Piero

Hello, A couple of question about the camouflage pattern for the USMC AV-8B+. I’m trying to found clear evidence, pics or official drawings, where I can clearly see the transition point between the two colors from Dark Gray to Medium Gray in correspondence with the wheel fairings under the wings: looking at the pics I found the Dark Gray doesn’t stop when meet the wing flaps but goes under the wing. Furthermore, looking at the USMC TAV-8B I would like to know if the fairings installed in place of the internal pylons are the same color as the lower surfaces of the wing (Medium Gray) or in Dark Gray like the intermediate pylons. Thanks in advance for any help on this. CIAO! Piero

Hello, take a break! Have a Matchbox kit! This is my Finnish Hawk Mk.66. A few small details have been added, but basically the kit is from the box. Decals are from an Italeri's Hawk kit. Colours are acrylic's Gunze H304 - H58 - H332 CIAO! Piero

This F-16 Is Just Spectacular Niels!

Hi Chuck, sorry if I used this topic on your beatiful F-16 model to talk about "how to use" Uprise Decal and I don't want to go off topic theme with this... hope its' ok for you. Please, go on with your WIP and let me know if you find useful my suggestion with the decals. CIAO! Piero

Hi Dmitry, first of all my experience with UpRise Decal is really good! I hope the FFA technology will be use for almost every decal sheet because is perfect to avoid any danger of silvering or film evindence on the finished model. In fact I have other decal sheets that will be used for sure on my next models. Than, as for every techniques or methods in modelling, a guide line of the producer is always useful especially for the beginners or first try. But in the end everybody is going to use the tools & techniques with whom he is most comfortable, don't you? All my best with this business and please go on with new decal sheets... especially for modern jet in 1/32th scale CIAO! Piero

Hi Niels, I confirm that I did not use any decal setting/softener solution. In one of my first try I used MicroSet setting solution under the decal, but it melted when I start to press down the decal with a cotton swab. So I put aside the setting solution and went on only with tap water and everything works very well. CIAO! Piero

Hi, if you're still looking for information about using the UPRISE decals printed with FFA technology, you can take a look to my reply in the following WIP topic: Tamiya F-16 Aggressor, Kicked Up a Notch, May 28: Decals done! - Works in Progress - Large Scale Planes CIAO! Piero

Hi, as promised here is my "mini tutorial" on how to use UPRISE decals printed with FFA technology. Please note that UPRISE also prints decal sheets that are not printed using FFA technology but using normal laser printing on a single transparent film. So, when you want the “new” decal to be used following this tutorial be sure to see the “FFA” logo printed on the decal sheet. Ok, what do we need to use these decals? Here it is: · a small container with a little normal tap water at normal temperature. No decal setting/softer solution has been added. · a normal soft flat brush · a regular cotton swab plus a small one · a small pointed scissor · a fine pointy tip tweezer · a piece of paper towel on which to place the decals. Again, as you can see no decal setting solution is used. Step 1 Using the scissor cut the decal you want to use leaving a some transparent film around the decal. Do not cut flush with the decal. Use the tweezer to take the decal and immerse it in water. Leave it there for just 5 seconds, no more! With the tweezer take the decal with all the support from the water and place it on the paper towel to drain the excess water. As you can see the decal with the film can be moved from the backing paper. STEP 2 With the brush, lightly wet the surface with water where you want to apply the decal. With the tweezer position the decal with all the paper support near where you want to apply the decal, than gently slide the decal in position. Remove the backing paper. Using the cotton swab push down gently the decal on the plastic surface: note that you must do this ONLY where the is decal printed NOT on the transparent film around the decal itself. Now the decal shall look like in the photo... well adherent and without air bubbles where the decal is printed while it must be a little raised where there is only the transparent film around it, especially on the corners. STEP 3 Do the same steps also with small decals. Here is recommended to use small cotton swab to push down the decal, but for everything else it is the same procedure. STEP 4 Now, only after 45 minutes (45 MINUTES) from previous Step , the decal should looks like this... Take the tweezer and gently lift one of the corners of the transparent film. As you do when remove a masking tape, slowly pull the transparent film diagonally until it is completely removed from the decal. It might break, if the decal is particularly large… but no problem, just lift another corner and repeat the process. Ta-da! Here is the beautiful decal adhering to the plastic/paint which also copied the details of the surface. STEP 5 Last, with a cotton swab slightly moisted with water, remove any glue residue around and on the decal. This can be done even hours after the decal has been placed. In this tutorial the decals where placed over a semi-gloss finish painted surface but here you can see another decal placed with the same procedure over a matt finish painted surface. I suggest to wait a day before applying a transparent finish to protect the decals… matt, semi-gloss or gloss as you prefer. CIAO! Piero P.S.: I’m NOT involved in any type of business with UPRISE Decals… this tutorial is only for modelling aid.

Hi Chuck, I had a good experience with Uprise FFA decal technology. Wait tomorrow and I'll post some pictures as tutorial using these decals Ciao! Piero

YEAH!

Thanks! That's exactly what I always thought. And if it is confirmed, it means that all the F-35B models, in any scale, that I have seen done in "parked mode" with the exhaust nozzle swivelled downwards are wrong... beautiful, impressive, but fundamentally wrong. CIAO! Piero

Hello, here it is my F-16C "CAS Viper". The WIP can be found at the following link: And now some pics of the finished model, I hope you like it. CIAO! Piero

Awesome work Chuck... just awesome!!!

Hello, can the F-35B be parked engine off with the exahust nozzle swivelled down? I saw almost all the models kit of F-35B in this configuration, but I can't find any pics of the real jet in this "pose"... only with the exhaust nozzle doors open but the nozzle itself is in the normal flight position. Thanks in advance for any reference about it. CIAO! Piero

well, I finished my CAS Viper just in time before my next business trip... CIAO! Piero