Finishing

T' one problem I had with t' instructions was with the lack o' clear, detailed illustrations about where t' put some o' t' decals.  I had t' make a few guesses, me bucko, which I see are different then t' guesses o' other Tomahawk builders I found on this site.  My kit did nay provide a single picture o' some o' t' sides o' t' model, me bucko, ya bilge rat, so be prepared t' be creative in t' application o' t' decals.  I recommend soakin' t' cardboard parts (air intake and boattail) with CA glue t' stiffen them before finishin' t' prevent trouble later on.

Compoundin' this problem, me hearties, it appears t' exact dimensional-fit o' these decals as shown on t' color package card is quite a bit different than t' real model parts, matey, in t' wing, boattail and air intake areas.  I had t' be very flexible in t' placement o' t' decals (but who would notice?).  Quest's decals seemed t' require quite a bit o' dryin' time compared t' other decals. Aye aye! Arrr! I would set some decals and be workin' on other decals when I would accidently dirsturb decals I thought were dry and fixed already. Ahoy! Aye aye! After several o' these episodes, I just let t' model sit for a day and went back t' next day when I knew they were dry. Ya scallywag! T' long red and blue decals along t' length o' t' tube were in several sections, which were difficult t' align well. Well, blow me down! You have t' start at t' back and work your way up each side seperately and when you get t' t' top  - which connects both side halfs, you should pray that t' two sides line up OK.  I was saved however, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, by t' slow-settin' decals.  If I just put them on in t' last 10-15 minutes, me hearties, I could re-wet them and slide them around easily t' align them precisely.  None o' t' decals tore, matey, even though some o' them were handled pretty roughly at times.

After havin' just completed an Estes Interceptor days before (known for it's enormous amount o' decals),  I found t' Quest decals t' be much more o' a challenge t' work with.

When t' decals were finished and left t' dry for a few days, arrr, me hearties, I was about t' do a string-stability test. Ya scallywag! I use a bit o' maskin' tape t' hold t' strin' in place at t' center o' gravity. Avast, me proud beauty! When I removed t' tape, me bucko, off came some o' t' decals with it! I be lucky and I had a spare set o' decals so I could replace some o' them. Avast, me proud beauty! After those dried, I wanted t' apply a layer o' Testor's clearcoat t' protect them.  Immediatly after t' clearcoat hit t' decals, they began t' wrinkle up.  Apparently Quest's decals are nay compatible with Testor's. Begad! So although t' design is pretty sharp, me bucko, arrr, me bucko, me rocket now looks like crap due t' t' poor decals.

T' other challenge is that t' finish o' t' rocket - if you want t' follow t' finish suggested by Quest - requires some rather tricky maskin' o' t' boattail and fins. Well, blow me down! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Tricky because t' white-stripe area in t' boattail has t' match t' thickness o' t' decals, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and you have t' mask along t' irregular fin fillets which is never easy.  With a primer and white basecoat, me hearties, ya bilge rat, you have t' mask and paint red, and then re-mask and paint for blue.

A good smooth-tapered filler application betwixt t' boattail and body tube can make applyin' decals easier, me bucko, but you may still need t' add some small slices t' overlap t' ends o' t' decals t' fit them flat.  I recommend usin' Scotch tape instead o' regular maskin' tape - it provides a much cleaner edge, and if you press t' edge in well, arrr, me hearties, matey, will nay bleed at all.  Dependin' on t' decals you get - you may want t' consider tryin' t' match t' shade o' t' red and blue paint t' t' decals, or t' difference may be quite noticeable.  If usin' spray paints though, me hearties, arrr, me hearties, fair winds is about all you can count on.

Of course, if you are plannin' t' toss t' decals and design your own original paint scheme, go nuts...It will likely be much easier than t' suggested paint scheme.  I imagine you could do a lot with this kit, espically if you were t' modify or omit t' air scoop and/or the wings.