1:72 RAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules Walkway Stencils

Decals 1:72, Lockheed C-130 Hercules RAF, Walkway Markings (Xtradecal)

A supplementary decal sheet for a model of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft in Royal Air Force colors. It is not a kit: they are decals applied to a model that is already built and painted.

What walkways are and why to deal with them

On a large transport machine, personnel move about on the wing and the fuselage during refueling, maintenance and loading. On the real aircraft the safe routes are therefore marked with stripes and lettering giving instructions as to where it is permitted to tread and where not. On a model these are small but conspicuous markings that move finished work from a bare painted surface to a technical-looking machine. The set is aimed at exactly this type of marking, so it is used together with the basic set of national insignia and numbers rather than instead of it.

Application tips

The decals are applied over a gloss base; a matte finish beneath them will almost always cause silvering, that is microscopic air bubbles under the carrier film. The procedure: gloss varnish, the decal released from the paper after a brief soak, settling it in place and blotting off the surplus water. Stripes running over riveted joints and transitions will be settled by a decal softener; it is applied drop by drop and a brush is not run over it once it has dried. Finally everything is sealed with matte or semi-gloss varnish, according to the surface the machine is to have.

Who the set is for

• Builders of Hercules models in 1:72 scale in British service.
• Modelers who want to add technical markings beyond the contents of the kit.
• Builders who already have the basic set of markings and want to take the model to the last detail.

These are decals, that is an accessory to a model. The kit, paints and varnishes are not included in the package.