HERE’S a sticky situation if ever there was one: Imagine a water slide decal no thicker than a strand of hair ending up in a tangle.
To Vernon Law, a decal producer and model maker, the best recourse is to throw the darned piece away. Sticking the decals to a model is already quite a job, taking a trained hand no less than one-and-a-half hours. In some instances, when the 46-year-old has worked on one micro scale decal too many, it is not uncommon for him to end up cross-eyed.
His wife and business partner, Zaidah Omar, 42, and the more patient of the two, prefers a salvation strategy which involves dunking the troubled plastic strand into a bowl of water to let the soaking action loosen the problem. This is then followed by long minutes of gently prying the mess apart with a pair of non-magnetic tweezers.
Matching: Law holding the decals for the Sukhoi SU-30 MKM. Zaidah is no doubt an asset to Law as her steady hand, perfect vision and infinite patience makes her a natural for the task of sticking the decals on aircraft models. It is also easy to understand why Zaidah is reluctant to waste a decal unless it has been torn beyond repair.
The business of making decals, which this husband-and-wife team started in 2001 from a shop lot in Bandar Baru Ampang, Selangor, can take no less than six months to a year to complete, for a single collection. Having chosen to specialise in decals for the Royal Malaysian Air Force, the most extensive part of Law’s work is in research.
An example of the attention to detail is the decal set for the A-4 PTM Skyhawk used by the 6th and 9th Squadron of RMAF which comes with a fact sheet revealing the year the contract was awarded to Grumman Aerospace to refurbish the A-4s and the specification of work done. A recommendation of the modelling kit is also included with a colour chart guide for the different years of delivery plus modification notes on any additional antennas, avionics humps and weapon pylons made to the attack craft over the years. The images are then scanned into a computer and the printing is sent to the United States and Italy for quality control reasons. It isn’t that Law has no confidence with local printers but when they saw the micro scale specifications, the first thing they asked was if he was nuts.
What they didn’t realise was Law needed them to match the scale of his models ranging from 1:32 to 1:100.
Patience is a virtue: Zaidah sticking on the decals to an aircraft model. In recalling how he got into this fix, Law, a former draughtsman and father of one, had in 1998 taken the plunge to pursue his childhood passion by joining Miniature Hobby, a famous model shop in Kuala Lumpur’s Mid Valley Megamall. Three years later, he struck out on his own and, by the end of 2003, he was ready to export his decals to Europe, the United States and Britain where there is keen interest among hobbyists for RMAF aircraft.
“One of the most fascinating aspects of the military aircraft is in the markings and manufacturers’ specifications. One example is the Sukhoi SU-30 which is used by the Malaysian and Indian air forces for aerial combat and ground attack. In Malaysia, where they are known as ‘Flankers’, the sensors are located at the chin. The Indian version will see an extra pair of canards at the front part of the fuselage,” says Law.
In tandem with producing his own decals, Law is also heavily involved in model making from ready-made kits; his finished products of model MiGs, Sukhois and the like have gone as far as Singapore, Hong Kong and Britain where they are presented as souvenirs to senior officers.
Precious: Law and Zaidah admiring their collection of World War II fighter plane models. Law is also a regular at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) exhibition and Defence Ministry (Mindef) events.
“Being in the industry, what they are looking for is accuracy, where the displays, from the colour to the markings, have to be exact replicated scales of the actual aircraft. Again, this takes a lot of research time to make sure that nothing, from the serial numbers to the signs indicating the location of the fuel pumps and warning signs, are amiss,” says Law, who has a library full of references.
One of his favourite referrals is a local monthly defence magazine called Tempur.
Just like his decals, Law spares no effort to ensure the same attention to detail in his models. Drawing attention to the cockpit of a Sukhoi, for example, he shows that every detail, right from the safety belts in the pilot’s seat to the instrumentation panel, is done to resemble the actual aircraft that is currently in operation.
Before and after: The MiG 29N on the left is the original colour on delivery. The one on the right, painted grey, is the colour the RMAF opted for all its aircraft. “In the model kits, most of the cockpits are still in analog format so what I do is to ensure that it is modified to resemble the latest digital features as found in current aircraft,” says Law.
To set the standard for the quality of his finished models, Law makes regular trips to museums around the world to check out the competition. He and Zaidah recently returned from a whirlwind tour of England where they visited war museums in Collindale, London and Duxford, to have a firsthand look at the British-made Hurricanes, Spitfires, Lightnings and Hawks.
“Look, there is no need to go as far. Just check out the Singapore Air Force Museum where every display is so highly polished, you can see your own reflection,” he says.
Law has gained many regular and loyal customers throughout the years and, according to Zaidah, one way he “entertains” them is by sharing his knowledge.
Nifty: A C130 Hercules, aka ‘Charlie’, in Law’s collection. “Did you know that the CASA CN235, which is used for VIP and light military transport, was a barter made with Indonesia in exchange for Proton cars? Did you know that some pilots have broken their necks due to the extreme G force during dives or climbs in air manoeuvres? As for the MiGs, I’ll be sorry to see them being phased out as any pilot who has clocked in 1,000 hours in these fighter aircraft is really good,” offers Law.
In retrospect, though Law’s role is confined to making the miniatures of the actual aircraft owned by the RMAF, he does not forget the real reason for their existence – to be part of the country’s defence system.
“In a way, I see myself playing a small part in inspiring patriotism among the younger generation by encouraging them to join the RMAF. I know of one modeller who joined the air force and he is now a captain flying an F18D Hornet,” he says.
Vernon Law can be contacted at 012-661 3698 or thianngee1968@yahoo.com. Visit his workshop at 24C Jalan Wawasan 2/4, Bandar Baru Ampang, Selangor.
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