Prices |
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Oversize |
Email Notification |
Future Releases |
Abbreviations
CanMilAir Decals FAQ
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What are decals?
The word "decal" is actually a shortened
form of the word "decalcomania", which is a
printing technique for transferring decorative pictures or designs
to glass, wood, plastic, etc. by printing on specially prepared paper.
The origins of this art date back to at least 1868. CanMilAir Decals are
designed for use on scale models of Canadian military aircraft by
scale aviation hobbyists and are meant to be used along
with the kit-supplied decal sheet.
| Who is CanMilAir?
CanMilAir Decals is a one-person, home-based business operated after
work, during the evenings and on weekends. Therefore
my priorities for time management result in that my
family, my home and my 30+ year full-time job come first. Time
spent with my decal business is primarily during my free time
after all other commitments are looked after. Most
week-day evenings are spent doing administrative matters
like catching up on the days emails, working on or
researching new material, updating the web page and preparing orders
for printing. Most decal printing occurs during the
weekends,
so I ask that customers be patient as their orders may
take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to complete
and I process them in the order they are received.
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| What are the decals printed on?
CanMilAir Decals are printed on premium quality, ultra-thin,
clear, water-slide decal paper. The carrier film on
this paper is continuous. This means that every individual
element must be closely trimmed before applying.
By popular demand CanMilAir Decals can now be printed on
one of three types of media. The default choice is for the
familiar water-slide decals, optional choices include
Avery brand clear self-adhesive full-page labels and a
clear self-adhesive vinyl suitable only for the larger
scales. Contact for further details.
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| What are the decals printed with?
Printing is accomplished using an ALPS MD-5000
"micro-dry" thermal printer. These printers do
not use ink or toner in the regular sense, but rather a resin-based dry pigment
contained in ribbon-style cartridges much like old
audio cassettes. Since the inks
are dry, they produce a water-proof, smear-proof and
fade-proof product ideal for use on scale models. While
the dithered 600 dpi or 2400 dpi resolution does not produce as high a quality as "silk
screened" decals (which require large and expensive print
runs), they are perfect for the cottage decal
manufacturer.
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| Should I apply a top coat?
It is recommended that before application, you give the
decal sheet a thin clear top coat. My personal preference
is MicroScale Liquid Decal Film or Future brand acrylic vinyl floor finish. Because of the
extreme thinness of the decal film and their delicate
nature, CanMilAir Decals are intended for experienced aircraft
modellers.
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| Where can I view the decals?
In
the "catalogue" section, you will be able
to view representative aircraft photos and low
resolution images of the ACTUAL decal
artwork. Most CanMilAir Decal sets contain white, or
very light, elements. The white or light elements on
the Decal photo will appear with a slight shadowy
outline. This is simply to show these lighter elements
against a white background. Rest assured, this
outline effect is NOT present on the actual decal
sets.
| Are the decals opaque?
Light coloured elements are under-coated with a double layer
of white to prevent the underlying background
colours of the model showing through and they then
receive two complete colour printing passes for
excellent colour density.
| How do you deal with SAR Fluorescent Red-Orange?
Please
note that in decal sets containing SAR bands and
RESCUE titles, the Fluorescent Red-Orange colour is a
close representation only. It is not possible to print
fluorescent colours with these printers. Model Master
offer a very good match in the form of "FS28913
Fluorescent Red-Orange". For a good effect, after the
decal has been applied it can be over-coated with clear, and then used as
a masking guide for a very light spray of FS28913.
| How are the decals packaged?
After
printing, the decals are packaged in clear
"zip-lock" poly envelopes for storage and protection
against humidity. Each
decal set comes with a brochure grade 8½" x
11" information sheet containing detailed
instructions for use, several reference photos of the
subject aircraft as a guide for placing the decals on
the model and usually some interesting historical
text.
NOTE: To try and be as "green" as
I can and avoid unnecessary use of paper, when ordering multiple
copies of a single decal, only one brochure and
"zip-lock" poly envelope will be included. If
you require as many brochures and poly envelopes as
decals, let me know and I will include them.
| Will CanMilAir make custom changes to the decals?
