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Thread: Recommended UK suppliers for decals and crew

  1. #1

    Default Recommended UK suppliers for decals and crew

    OK, I'll admit, thinking about getting back into miniature painting while I'm on the verge of moving house is probably about the stupidest time to consider it. But, nevertheless...

    Which UK suppliers (online for preference) would people recommend for:

    1. MicroSet and MicroSol.

    2. Plain white lettering decals of a size and font suitable for British squadron markings.

    3. 1/144 scale aircrew (the kind you'd use for Shapeways etc)


    Ideally all in one place, but I suspect that's asking too much!
    Thanks.
    A

  2. #2

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    1. I mail ordered mine from Hannants
    2. no idea. I will be interested to see what response you get
    3. Peter Pig and Riviresco. I use both. The PP ones are really just heads and shoulders and work fine for scouts, but not for aircraft with bigger cockpits. Thats where the Riviresco full body pilots work well.

    PP also do rear gunners that look good too.

  3. #3

    Dom S's Avatar
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    1. I get mine from www.modesforsale.com

    2. Which squadron? People fairly regularly ask for "a suitable font" but there was nothing remotely resembling a standardised style (or even size for that matter) for squadron ID letters; serif, sans serif, angular, rounded, Gothic, thin strokes, medium strokes, exaggeratedly thick strokes, all were used. Narrow it down a bit and you're more likely to get useful suggestions. (I do a sheet for 4th AFC's Snipes, and have a couple of other half-done bits that I hope to finish some time. Letraset is also well worth a look if you can still find it.)

    [As an aside that amuses me, I still get the occasional email from people saying my 4th AFC sheet's no good because I chose such an odd font for the wing-top lettering, totally different to that used on the fuselage. Both fonts were pain-stakingly hand-drawn, based on photos (with some blanks filled in obviously) of their actual aircraft....]

    3. What DM said....
    Last edited by Dom S; 08-06-2012 at 14:00.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dom S View Post
    2. Which squadron? People fairly regularly ask for "a suitable font" but there was nothing remotely resembling a standardised style (or even size for that matter) for squadron ID letters; serif, sans serif, angular, rounded, Gothic, thin strokes, medium strokes, exaggeratedly thick strokes, all were used. Narrow it down a bit and you're more likely to get useful suggestions. (I do a sheet for 4th AFC's Snipes, and have a couple of other half-done bits that I hope to finish some time. Letraset is also well worth a look if you can still find it.)
    No specific squadron; what I had in mind was the white, sans serif lettering that I've seen on a few images of HP O/400s, like this:





    In 'modern talk', it looks rather like Helvetica/Arial.

    However... this is the only image of an O/400 that bears such markings that I've found - the others I've seen only have the roundels and tail markings, so I have to wonder if it's actually accurate at all.
    Last edited by Prodromoi; 08-06-2012 at 14:06.

  5. #5

    Dom S's Avatar
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    Accurate but not representative - can't be bothered to dig out the refs right now, but I'm pretty sure there were two O/400 squadrons that used individual IDs, out of a dozen or so squadrons (probably A1 to A5 and B1 to B5 at a guess - HPs were usually in squadrons of 10 or so machines, with only two flights rather than the otherwise de rigeur three.) I seem to remember one squadron had plain white IDs, and the other possibly red and blue for the two flights, with white edges, but I'd definitely need to check that one....

    (Oh, and Letraset or similar is definitely worth looking up for that - obviously if it's in something resembling a "normal" everyday font, the odds are good that they'll have something suitable....)

  6. #6

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    All very useful info, thanks chaps.

    I've had a quick peek at the PP/Riviresco crew options, and I think I prefer the look of the latter - plus the full length figures would be, I imagine, more versatile. Will come back to it tomorrow when I have more time.

  7. #7

    Dom S's Avatar
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    Update - just found my HP book - according to that, 58 squadron used individual letters, on the nose and probably sides. 100 squadron maybe numbered 1 to 10, but a serious lack of photos. 207 flight letters and individual numbers (eg. A1) but only in *very* late 1918. 214 used A1 etc, but got rid of them in late 1918. 216 squadron A1 etc, with probably red bordered white in A flight, blue bordered white in B. [In all of these cases, photos of markings are very rare - the "schemes" are largely inferred from 1 or 2 photographed aircraft.]

    97, 115, 116, 134, 149 and 215 didn't use any kind of ID beyond roundels and serial numbers.

  8. #8

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    You didn't have to go to that effort! Very kind of you, thanks.

    Hmm. Decisions, decisions...

  9. #9

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    Can't help with Microsoft gotminefrom a lgs in Bristol.
    CrewPeter Pig in uk
    Decals, now here is one,for sqn and roundals can't go far wrong with Doms. Also 1/144 direct on eBay are good for various schemes.
    For just lettering have a look at Shed decals, search for One true scale decals, these are by Chris Sawyer they are geared for 1/200 scale, white lettering costs £6 and you get loads enough lettering to do at least 20 aircraft. These letters are rows from A-Z and numbers 0 -9 you getat least 5 rows of four or five different sizes.
    These are excellent decals and although as I said are 1/200 the different sizes allow you to use in 1/144
    He also does black lettering, also multi national roundals but all are in one sheet no mixes.
    The core of the systemis they come with a white under decal and then a thin laser printed colour decal to Hoover the white.
    There are RAF and RFC roundals.
    I have just ordered some new sets which Iwill review soon.
    But in the pipeline if enough interest are some WW1 crosses and some Luftwaffe decals too
    Last edited by Boney10; 08-08-2012 at 03:18.



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