1:72 Rafale B 4-IA 100 ans SPA167 - Cigogne de Romanet EC 2/4 La Fayette 2018 - (Limited 300pc)

A stork from the First World War on the tail of a modern fighter

The badge of a stork, which the escadrille SPA 167 has carried since 1918, celebrated its hundredth birthday in 2018. For that the fighter group EC 2/4 La Fayette turned out the two-seat Rafale B marked with the code 4-IA and covered its tail surfaces with commemorative graphics. The sheet came out in a limited number of three hundred pieces.

What is left of the fin after reduction

The vertical tail surface projects above the spine by roughly two meters, so after conversion by not quite three centimeters. The whole artwork, including the fine outlines of the bird, has to fit into such a small rectangle. That is exactly why it pays to reach for a printed film with anniversary tails; hand painting from a stencil would lose most of the detail at this size.

A shell for two seats

The real subject is the version with two places one behind the other, recognizable by the long glazing. A box with the single-seat form is not enough; the difference is in the casting of the whole forward section. Check also whether the graphics on the left and the right side of the fin are not mirror-different; with French jubilee coats the sides often differ and a swap is visible at first glance.

Thin film and sharp edges

The tail surfaces have sharp edges around the perimeter and the film tends to be stressed the most under them. It helps to lay the piece down with a slight overhang, let it set and then trim the excess off with a fresh blade exactly along the edge. A dry cut holds better than tearing damp material. The remaining edge then only needs going over with a cotton swab dipped in clean water, so that no glossy coating is left from the adhesive.