I will alter squadron codes, serial and call numbers on any decal
set (within reason) at no additional charge. CanMilAir Decals will not
be responsible for the overall accuracy of the finished
model if these numbers are changed.
| Do you do commission work?
I will take under careful consideration, all requests to
design decals for Canadian military aircraft. If it is of
a Canadian military subject, AND I can add it to my
catalogue, I do not charge extra for designing the decal
set.
However, if the request is for decals that cannot go into the
catalogue as a Canadian military subject, a flat rate fee of
$100.00 will
apply for time spent researching and designing this
artwork. Normal pricing (as outlined below) will then
be added as appropriate for the scale the artwork is to be
printed in.
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| How can I contact you to suggest a set?
If you have any questions or want to suggest
future projects - just go to the "contacts" page and send
me an email. The list below contains future
releases, sets currently under development and suggested
sets already submitted.
Please bear in mind, that CanMilAir is not the Santa Claus
of the decal world. Just because you think it would be
cool to have a certain decal made, it may involve far too
many hours of work to produce just to satisfy one person.
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| Are the images of the decals on the site, images of the actual
artwork?
Images are of the artwork in 1:144 scale. The
arrangement will be exactly the same for 1:72 scale. What
you see is exactly what you will get.
However, all decal sets ordered in 1/48 and larger
scales, will be re-arranged on the
sheet to fit the width of the decal paper.
| Do you offer a guarantee?
All
CanMilAir decals are 100% guaranteed - but
sometimes mistakes do slip though as the old Mk 1
eyeball isn't what it used to be. If you notice any
problems with the decals you receive, simply return
them in UNUSED condition with an explanation
and I will gladly send you a replacement set at no charge.
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| Where can I see completed models that were built
using CanMilAir Decals?
Please take a moment to visit my "Customers
Gallery" pages
showing finished models built using CanMilAir Decals that
have been sent in by customers. I encourage all my customers to send in a
photo of their completed work along with a short
description. A list of my recent "Custom
Orders" is also located
on the Customers Gallery page.
| Do you offer a discount to Canadian veterans or CF
members?
I certainly do! If you are . . .
1) a Canadian veteran,
2) a serving member of the CF or
CCG,
3) a past or retired member of the
Canadian military or CCG,
. . . you are entitled to a "Free
Shipping" discount.
NOTE: You MUST contact me BEFORE placing
your order and I will explain how easy it is for you get your
discount.
Unfortunately, I will be unable to offer
this discount after the order is placed - so contact me before!!
| What is the "Login" feature for?
This feature is used only by Canadian "Not For Profit" military air museum
gift shops. Gift shop managers or Buyers should contact us before placing an order,
to obtain a username and password to receive a discount.
| How long will it take before I receive my decals?
All decals are printed as they are ordered. With over 500 sets available in an unlimited
number of scales, it would be impossible to have pre-printed stock in meaningful
quantities.
When you submit your order it is placed into a queue with all other non-completed orders. Orders are then processed in the same sequence in which they
were placed.
Typically you should expect to receive your decals 4 to 6 weeks after placing
your order. In reality, since this is all very dependant on how many orders are ahead of yours,
you can hope for 2 to 3 weeks and pray it doesn't stretch to 7 to 8 weeks.
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Prices (unless specified otherwise) |
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Decal prices are directly proportional to the scale and the
overall size of the set, therefore prices will vary for
different decal sets, but most will follow the chart below.
Keep in mind that a decal set
printed in 1:72 consumes
FOUR times the the ink than it would if it were
printed in 1:144 and the same decal in 1:48 scale consumes NINE times the
ink as compared to 1:144! A set in 1:18 uses SIXTEEN
times more ink than if it were printed in 1:72 scale.
All prices are in Canadian Dollars and Canadian customers will
have the appropriate taxes added to their orders based on
their province.
Other custom scales are available
upon special request. Odd or "box" scales can be
printed to 3 decimal places for the utmost in accuracy.
