First, the decals do sit really well. When trying to conform to
complex curves, knife cuts here and there will help, and the decals
take well to Solvaset (as well as the Microscale system). I used
Solvaset to help them in the complex conforms.
I then starting laying some internal structure over the decals -
using plastic liquid cement - and find that the plastic melts well,
and adheres to the decals - and in some cases the cement disolves
just enough decal so the structure melts into the fuselage. However,
there is the possibilty to use too much liqud cement, and take off
part of the decals, resulting in the underlying color to come
through. Hindsight is telling me that I should have painted the
interior a color matching the decals first, before adding the decals.
However, you still run the risk of dissolving the paint, as well.
Another solution that seems better, though, is adding the internal
structure first (some of you are saying "Duh!"), and then cutting and
fitting the decals around the internal structure. This would
probably work best. Then you would just have to paint the internal
structure after the decals are set - unless you can also get the
decals to conform to the structure.
Although time is scarce - having a new baby and all - the Pegasus
Roland D.II is coming along nicely. The internal structure is really
making the cockpit standout. I ended up discarding the cockpit floor
that comes with the kit, instead scratching one closer to the real
thing. This includes adding the correct structure for the seat, as
it did not sit on the cockpit floor.
There is also one (nitpicky) correction to be made to the kit: the
holes in the fusleage where the aileron control rods pass through are
"sausage shaped" on the real 'plane. However, Pegasus has them
molded as "half-sausages". Not a difficult correction, but one I'm
making for "completeness". I also plan on drilling this hole
completely through the fuselage, since you can see in these holes on
the real one.
The kit scales out well with the Datafile. The wings are about 1mm
too short on each tip, but it really will not be noticable when built.
I'm really quite please with how this is progressing.
Unfortunately, I can see that the lower wing to fuselage joint will
need filling, and the holes in the lower wing where the landing
struts come through are too big for the struts, so the too will have
to be filled. However, if the fuselage halves are sanded on a flat
piece of sandpaper (ala vacuform), then there should be no filling.
On test fits, it looks like the only gap will be where the top wing
is fastened to the fuselage!! Lucky...
Matt
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Matthew Bittner WW1 Modeler, ecto subscriber, new dad
meba@cso.com Omaha, Nebraska
Hickory Dickory Dock
Two Mice ran up the clock
The clock struck one
And the other escaped with minor injuries
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