Jump to content

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'Euro Decals'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Calendars

  • Community Calendar
  • Group Builds
  • Model Show Calendar

Forums

  • Forum Functionality & Forum Software Help and Support
    • FAQs
    • Help & Support for Forum Issues
    • New Members
  • Aircraft Modelling
    • Military Aircraft Modelling Discussion by Era
    • Civil Aircraft Modelling Discussion by Era
    • Work in Progress - Aircraft
    • Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
    • Aircraft Related Subjects
  • AFV Modelling (armour, military vehicles & artillery)
    • Armour Discussion by Era
    • Work in Progress - Armour
    • Ready for Inspection - Armour
    • Armour Related Subjects
    • large Scale AFVs (1:16 and above)
  • Maritime Modelling (Ships and subs)
    • Maritime Discussion by era
    • Work in Progress - Maritime
    • Ready for Inspection - Maritime
  • Vehicle Modelling (non-military)
    • Vehicle Discussion
    • Work In Progress - Vehicles
    • Ready For Inspection - Vehicles
  • Science Fiction & RealSpace
    • Science Fiction Discussion
    • RealSpace Discussion
    • Work In Progress - SF & RealSpace
    • Ready for Inspection - SF & RealSpace
  • Figure Modeling
    • Figure Discussion
    • Figure Work In Progress
    • Figure Ready for Inspection
  • Dioramas, Vignettes & Scenery
    • Diorama Chat
    • Work In Progress - Dioramas
    • Ready For Inspection - Dioramas
  • Reviews, News & Walkarounds
    • Reviews
    • Current News
    • Build Articles
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Walkarounds
  • Modeling using 3D Printing
    • 3D Printing Basics
    • 3D Printing Chat
    • 3D Makerspace
  • Modelling
    • Group Builds
    • The Rumourmonger
    • Manufacturer News
    • Other Modelling Genres
    • Britmodeller Yearbooks
    • Tools & Tips
  • General Discussion
    • Chat
    • Shows
    • Photography
    • Members' Wishlists
  • Shops, manufacturers & vendors
    • Aerocraft Models
    • Air-craft.net
    • Amarket Modl
    • A.M.U.R. Reaver
    • Atlantic Models
    • Beacon Models
    • BlackMike Models
    • Bring-It!
    • Copper State Models
    • Freightdog Models
    • Hannants
    • fantasy Printshop
    • Fonthill Media
    • HMH Publications
    • Hobby Paint'n'Stuff
    • Hypersonic Models
    • Iliad Design
    • Hobby Colours & Accessories
    • KLP Publishing
    • Kingkit
    • L'Arsenal 2.0
    • Litaki Models
    • Maketar Paint Masks
    • Marmaduke Press Decals
    • MikroMir
    • Model Designs
    • Parkes682Decals
    • Paulus Victor Decals
    • Red Roo Models
    • RES/KIT
    • Sovereign Hobbies
    • Special Hobby
    • Test Valley Models
    • Ultimate Modelling Products
    • Videoaviation Italy
    • Wingleader Publications
  • Archive
    • 2007 Group Builds
    • 2008 Group Builds
    • 2009 Group Builds
    • 2010 Group Builds
    • 2011 Group Builds
    • 2012 Group Builds
    • 2013 Group Builds

