Help needed with 1:20 concept design/ university major final project...

[Phoenixv8]

Hey guys, first of I'll introduce myself as Phoenix. I found your forum after lots of googling as I am currently in the middle of building a 1:20 scale model of a VTOL dropship concept for my final year Automotive design degree.

As the construction is well under way, I have started researching decal kits and the finishing touches for the model. As it is set in the near future (50 years max) I have been trying to look for 1:20 scale decals for aircraft such as the F117 Stealth Fighter, F-22 Raptor and Sea Harrier. I realise 1:20 is an awkward scale so 1:24 would be workable but can any of you point me in the right direction of any decal sheets?

Also can any of you suggest the best way to go about making/printing my own? I need a few custom made decals such as a pin up I have designed for the craft, shark jaws (WWII style) and radiation symbols but I am concerned mainly with image quality at that size. I am proficient in both photoshop and illustrator so vector based images arent an issue...

I am fairly open to either water slide transfers or vinyl but as the aircraft is being sprayed in a satin finish, the finish on the decals is a concern.

Also, there are sections of the aircraft that I want to give the appearance of weathered carbon fiber. I have found that 3M produce a textured carbon fiber vinyl but I can't find anywhere that produces it in scale. Studio 27 produces carbon effect vinyl in 1:20 scale but to my knowledge it is only printed on so untextured

And finally, any tips on how to realistically portray weathered features on the panels etc would be greatly appreciated. As it is a university project the materials avaiable to me are greatly limited and at the moment, the vast majority of construction has used gelaton wood.

I appreciate this is alot to read, especially as a first post, but any help will be most grateful and I will of course be happy to provide pictures of the finished design and project at the degree show at the end of year which is attended by industry professionals

Many thanks

Phoenix

 

[moffeaton]

I'll be selling these in a week or so.. as soon as they show up on my porch!

http://www.therpf.com/f13/studio-scale-decals-110977/

 

[Phoenixv8]

thats a great start. Advice still needed on creating my own and the other points raised in my post. Many thanks

 

[division 6]

There are several makers of printable water slide and adhesive back decal sheets.
If using an ink jet they will need to be coated with something like Krylon Crystal Clear so they don't run when immersed in water, laser printers don't have this problem.
Sheets come in clear or white, so if you need something with a light colors or white you will need to use the white paper or base coat the background white for them to show up.

A few places that carry decal paper.
Micro Mark
Papilio
Google has a whole bunch of places listed.

It's also suggested to apply decals over a gloss surface to prevent silvering caused by trapped air.
This can be done by laying down a layer of Future (Pledge) floor finish then once set you can go over the model with a satin or flat clear (Testors model paint carries these) or if you wish to have a shiny model then another coat of Future will do.

For the carbon fiber, have you looked into scale model accessories?
I know there are tons of aftermarket items for scale cars.
If you can't find decals then there are plenty of reference images available on line to print your own.

If you are after texture you could try a texture stamp over putty or softened plastic.

For weathering I'd suggest taking a look in the aircraft and armor sections on the Fine Scale Models forum.
There are many discussions on different types and styles of weathering, there is even a weathering group build going on right now.

There is also the MIG Products weathering accessories forum although they mainly cover armor.

There are also lot's of very talented folks on this forum in the Studio Scale section that have shown their work in stages so you can get a sense of how they do ir.