Hi Guys,
First up
Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year parties,and weren't in bed by 10pm (like me).
Let me tell you a tragic tale...
A few weeks back I bought the academy 1/72 razorback to practice washes etc prior to the start of the campaign, but also to get a build finally finished to a level I'd be happy to finally post.
All went well until I got to the dreaded Decals (scary music)as was going with a checker tail 317th 325FG.(Forgot to apply Klear)
The checkerboard decals would not adhere no way, no how so I tried to remove them.They were stuck well enough that the wouldn't come off tried to sand them back and ended up with a total disaster
So I gave this to my 7 yr old to play with...he was happy yet another of dads disasters.
Went and bought the same kit .
Assembled,painted,Klear applied,decals trimmed,same thing happened.were down in the middle but again the edges wouldn't stay down lots of water,white vinegar,decal softener and flat clear spray used at various stages.
So My son has a second Razorback to play with.
BUT I'm not beaten I'll get a third and paint the checkerboard tail.
Thankfully Academy kits retail for approx $10-$12 each and each is better than the previous one to at least to the stage I get to.
as the old saying goes.If at first you don't suceed try, try again.

Chris

Ps I'm posted this in the P47 SIG also

Boy I hear you. Academy decals can be problematic at best. I built this kit and I must admit I only had a little bit of problems with the checkertail markings. One was flaking off and so I had to sand, yes sand the decal off; repaint the horizontal stablizer, then after buying another kit, applied a new decal and didn't have a problem after that. Oh, the 17 on one side of the fuselage I replaced as well after getting a piece of masking tape on it and tearing the decal! Other than those problems the kit was alright.

Academy kits are nice, the decals again can be difficult. I did enjoy this kit though. Just thought I would add my two cents worth. Take care. Russell



P.S. I also have several kinds of decal softening solutions. From Polly Scale, to Micro Scale, to the super strong, will eat weak decals, Solvaset. Always good to have several arrows in your quiver.

Oh, Chris. My sister Charlotte Ann and her new husband Chris honeymooned in your country and absolutely loved it! Just thought I would add that personal note. 14 hours or more on an aircraft, as much as I love them dosen't sound to great to me though. Ha ha! All the best. Russell

Cris, don't kick youself man. I don't believe it's anything you actually did. Academy decals are notoriously BAD. Probably 99% of everyone here who has built an Academy will confess that the kits are great but when it comes to the decals......they usually go with aftermarket decals. Don't know why the Academy decals are so bad, but they are.
Start this new year off right. Throw those decals in the garbage and go with aftermarket. The only person who won't be happy will be your son cause he won't be getting any more of dads disasters.

Hope this helps.
Hermon

I know what you mean , had the same problem with Rodens decals for rib taping . What I ended up using was a few coats of future . The first one help soften thedecal the second made it lay down flat and the third to seal it all . I have never built any of their kits but from what I hear is people are happy with them just not the decals .

Yep, here's another modeler who has cursed with Academy's decals. They look deceptively nice on the sheet, but they reveal their true nature when applied. Your gloss needs to be seriously gloss to avoid silvering, and then there's the additional fun with the stiffness of them. Almost impervious to Micro Sol too.

But Academy has listened to customer feedback I suppose, as their kits have started to include decals made by Cartograf.

Didn't Einstein define insanity as doing the same thing again and again and expecting the result to be different?

I can talk - I used to make Esci 1/72 armour and expected the tracks to work properly every time ...