The classic Regia Aeronautica "smoke ring" camouflage pattern is undoubtedly one of the most challenging finishes for modellers to replicate, and there's no denying the sense of satisfaction that comes with doing a decent job of it. But this really requires both an airbrush setup that's capable of spraying consistent fine lines and, naturally, a really steady hand - and not everyone can afford the former or is blessed with the latter.
Of course, you can “reverse-mask” the rings using commercial or homemade patterns and a simpler spray gun, or simply stipple the pattern with a cut-down brush, but there is also another option... use decals.
I first came across this method over ten years ago when I looked at a sheet produced by Mike Grant, and the photos that Mike sent to Aeroscale showed just how effective the results can be.
Checking Mike’s website, his set doesn’t appear to be available currently, so it’s very welcome to see that Eduard have released a sheet of "smoke rings" of their own.
The set contains 110 individual items with the carrier film trimmed fairly closely around them. The colour looks in the ballpark for Verde Oliva Scuro 1 (certainly near enough for me by the time things are weathered a bit), and the decals give a convincing soft-edged effect by being printed as very fine dots. These are only visible under a magnifier and rival an airbrushed finish, and the effect is much more subtle than stippling.
The decals are glossy and look to be very thin. If they perform like Eduard's other in-house decals which I've used recently, they should snuggle down very well over surface details. Whereas the carrier film isn’t as tightly trimmed as with some other brands, I’ve found this isn’t a problem and it blends in beautifully.
110 “smoke rings” sounds a lot, but the generic illustration that Eduard provides shows around 75 were probably used for it, so you’ve got sufficient on a sheet for one typical fighter, with plenty of rings left spare. Two sheets would cover three aircraft.
Conclusion
Can decals match a pro's airbrushed finish for a scheme like this? If I'm honest, I’m not sure - and there certainly won’t be the same buzz of achievement (or should that be sheer relief!) in applying the “smoke rings” successfully. But, applied carefully, these decals should come pretty darned close and provide a very useful alternative for anyone for whom airbrushing isn't an option.
It's certainly a very cost-effective alternative which I hope to put to the test in due course in a build.
Many thanks to Eduard for providing the sample set.
Item D48084 is available now from Eduard - Price: £5.43
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