Zvezda 1/144th Boeing 757

My very favourite airliner. I've waited a LONG time for this. I built the Minicraft kit that was released in around 1998-99 a few times, but to call it "disappointing" is to understate things slightly. So here we are, in 2021, with an all new tool Zvezda 757. Worth the wait? 100%! Beautifully moulded, fine but consistent detail, looks every inch the sleek, sinuous and predatory beauty the 757 is. I've been on the kit two days, and most of the major subassemblies are done. 

The wing and tailplanes aren't glued yet, but this is the basic model. I did scrape a vee in the fuselage halves at the join so I could fill the seam with black CA - glossy airliners mean you have to make the seam go bye-bye better than most others, and this will help prevent ghost seams opening up later. 

The satellite internet antenna on the spine fits perfectly too! 

Underside view showing fit of wing lower section. The kit includes standard wingtips and winglets as an option, and both RR and GE engines are ins the kit. Basically you can do any -200 series 757 from this model as provided. Clear cabin windows have a section to be cut off for the -200, indicating clear plans for a -300 down the line a bit (2022?)

More soon, nearly ready for some paint!

 "Tamiya Decals Are Thicker Than Aftermarket Decals"

"You can never hide the carrier film". This is an ongoing trope in modelling circles. That Tamiya decals are too thick to effectively hide the carrier film, that you always wend up with a visible edge around them. That you should always seek aftermarket decals for your Tamiya kit in order to overcome this issue. Yada yada yada.

I've had some issues in the past when I've used water that is too cold. Apart from that I have thirty years of using them with no issues whatsoever. But. . . . when it all blew up again this week I decided to actually *test* the hypothesis. You see, I work in aerospace manufacturing. This gives me access to accurate, calibrated measuring equipment. You can see where this is going can't you?

So I picked a spare Tamiya decal (part of the anti glare panel from the 2016 F-14A kit). I picked a spare Cartograf decal (an upper wing roundel from the very recent Special Hobby 1/32nd Whirlwind). I soaked both in water until they came free from their backing paper. I then laid each face down on a piece of non-woven lint free paper (the sort that we use in aerospace to clean and wipe delicate things with) and then carefully cleaned the adhesive off of each with a cotton bud soaked in water. With both thoroughly clean I placed them on a piece of paper to dry. And then I took them to work. 

And here's how they looked once dry. The roundel is wrinkled but not creased, so would measure just fine. 

My weapon of choice is a digital micrometer. I prefer manual micrometers, but for this test decided to use a digital scale. I set it for metric (because I'm not in a third world country and don't use bananas day to day) and zeroed the display with it closed on the ratchet. For info this mic was calibrated in May 2021 and is next due for calibration in May 2022. So it's good enough for helicopters. 

First up the Tamiya decal. Again tightened until the ratchet clicked. 

That measures .013mm thick. For those who insist on using bananas, that is just over a half a thou (or one two-thousandths of an inch). It's THIN. 

Next up the Cartograf

That measures .017mm. Again, for those using bananas that is just under seven-tenths of a thou. 
Yes, you're reading that right. While there is less than two-ten thousandths of an inch in it, the Cartograf decal is THICKER than the Tamiya. And I measured this in several places. It's thicker. Simple as that. 
So whatever issues you're having, it's not because the Tamiya decal is thicker. Japanese decals use a thicker, gloopier adhesive, you can FEEL it on the sheet when wet. Remove that (or activate it properly with very hot water) and there's nothing to choose. 
The decals are fine, you may need to adjust your technique, but they're perfectly useable. 
Well, that's one myth destroyed. Next?

Edit - As expected someone said I didn't know what I was doing and that black is thinnest and it was an unfair test. So here's a multi colour decals from the same Tomcat sheet, using the same layers and colours as the Cartograf decal:- 

So, let's test it.

My god! It's thicker. . . by .002mm (banana counters that's less than one ten thousandth of an inch). The decals are NOT the problem. But someone will have moved the goalposts again by lunchtime to promulgate the myth. 

Ultimately I'll carry on using Tamiya decals because I know how to.