Decal reviews
STRIKING SKYTRAINS
While a popular modelling subject, military-liveried C-47 Skytrains can have something of a plain appearance – thankfully, aftermarket markings such as these ‘pin-up’ schemes from Foxbot can provide a welcome twist on the theme.
FERRETS, FOXES AND ‘LANDIES’
The third collection of British vehicles from the 1991 Gulf War (also known as Operation Desert Storm or Granby) focuses on wheeled patrol/reconnaissance machines, with examples of Ferret armoured cars, Fuchs (fox) nuclear, bacteriological and chemical recce vehicles, plus Land Rovers.
GOODWILL COMPANIONS
Paulus Victor has quickly established a reputation for high-quality themed releases, and this 1/144 set focuses on the goodwill trip by two Su-27 Flankers to the US in July 1990, which included their being escorted by Montana Air National Guard (ANG) F-16As on their return trip.
CZECH CARRIERS
Designed for Zvezda’s recent 1/144 Boeing 747 MAX 8, these BOA Decals markings provide for six of the airliners operated by Czech company Smartwings.
TEST MACHINES DECAL SELECTION
Test aircraft make highly attractive modelling subjects, and Air-Graphic's new decals covering British airframes represent some of the best and brightest. CHRIS CLIFFORD's review also recommends suitable kits and reference books.
BARRELLING ROUND A BEAR
Euro Decals’ 1/72 markings provide for a quartet of F-4 Phantom IIs, including an example that was famously photographed performing a barrel roll around a Soviet Tu-97 Bear at the request of the bomber’s aircrew!
ABRAMS’ TANKS
The namesake of the M1 Abrams main battle tank, Creighton Abrams had a reputation as an aggressive armour commander in World War Two - modellers can replicate the M4 Shermans he used with Star Decals’ 1/35 markings.
EAGLE BF 109 SCHEMES
Whether this set is used as an alternative for Eduard’s 1/48 Adlerangriff Bf 109 boxing or just the firm’s standard Bf 109E- 3 and -4 offerings, the result will be five eye-catching liveries as worn by these Luftwaffe fighters during and after the Battle of Britain.
TRAINING THE TESTERS
Air-Graphic’s compilation sheets offer a broad selection of subjects and this sheet provides markings for aircraft and helicopters assigned to the US Navy’s Test Pilot School at Patuxent Naval Air Station, Maryland.
FRITZ AND FANG COLLECTION
Suitable for either MPM or Gran 1/72 La-9 (NATO nickname Fritz) and La-11 (Fang) kits, this magnificent collection of late Lavochkin fighters provides markings for 29 schemes, with examples of Indonesian, Chinese, Soviet, Romanian and North Korean machines.
SUPERFORTRESS SCHEMES
Modellers with Academy, Airfix or re-boxings of these two manufacturers’ 1/72 B-29 kits will find the alternative schemes supplied by Kits-World’s busy decal sheet of interest.
JUMP-JET DATA
Modellers seeking replacement/ extra stencils for their Hasegawa/ Revell/Eduard H1/48 Harrier GR.7/9 kits will find this decal sheet from Eduard extremely useful.
FOXBAT FINESSE
Modern aircraft are covered in a wealth of stencil data markings, but these are often omitted from small-scale kits due to the difficulty of replicating such tiny elements; helpfully, Foxbot has produced a set of stencils for 1/72 MiG-25 Foxbat kits.
VISION IN BLUE
The French Air Force always paints its aircraft in very attractive schemes for unit/type anniversaries; one of the simplest yet eye-catching was that worn by Mirage IIIE 426 13-QG of EC 1/13 ‘Artois’ in 1990 to celebrate 25 years’ service of this delta-winged fighter.
POST-TORCH TANKS
Star Decals’ first foray into vehicles operated by the US 1st Armored Division offers a collection of early and mid-production Sherman tanks used in North Africa between 1942 and 1943.
FEATHERED FINNISH FIGHTERS
Brazilian firm LPS Hobby is something of a Curtiss P-36/H-75 Hawk specialist, having produced a range of aftermarket decals for the type in 1/72 – this is one of several to cover Finnish airframes.
CANADIAN SHORT-HAULER
These Decales Global markings are ideal for Airfix or Eastern Express 1/144 Boeing 737-200 kits, replicating the livery of one of Canadian airline Pacific Western’s airframes.
MARKINGS FOR THE GREAT GUST
If You have a Dassault Rafale in your stash, you won't want to miss Syhart's new decal sheet for the type. It caters for French Air Force and Navy, with options for myriad airframes.
HIGH-SPEED SNOOPERS
Ukrainian decal specialist Foxbot’s second foray into home-nation Foxbats covers four MiG-25RB reconnaissance/bomber airframes.
TRIBUTE RACER
Ford partnered with the Chip Ganassi racing team to operate four of its GTs in the FIA World Endurance Championship between 2016-19, and modellers with Revell’s 1/24 kit can replicate the team’s entries using Decalpool’s aftermarket sets.
TOMCAT HAWK
Modellers with Fujimi/Hobby 2000, Hasegawa, Hobby Boss, Italeri and even Matchbox 1/72 A-4M Skyhawk II kits can use MILSPEC’s decals to replicate the livery of a VMA-311 jet, complete with an evil-looking tail motif depicting the unit’s ‘Tomcats’ namesake.
VARGAS GIRL MUSTANG
Aftermarket decal supplier Kits- World specialises in airframes with ‘pin-up’ artwork applied and this set for a pair of P-51D Mustangs features a work by one of the most famous artists to produce such work: Alberto Vargas.
TWO-SEATER SWALLOWS
Modellers wanting alternative schemes for their quarter-scale Me 262B-1A/U1 night-fighters will find this set from EagleCals ideal, as it provides markings for two late-war Luftwaffe and a single captured machine with US insignia.
CANADIAN CARRIAGE
H-Models has provided another set of alternative schemes for 1/35 Willys Jeep models with this limited-edition selection catering for Canadian-operated vehicles.
FOUR OR EIGHT WHEELS?
Modellers with 1/72 BRDMs wanting to reproduce a Polish machine just found that task becoming easier thanks to ToRo Model’s first batch of decals dedicated to the type.
HARD-HITTING HUNCHBACK
Perfect for Zvezda’s newly tooled offering, Tamiya’s recent kit or any version of the ex-Accurate Miniatures 1/48 Il-2 Sturmovik, Foxbot’s aftermarket decals provide national insignia, numerals, nicknames and artwork for eight airframes.
BUBBLE 'BOLTS
Modellers with Trumpeter 1/32 P-47N Thunderbolts may wish to consider Kits-World’s pair of nose-art adorned schemes.
CROSSING FRONTIERS
Mexican firm Decales Global has produced a set of aftermarket markings providing for five of the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 single-aisle airliners flown by American company Frontier Airlines – the first of two operators to use this name.
FINNISH FIGHTERS
SBS Model’s beautifully printed decals offer four Finnish options for those making a 1/48 scale Fokker D.XXI fighter, with a choice of wheel- or ski-type landing gear and two camouflage versions.
WOODEN WONDERS
The Mosquito is a popular subject in both kit and decal forms and this set from ModelMaker supplies markings for five airframes flown by Polish crews as part of 305 (Polish) Squadron during World War Two and includes one machine flown in West Germany in the immediate post-war period.