Greetings,
I think I'm done with decals on the Mustang and, whew, I've gotta say this was the most challenging decal project I've ever tried. I remember when I was a kid, I hated decaling simply because mine always looked like crap. I'd throw on the main insignia, which invariably bubbled and silvered, cuz all I knew to use was water. Tiny little stencils? Not a chance. So to tackle something like this on my fourth model since coming back to the hobby was a stretch. Toss in the metal finish and the stress levels were pretty high. Then factor in trying to fit invasion stripe decals around the pylons I shouldn't have attached until later and, well, I was sweating for a while yesterday.
I must say I can't recommend the invasion stripe decal route, and I'll plan to paint them next time. All things considered, though, I'm OK with how it's turning out and it's definitely been a learning experience. I've got a few spots I may hit with Solvaset to try and smooth out a little more. While the decals on their own weren't that hard to deal with, my miscue with the pylons sure complicated the process. And Doogs was right about some of them not quite lining up exactly. And so many little pieces to fit around nooks and crannies.
Anyway, here are a few pics:
Despite obsessing over the stripes, the scariest part was actually the two-part swastika decals. The kill marks and the 'Short Fuse Salle' nose art are all one big piece. But, of course, Tamiya doesn't provide actual swastikas and doesn't show them anywhere on the box or the instructions, just these nasty looking black and white blobby things. I'd even ordered some separate kill markings before I took a really close look at the decal sheet and figured out that you have to lay down a black and clear overlay decal that magically transforms the blobby things into real swastikas. Well, you get once chance to line this sucker up exactly on top of the first decal, desperately hoping the whole thing doesn't start setting up and refusing to move. I almost had it when the front edge of decal No. 1 started peeling up, folding and sticking to decal No. 2. I'm still not sure what I did, but suddenly it smoothed out and all was well.
I feel like the hard part is behind me now. I'll still need to touch up some black and white spots in the stripes, do a panel wash and light weathering, apply a semi-gloss top coat, mask and paint the canopy and finish up wheels, prop, etc. The end is in sight.