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


AIM


MSN


Website URL


ICQ


Yahoo


Jabber


Skype


Location


Interests

Found 22 results

  1. North American Mustang Mk.III Collection (ED-48142) 1:48 & 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop There has been a plethora of releases of Mustangs from Eduard and a few other companies in 1:48 over the last year or so, with Eduard’s new Mk.III and P-51B/C boxings reaching the shelves more recently, including so-called ‘bird cage’ and Malcolm hood variants. It’s perfect timing for a new sheet with a choice of many such aircraft in RAF and RAAF service. This new sheet from Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop depicts up to eleven Mustang Mk.IIIs that flew under the RAF roundel, and is available in 1:48 and 1:32, the latter split into two subsets designated A and B due to the relatively large size of the decals on the sheets. We have marked the profiles for the 1:32 sheets with Set A or B in brackets for your convenience, and only one option from the 1:48 sheet doesn’t appear on the larger offering. From the sheets you can build all eleven options from the 1:48 set, and five each from the 1:32 sheets, taking care to select the correct 1:32 sheet if you have a particular aircraft in mind and don’t have the budget or need for both sheets. Mustang Mk.III, KH427/GN-V, 249 Sqn., Bifernoi, Italy, 1944 (1:32 Set B ) Mustang Mk.III, FB2??/HS-H, 260 Sqn., Italy, 1944 (1:32 Set B ) Mustang Mk.III, LD-Y, 250 Sqn. RAF, Lavariano, Italy, 1946 (this is noted as an RAAF Squadron in the instructions but it is in fact an RAF Squadron) (1:32 Set B ) Mustang Mk.III, FZ152/SS, 133 Polish Wing, RAF, Coolham, West Sussex, UK, 1944 (1:32 Set B ) Mustang Mk.III, LD-B, 250 Sqn. RAAF, Italy, 1946 (1:32 Set B ) Mustang Mk.III, HB832/QV-Q, 19 Sqn., Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, UK, April 1945 Mustang Mk.III, FZ120/YT-J, 65 Sqn., Funtington, West Sussex, UK, May 1944 (1:32 Set A) Mustang Mk.III, KH528/SZ-L, 316 (Warszawski) Polish Sqn., RAF Coltishall, Norfolk, UK, December 1944 (1:32 Set A) Mustang Mk.III, FX985/PK-V, 315 (Deblinski) Polish Sqn. RAF, 1944 (1:32 Set A) Mustang F-6C, KH616/CV-J, 3 Sqn. RAAF, Italy, 1944-45 (1:32 Set A) Mustang Mk.III, FX855, 541 Sqn., RAF Benson, July 1944 (1:32 Set A) 1:48 (ED-48142) 1:32 Set A (ED-32142A) 1:32 Set B (ED-32142B) Each sheet of the series is printed on blue decal paper, using A4 for the 1:48 and each of the 1:32 sets, with a thin carrier film cut close to the printed areas, and numbers next to each decal that correspond to those on the instruction sheet. Conclusion As usual with Fantasy Printshop’s output, the decals are crisply printed with good registration, sharpness and colour density. The instructions are clear and concise, having diagrams that are large enough to be seen easily without the aid of magnification. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  2. Supermarine Spitfires over Malta (ED72141, ED48141 & ED32141A & 1:72 1:48 & 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop Malta is a tiny island in the Mediterranean Sea with a strategic position that controls entry and exit from the Med., that was a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain until 1964. During WWII it became a key target for the Axis forces of Germany and Italy to conquer, as it was a thorn in their side, and an important port for the British Navy, where the Allies could harass their shipping from above and below the waves with relative impunity. Initially it was famously protected from almost constant air attack by a dwindling force that included three ageing Gloster Gladiators that were lovingly named Faith, Hope and Charity and remain close to the hearts of the Maltese even though these three biplanes were eventually replaced by more modern Spitfires and Hurricanes. The Hurricanes were described as “useless” in a report that argued for a Spitfire force to be stationed on the island, stating that the new Freidrich variant of the Bf.109 was far superior in terms of top speed, and that was negatively affecting morale of the pilots. The first ‘shipment’ of Spitfires were taken most of the way to Malta by the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, flying the last portion of the journey and landing on Malta, but attrition was high due to the landing strips being under almost constant attack by Luftwaffe forces, with more shot down due to the sheer numbers of enemy aircraft over Malta at the time. The available airframes dropped below 20 by spring 1942, with replenishment following in May, which tipped the scales in the favour of the RAF, allowing them to fight their corner, aided by more runs by the American aircraft carrier USS Wasp that permitted the British to wrest air superiority from the Nazis and Italians, turning the tables on them with their numbers drastically reduced by the efforts of the brave Spitfire pilots. The situation in Malta was still dire, with frequent attacks, lack of supplies leading to widespread starvation of the populace for a time, but Operation Pedestal helped to break the siege, although delivery of supplies remained difficult, as the enemy knew the importance and consequences of Malta remaining in British hands. The introduction of effective radar installations to the island helped target British forces, and Air Vice