How too apply a decal on the A-4 skyhawk. By David Aungst

David has six easy steps to lay down  the wing decal over the vertices.   This is the bane of building A-4 Skyhawk model.
The Start

The wing vortex generators are very large and on high-viz Skyhawks, you need the national insignia to go over them.

Step 1

Apply the decal. Only have the forward section of the decal flat on the wing. Hold the decal up in the back. Stiffer decal will stay up on their own. Thin ones need help. I am using my favorite decals tool (a sewing needle mounted in a wood dowel) to prop up the back of the decal.

Step 2

With the decal popped up, apply setting solution (I use Solv-a-set) directly on the vortex generators under the decal. Then, let got of the decal. On thin decals, the raised portion will just flop down. On thicker decals, the setting solution will work in the decal from the back side and it will relax down.

Avoid the temptation to "help" it go down. You run the risk of distorting the decal.

Also, try to avoid any air bubbles around the vortex generators. Any air bubbles will make bubbles in the decal that you will later have to pop so the decal lays flat.

Step 3

Now starts the waiting game. All the wrinkles tell you the setting solution is working. As the decal is drying, I will apply more setting solution on the area of the vortex generators to help keep the decal softened. As it drys, the decal is sucked down over the vortex generators.

IMPORTANT - Do not try to flatten the wrinkles out of the decal. This wrinkling is normal and will level out as the decal dries.

As the solvent continues working, the decal can look really bad. Still, refrain from trying to fix it at this stage.

You can start seeing the decal being pulled down over the vortex generators, here.

Step 4

The decal is mostly dry/set. Some wrinkles are still present. The decal is getting pulled down over the vortex generators.

Step 5

This is the morning after.

The decal is fully dry/set. You can see that the decal had snuggled down over most of the vortex generators. The ones at the left end are not yet fully pulled down.

Step 6

Use a tool to poke holes in the decal at the bubble points. Take care not to do too may. These holes are what may create tares in the decal that later need to be fixed with paint.

Then, apply more decal solvent.

Repeat this step as much as you need to until you are done.

Done! The decal has snuggled down over all the vortex generators.

Here is a view without the light reflections. You can see I have a few minor tares in the decal at the base of a few vortex generators to touch-up with paint on the left end. This was where the bubbles were under the decal, so these were expected. The right end vortex generators had the decal suck down around them without bubbles, so they did not need poking (which causes the tares).