1:72 Gloster Gladiator Mk.I/J.8A

Xtradecal 1:72 decals for the Gloster Gladiator Mk.I and J 8A

A sheet of waterslide decals in 1:72 scale from the British brand Xtradecal. According to its name it is intended for biplane fighters of the Mk.I version and for machines listed under the Swedish designation J 8A. It is an accessory to a finished model: the modeler obtains the aircraft separately.

The Gloster Gladiator in brief

The Gladiator was the last biplane fighter to enter front-line service with the Royal Air Force. It was powered by a Bristol Mercury radial engine, it was the first British fighter to be given an enclosed cockpit and it carried four 7.7 mm machine guns. It fought over Norway, the Mediterranean and North Africa, and in the second half of the 1930s a whole range of foreign users bought it. In Swedish service it flew under the designation of the J 8 series.

How to work with the sheet

• Unify the area under the decal with gloss varnish, otherwise silvery air will stay under the film.
• Cut the design out as tight to the print as possible.
• Soak it briefly in lukewarm water and let it rest a moment until the backing releases on its own.
• Fine-tune the fit with a decal softener and blot the excess water with absorbent paper.
• Seal the finished markings with a matte or satin overcoat.

Who it suits

• Builders of interwar and early war biplanes
• Modelers for whom the markings from the box are not enough
• Anyone interested in Scandinavian air forces

What the sheet holds beyond what the name gives is specified in the manufacturer's instructions. The model and paints are not supplied with the decals.