No brush can paint the regular weave of a composite panel, which is why carbon fibre decals exist. A printed weave is soaked, slid onto the part and left to dry, and the result looks like real carbon laminate on a bonnet, a splitter or a diffuser. Alongside the carbon sheets this section holds complete race liveries for historic cars, and three-dimensional interior decals that give a dashboard a genuinely raised, textured surface instead of a flat printed one. Sheets come in several weave densities, so the pattern can be matched to the scale you build in.
1:24 Sabelt 2inch seat belt harness, red (With metal buckles) (all kits)
9.16 €
1:24 Sabelt 2inch seat belt harness, blue (With metal buckles) (all kits)
9.16 €
1:43 KAMAZ-43509 3D-Printed & coloured Interior on decal paper (Zvezda)
14.76 €
1:24 Sabelt 2inch seat belt harness, black (With metal buckles) (all kits)
9.16 €
1:72 KAMAZ-43509 3D-Printed & coloured Interior on decal paper (Zvezda)
6.28 €
1:24 Kevlar - type 6 - Medium Size
5.16 €
Real carbon is a woven cloth of fibres set in resin, and the human eye picks up its regular grid instantly. A decal with the weave printed on it remains the most convincing way to reproduce that on a model. A sheet offers the pattern in several densities; you cut the shape of the part, soak it and settle it in place. Kevlar decals with their yellow weave work the same way and suit seats and the underbody of racing cars. Awkward curves are tamed with a decal softener. Decals behave best on a gloss surface – over matt paint, air bubbles stay trapped underneath and the carrier film silvers.
Carbon and Kevlar sheets are a general-purpose material you cut to size. Liveries for individual racing cars carry the race numbers and complete graphics for one specific year. The newest arrivals are 3D interior decals, which combine printing with a raised surface and rework a cockpit without complicated assembly.
The density of the weave has to suit the scale, or the carbon looks coarse. Most sheets are aimed at 1:24 and 1:25 car model kits, but the range also covers the large formula car model kits in 1:20 and 1:12.
Liveries and 3D interiors are usually designed for a specific kit named in the title; with a general-purpose sheet, all you need is the right scale and a little planning before you cut. Make a paper template of the panel first, transfer it to the sheet, and keep the weave running in the same direction across neighbouring panels, exactly as a real laminate would.
The complete range of upgrades for road and racing subjects is in accessories for car and formula models.
