Aviaeology Mosquito Airframe Stencils

[Mike]

Mosquito Airframe Stencils
1:24 Aviaeology by Skygrid Studio

This decal set is designed for the Airfix kit of the same scale, providing an accurate and complete set of stencils for this monster of a kit, including many not provided on the kit decal sheet. As usual with sets from Aviaeology there are copious instructions that include the basics of decal use (always handy for the novice), plus a lot of information that will be useful in deciding which decals to use, such as whether they were overpainted or not, missing completely, or just partially present.

The decals are printed on a pale blue background with a slightly mottled patina, and are of good quality as you'd expect. Registration, colour density and sharpness are up to snuff, and all the stencils are legible, just as you'd expect and the clear carrier film is pretty tight to the edges of the printing. Unlike most other Mosquito decals, the big red Keep Off markings over the radiators have cut-outs in the triangular spaces to reduce the chances of silvering that is a worry on even the shiny surfaces we decal onto these days. No need to cut them out, which is a few minutes saved. There is a mild warning about decal solutions, which more and more of us are using these days. They suggest that you use a milder one such as MicroSet, rather than the more aggressive ones that are available. In this case less is more.


Conclusion
Stencils are an important part of adding realism to a model, and having them all in place and authentic has got to be a good thing. The additional info is very welcome too, and makes them a must-have item IMHO.

Review sample courtesy of