For a better understanding on the reasons behind the new price list, please refer to the
19 May, 2008 entry on the "What's New" page.
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1:144 |
1:72 |
1:48 |
1:32 |
1:24 |
1:18 |
Relative
overall
size of
decal
set |
Small |
$7.00 |
$17.50 |
$28.00 |
$42.00 |
$49.00 |
$63.00 |
| Medium |
$8.00 |
$20.00 |
$32.00 |
$48.00 |
$56.00 |
$72.00 |
| Large |
$9.00 |
$22.50 |
$36.00 |
$54.00 |
$63.00 |
$81.00 |
| X Large |
$10.00 |
$25.00 |
$40.00 |
$60.00 |
$70.00 |
$90.00 |
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Payment Methods:
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Payments
can be made in one of two ways. As you go
through the Checkout process, you can choose between "Pay
using PayPal" or "Mail your Payment".
For mail-in payments you can submit (in order of preference):
1) a postal money order,
2) bank
money order,
3) cash,
4) or a personal cheque. (will require 1 week to clear
for new customers).
If you wish to pay by some other
method, contact us first.
Please note that I am unable to
accept personal cheques for orders containing "Finish and
Markings" books.
You
will be emailed an itemized receipt that you can print. Please
include a copy of this receipt when you mail your payment.
NOTE:
All forms of payment must be made payable to "CanMilAir Decals" or
to "William Burns"
If a mailed payment has not been received after 14 days, a
gentle reminder notice will be emailed to the address
provided with the order.
If a mailed payment still has not been received after 30 days,
and if I have not received some sort of a message of
explanation, the
order will be cancelled and deleted. This will generate an automatic
email notification as outlined below.
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Shipping:
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Shipping
to Canada:
| $4.00 for up to and including 6 items
| $6.00 for 7 to 12 items
| $8.00 for 13 or more items
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Shipping
to USA:
| $5.50 for up to and including 6 items
| $8.00 for 7 to 12 items
| $10.50 for 13 or more items
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Shipping
to anywhere else in the world:
| $7.00 for up to and including 6 items
| $10.00 for 7 to 12 items
| $13.00 for 13 or more items
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For decal purchases only, you can upgrade to Canada Post
Xpresspost service. You will find this feature in the Decals
section of the catalogue. Just select the appropriate service
for your destination and add it to your cart like any other
item.
If you are a Canadian veteran, a serving member of the
Canadian Forces, a past or retired member of the
Canadian military, you will qualify for a "Free
Shipping" discount. Contact me BEFORE placing
your order and I will explain how you get your
discount. Note that this discount only applies to my standard shipping
and not to the premium service mentioned above.
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Oversize :
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If you would like any of my aircraft markings in
very large scales, I have made arrangements with a
professional graphics company to have my vector artwork
printed in very large sizes (up to and including 1:1 full size) using
2mil (0.002") coloured self-adhesive cast vinyl and a computer controlled cutter capable of
reproducing the smallest details.
If this is of interest to you, email me for more information and I will arrange for a
quote.
Click on the "restorations"
link in the Main Menu to see examples of previous 1:1 scale orders.
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Email Notification:
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All customers who purchase decals will be entered into our Mailing List. This
is used to communicate important notices to all customers or
for special announcements.
As your order progresses through the printing and packaging
process, you will receive automatic updates informing you as to the
stage your order is in. The following are the stages and a brief
explanation of each:
Order Received:
This is the initial setting for all orders. Since orders are
placed automatically, this lets you know we have received a
copy of your order. If you are going to mail your payment,
please send along a printed copy of the automatic receipt
email you
received when placing the order. There will be a "Print
This Page" button on the bottom of your receipt for this
purpose.
Waiting for Mailed Payment:
If you have selected to send your payment by mail, this notice
will let you know that we have received your order and you will receive
the next notice when I have received your payment. At the
bottom of this notice is important information about how
you should send your payment. Depending
on the volume of orders, or if I need to fill a sheet, I
will often print decals that I am still waiting for payment.
Waiting for eCheque to Clear:
If you have paid your order through PayPal but the funds are
coming directly out of your bank account, this is just like a
paper cheque in that it must clear before I can proceed. This
usually takes about a week.
