1:72 Lockheed P-3 Orion (wet decals)

A patrol aircraft on a transport base

The Lockheed P-3 Orion grew out of a conversion of the L-188 Electra airliner and from 1962 it became the main means of maritime patrol and anti-submarine work, not only with the US Navy but with a number of other states. Its recognition marks are the four turboprop engines, a long rear cabin with operator stations and the slim magnetometer boom extending aft of the tail surfaces. Its long endurance allowed it to patrol over the ocean for many hours.

Finishes on the sheet

The selection mixes three very different operators. The first is the machine with fuselage number 156511 of the American unit VQ-1 from 2001, whose aircraft carried the nickname World Watcher. The second is an Australian P-3C with construction number 664 of No. 11 Squadron in the original white and light gray scheme, with the unit badge on the vertical tail. The third is a P-3B of the Argentine Navy with the designation 6-P-54. The different finishes allow three models with completely different characters to be built from the same kit.

Applying the decals

Extensive lettering sets of this kind are best applied in stages, checking the symmetry of both sides as you go. Cut the individual motifs out, lay them in lukewarm water and once they release from the backing move them onto the varnished surface. Over panel joints use a decal softener so that the film settles. The kit of the airplane has to be bought separately; the package holds a printed sheet and a list of finishes. The gray schemes of the later years tolerate a gentle softening of the shade so that the lettering does not look too hard.