinks into the engraved grooves. A final matte overcoat then unifies the sheen of the whole airframe; with a gray scheme a uniform surface does the biggest share of the credibility.

Who the sheet suits

• builders of contemporary American fighters
• modelers who want markings other than those from the box
• collectors of successive series of decals for one type
• more experienced builders used to fine gray features