Now comes the fun part of doing any model rocket build - seeing the whole finish coming together with the application of decals and markings.
The first order of business is to design and produce a home-print decal sheet with a number of custom patterns, numbers and other details.
Here is a photo of this sheet included with all of the other kit decals.
Here are the first two models of the build to get the decal / marking treatment, completed December 12th:
...and the Nike-X. Note the different roll pattern below the front fins. I totally screwed up the original kit decal when applying it to the model. It initially went down with a lot of wrinkles. In the process of trying to carefully straighten it out, it sustained a severe tear right down the 'show side'. After several attempts to fix things, I only managed to mess it up further. Conceding a total loss, I removed the whole mess. My decal folder happened to have some nice checkerboard pattern decals, so I cut and applied one of those instead.
I kind of like it better than the original.
I also did the fin and body decals a bit differently. They were made to be applied as one piece with a narrow clear area nestled into the fin root. After placing the first one, I didn't like how it looked, so the remaining similar decals were carefully cut apart at that seam line and applied individually.
To make things look even better, I used a black Sharpie to color in the fin/body separation lines and extend the patterns out to the edge of the fins. This looks way better, in my opinion.
On a whim, I applied some red permanent marker to the aft fin edges, just to break up the black and white monotony.
These two models are now ready for clear coating.
Stay tuned.....
