Jim B. from McLean VA was perplexed. He'd just purchased a great-looking, scale model of an F-18 Hornet. It was imported from Holland and the word around the flying fields was it's a First-Class performer, worthy of its Blue Angels finish scheme. Only one problem: The decals left something to be desired. Instead of bright lemon-yellow, they were more of a dark mustard color. But that wasn't the only problem. The artwork had some errors and in some instances you could barely make out what the decal was supposed to represent. (Click HERE for photos of the original decal sheets.)

So...what to do??? The cut-out and stick-on decals were not in keeping with the overall high quality of the kit and would not do justice to an otherwise outstanding model. A call to the kit importer confirmed that no off-the-shelf solution was available with all the markings required to address the shortcomings of the original set.

That's when Jim remembered seeing an ad in Model Airplane News. "Custom Decals" by Cal-Grafx. The wheels began turning. He wondered if they could re-create the Blue Angels decals and bring the quality up to par with the model. Can they provide that kind of service? Can they help me out of this predicament??? He soon found out the answer: A resounding YES!

Jim dashed off a an email to Cal-Grafx describing his situation and even included a photo of the original decal sheets. He began communicating with Jim McIntire, owner of Cal-Grafx as to what could be done. Jim of Cal-Grafx assured him that this was definitely within their core capabilities. Since some of the decals were so poorly detailed, Jim M. asked if better sources were available showing what the decal should actually look like. Determined to have the best possible representation of the full scale aircraft, Jim B. went "on the hunt" and came back with much better quality images, exactly what Cal-Grafx needed to complete the job.

Several weeks later after more email exchanges discussing further details, Jim received his fully-reconstructed decal set, a combination of Pre-Cut Vinyl and water slide decals. Here is what he said after receiving them:

This model will surely put all others to shame. Can't wait to show it off. Now I'll have to make a detailed cockpit and pilot to do justice to the markings.

The yellow color is a perfect match for the yellow areas that come pre-installed on the kit (wing tips, fin tips, aileron tips, and the upper fuselage center stripe. Excellent!"

Weeks passed as Jim began applying his decals...things were looking up! Colors were matching, details were there just like the full scale aircraft, everything was coming together. And then, after applying the last decal...he stepped back, took a deep breath and broke out in a grin from ear-to-ear. Here is what Jim wrote after finishing his model:

"Here are some photos of my Blue Angels Hornet, wearing your superb Cal-Grafx decals and vinyl letters.

I have seen many of my planes "come alive" after the final trim has been applied, but NOTHING comes close to the impact your decals have added to this model! WooHoo! Its been several days since I finished it, and every morning I have to smile at how great it looks! The yellow is brilliant and the razor crispness of the lettering could not be better, especially the script letters. Believe me, this model has literally stopped people in their tracks.

I'm so glad I decided to seek something better than what came in the box with the model kit...and especially glad I followed up on your magazine ad. I sincerely appreciate your helpful, patience, and very skillful approach to this project. I enjoyed every turn along our road to get the shield, the pilot's names, the serial numbers, and the BUG emblem correct. Well Done, Jim.

I'll be sending along the details for the next project, the "Old Crow" P-51, in the near future, so standby!"

View photos of Jim's completed F-18 Hornet by clicking on the thumbnails below.
This top-notch kit is powered by an electric ducted fan.
Wingspan 28.5 in. and overall length 39.0 in.



	Jim B. from McLean VA was perplexed. He'd just purchased a great-looking, scale model of an F-18 Hornet. It was imported from Holland and the word around the flying fields was it's a First-Class performer, worthy of its Blue Angels finish scheme. Only one problem: The decals left something to be desired. Instead of bright lemon-yellow, they were more of a dark mustard color. But that wasn't the only problem. The artwork had some errors and in some instances you could barely make out what the decal was supposed to represent. (Click HERE for photos of the original decal sheets.) So...what to do??? The cut-out and stick-on decals were not in keeping with the overall high quality of the kit and would not do justice to an otherwise outstanding model. A call to the kit importer confirmed that no off-the-shelf solution was available with all the markings required to address the shortcomings of the original set. That's when Jim remembered seeing an ad in Model Airplane News. "*Custom Decals" by Cal-Grafx.* The wheels began turning. He wondered if they could re-create the Blue Angels decals and bring the quality up to par with the model. Can they provide that kind of service? Can they help me out of this predicament??? He soon found out the answer: A resounding YES! Jim dashed off a an email to Cal-Grafx describing his situation and even included a photo of the original decal sheets. He began communicating with Jim McIntire, owner of Cal-Grafx as to what could be done. Jim of Cal-Grafx assured him that this was definitely within their core capabilities. Since some of the decals were so poorly detailed, Jim M. asked if better sources were available showing what the decal should actually look like. Determined to have the best possible representation of the full scale aircraft, Jim B. went "on the hunt" and came back with much better quality images, exactly what Cal-Grafx needed to complete the job. Several weeks later after more email exchanges discussing further details, Jim received his fully-reconstructed decal set, a combination of Pre-Cut Vinyl and water slide decals. Here is what he said after receiving them: "Hey Jim....Really nice work! I'm amazed at the color and detail in the crest! This model will surely put all others to shame. Can't wait to show it off. Now I'll have to make a detailed cockpit and pilot to do justice to the markings. The yellow color is a perfect match for the yellow areas that come pre-installed on the kit (wing tips, fin tips, aileron tips, and the upper fuselage center stripe. Excellent!" Weeks passed as Jim began applying his decals...things were looking up! Colors were matching, details were there just like the full scale aircraft, everything was coming together. And then, after applying the last decal...he stepped back, took a deep breath and broke out in a grin from ear-to-ear. Here is what Jim wrote after finishing his model: "Here are some photos of my Blue Angels Hornet, wearing your superb Cal-Grafx decals and vinyl letters. I have seen many of my planes "come alive" after the final trim has been applied, but NOTHING comes close to the impact your decals have added to this model! WooHoo! Its been several days since I finished it, and every morning I have to smile at how great it looks! The yellow is brilliant and the razor crispness of the lettering could not be better, especially the script letters. Believe me, this model has literally stopped people in their tracks. I'm so glad I decided to seek something better than what came in the box with the model kit...and especially glad I followed up on your magazine ad. I sincerely appreciate your helpful, patience, and very skillful approach to this project. I enjoyed every turn along our road to get the shield, the pilot's names, the serial numbers, and the BUG emblem correct. Well Done, Jim. I'll be sending along the details for the next project, the "Old Crow" P-51, in the near future, so standby!" View photos of Jim's completed F-18 Hornet by clicking on the thumbnails below. This top-notch kit is powered by an electric ducted fan. Wingspan 28.5 in. and overall length 39.0 in.
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