Payment has been Received:
If you have paid for your order using a PayPal account
balance, with a credit card, if we have
received your mailed payment, or I have received notice from
PayPal that an eCheque has cleared, this message confirms that we have received your payment and
placed your order in queue for printing. In all cases, we have
already printed
your shipping envelope, packing slip and our copy of the work order.
Printing Decals:
This message signifies we have laid out the artwork for your
order and your decals will be printed during the NEXT print
run. If you have a large order, this may take more than one
print run. All decals are printed
only when ordered, paid for and when I have a full sheet. We do not stock
printed decals waiting to be purchased. They are always as
fresh and new as possible. printing usually occurs during the
weekends.
Printing Inserts:
At this point your decals are all printed and I have started to
print the colour brochures that come with the decals. When the
brochures are printed they are combined with the decals and are
packaged in clear "zip-lock" poly envelopes. I
usually add a couple of "advertisement" sheets that
help prevent creasing should the envelope be inadvertently
folded by postal employees who can't read. Please share these
ad sheets with those who may be interested in them.
Order Completed - Waiting for Payment:
This message is for those customers who are mailing their payment,
but I have gone ahead and printed their decals before receipt of payment.
This message indicates your decals are printed and packaged
and will be mailed upon receipt of your payment. I often do
this for repeat customers in good standing so I can mail their decals out as soon
as I receive their payment.
Ready to Ship:
When you see this message you will know that your order is
complete, it is packaged, sealed and ready to ship. Actual shipping will normally
occur the afternoon of the next business day.
Order has been Shipped:
When you get this message, I have returned from the Post Office and your order is now in the capable hands of Canada Post
and it will arrive in your mail box at their earliest
convenience. Obviously, this could take anywhere from a couple
of days to weeks, depending on where you are. Please allow 4 to
6 weeks for delivery, but occasionally during peak periods, 6
to 8 weeks.
Order Cancelled:
This message is sent out if a mailed payment has not been
received within 30 days of the order being placed. I will send
one gentle reminder notice after 10 days, but I do not want to
"hound" my customers for their payment. I can't hang
on to stale orders forever, so I feel 30 days is more than
enough time to send a payment in. Another reason for
this message would be if the customer notifies me that they
wish to cancel their order. All cancelled orders are
immediately deleted from the system.
Most customers send me a brief email telling me they have
received the decals, which I appreciate getting, but keep in
mind, I don't always have the time to respond to them.
After you finish building your model, please remember to send me a
picture of it, to include in the Customers Gallery!!
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| Future
Releases: (in no particular order) |
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Use this link to send your suggestions: decals
AT canmilair.com |
| De Havilland Vampire
|
| DHC CC-142 Dash 8
| Lockheed Hudson
| Short Stirling
|
| H-34A CH-126 "Choctaw"
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| Bristol Beaufighter
| Handley Page Hampden
| B-25 Mitchell (CWHM)
| Westland Lysander (CWHM)
| Bristol Bolingbroke
| de Havilland Comet 1
| ". . . more Canadian Navy!!"
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Abbreviations
used:
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RAF
Royal Air Force (RCAF pre 1947)
RCAF
Royal Canadian Air Force (1947 -
1968)
VC
RCAF markings from 1947 to 1951
AB+3
RCAF markings from 1951 to 1958
RCAF+3
RCAF markings from 1958 to 1965
New Leaf
RCAF markings from 1965 to
1968
NM
Natural Metal
Camo
Camouflaged
Sqn
Squadron
CA
Canadian Army
UN
United Nations
CSMA
Colour Scheme and Markings
Arrangement |
CF
Canadian Forces (post 1968)
CAF
CF markings from 1968 to 1973
SYM
CF markings from 1973 to 1983
FIP
CF markings 1983 +
SAR
Search and Rescue
OA
Overall (finish colour)
FS
Federal Standard
ATU
Air Transport Unit
RCN
Royal Canadian Navy (pre 1968)
FAA
Fleet Air Arm
BPF
British Pacific Fleet
SEAC
Southeast Asia Command |
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