film for instrument panel

I am real tempted to try this, Don.

I'm working on a Hobbycraft Bell YP-59A Airacomet in 1:48. The decals for the instruments are very rough. I'm also not looking forward to applying the decals one by one.

I have two of the Squadron resin cockpit kits, so if I mess one up, I have another instrument panel. My only concern at this point is the thickness of the instrument panel. Those guages might be a bit recessed!

Thanks for the idea. It has merit, and I'm very tempted to follow through with this idea

I have made my own of this type where the kit only gives the styrene panel.

I first drill out the instruments with a small drill.  Then I scan the styrene panel to show exactly where the instrument holes are.  This provides a template for some computer artwork.  I have spent some time looking for images of various types of aircraft instruments- airspeed indicators, altimeter, attitude indicators, compasses, etc.  I keep a whole folder of them, both white faced and black faced instruments.

With computer editing software, it is easy to resize for each popular scale the instrument images saved from internet.  I then paste a copy of each instrument onto the template I made (the scanned image of the panel. If you paste each where the hole is, you end up with a set of instruments in the right spot.  I then print this array of instruments on glossy photo paper, cut it out and glue it to the back of the styrene panel.

I'm just guessing here; however, I've seen a similar thing with a few kits I've purchased. On the ones I have, its a clear piece of acetate filme that gets sandwiched between a photoetch metal front and the styrene (or resin) part for the cockpit. Small drops of CA is what I've found to hold them in place the best.