1:72 SK-37 Viggen - interior 3D decals for Special Hobby kit

Two seats in tandem

The training variant of the Swedish machine came about by building a second workstation for the instructor behind the pilot. So that there was any view at all from the back, the seat was raised and prismatic extensions were added to the sides of the canopy, through which the instructor looked forward. That changed the profile of the airframe so much that the aircraft can be told by its silhouette alone. Some of these aircraft were given an entirely different task toward the end of their service and flew as escort machines with jamming equipment.

Twice the work for a brush

Two-seat cockpits are thankless for a builder: all the labor is doubled, and any mismatch between the front and the rear compartment is immediately noticeable. Here both workstations are printed in a single process, so the shades match and the depth of the relief is the same front and rear. The differences in the layout of the instruments are kept, though, because the rear panel had a composition of its own.

Light under a long canopy

The glazing over the tandem lets a great deal of light in and reveals every surface. Sharp white lines on the dark faces of the instruments therefore work along the whole length, and the light harnesses in both seats break up the uniformity.

• Degrease both tubs at once so that the surface reacts in the same way.
• Fit the rear compartment first, as access to it is worse.
• Knock the gloss back only once both parts are dry.

The dimensions are based on the kit from Special Hobby, and the aircraft model is bought separately. Anyone building the single-seat and two-seat versions side by side gains interiors that do not differ from each other in the quality of the rendering.