Marshal Keith Park had fought against Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring during the Battle of Britain, and used this to great effect. By August of 1942 there were 120 Spitfires in service, with more under repair or maintenance, and further operations increased that number to over 200, which convinced Kesselring that he was fighting a losing battle, bringing the operation to a conclusion. By the end of 1942 two convoys had made it through unscathed, and coupled with the improving situation in North Africa, ships were subsequently able to travel to and from Malta individually without protection. Because of the hardships that the people of Malta had suffered over the early years of WWII, the last raid occurring in July 1943, the entire island was awarded the George Cross in recognition of their bravery and resilience. The Decal Sheet This new sheet from Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop depicts up to nine Spitfires that flew from and to Malta, and is available in 1:72, 1:48 and 1:32 scales, the latter split into two subsets designated A and B due to the relatively large size of the decals on the sheets. From these sheets, you can build all nine options from the 1:72 and 1:48 sets, and four each from the 1:32 sheets, taking care to select the correct 1:32 sheet if you have a particular aircraft in mind and don’t have the budget or need for both sheets. Mk.Vb Trop., BR586 ’T.M’ of 249 Sqn in 1943 Mk.Vc Trop., BR124, ‘U.2’ , Leaving USS Wasp on 20th April 1942 Mk.Vc Trop., BR126, ‘GL.E’ Gibraltar, June 1942 Mk.Vc Trop., BR344, ‘3.M’, on USS Wasp April 1942 Mk.Vc Trop., JK715, ‘SN.A’ of 243 Sqn., 1942 Mk.Vc Trop., BR190, ‘A.2’ of 603 Sqn., April-May 1942 Mk.Vc Trop., EP691, ‘X.A’ of 229 Sqn., 1943 Mk IXc EN479 ’N’ of 126 Sqn., June 1943 Mk.Vb Trop., EP200, ‘GL.N’, 185 Sqn., July 1942 Each sheet of the series is printed on blue decal paper, using A5 for the 1:72 set, A4 for the 1:48 and each of the 1:32 sets, with a thin carrier film cut close to the printed areas, and numbers next to each decal that correspond to those on the instruction sheet. 1:72 (ED72141) All nine decal options can be built from this sheet. 1:48 (ED48141) We haven’t received a sample in this scale yet, but will update the review with a new pic when we do. All nine decal options can be built from this sheet. 1:32 Set A (ED32141A) Options 1 to 4 from the list above can be built using this sheet. 1:32 Set B (ED32141B) Options 5 to 8 from the list above can be built using this sheet. Conclusion As usual with Fantasy Printshop’s output, the decals are crisply printed with good registration, sharpness and colour density. The instructions are clear and concise, having diagrams that are large enough to be seen easily without the aid of magnification. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  3. Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb Collection (ED-72140 & ED48140) 1:72 & 1:48 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop The Hawker Hurricane was one of Britain's foremost fighters of WWII, and although overshadowed by the more graceful and slender Spitfire during the Battle of Britain, it was a capable aircraft that was available in large numbers, and achieved more than its fair share of kills during the conflict. It went on to see service to the end of the war, but was relegated to less onerous tasks as technology leapt forward resulting in faster, more agile aircraft that came on stream on both sides of the conflict. The type originated in the early 30s and first took to the sky in 1935, despite the Air Ministry’s tepid reaction to monoplanes at the time, and it was an aircraft that set standards for fighters that followed it, being a monoplane with a predominantly metal airframe, retractable landing gear, an enclosed cockpit and of course the delightfully powerful and throaty Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Compared to the Spitfire it was a little old-fashioned, starting out with a fabric-covered ‘rag’ wing that was eventually replaced by an all-metal aerofoil, and it was less aerodynamically streamlined, with a thicker wing and overall chunkier, blunt appearance. Although the wing was replaced by a metal aerofoil later, it retained the fabric rear fuselage and as such was able to have minor damage repaired quickly and easily, compared to the Spitfire that would have to go back to a repair facility for structurally insignificant through-and-through bullet damage. A fabric patch followed by a few coats of dope, and the Hurri would be back to the fray, which endeared it both to its pilots and ground crew alike. The Mk.IIB was equipped with an extra four machine guns in the wings, bringing the total for each wing to six, but reducing its top-speed, further so because the wings were also fitted with bomb racks. These hard-points could also mount underwing fuel tanks, extending the aircraft’s range by 100%, which sometimes led to a mixed force of Hurricanes undertaking interdiction operations with faster variants providing cover. By the time the improvements to the airframe resulted in the Mk.IIC, it was tasked with ground attack, taking out German tanks, which weren’t as easy to crack as first expected, because 20mm cannon shells would often ricochet off the frontal and side armour, and bombing a relatively small target such as a tank was a matter of pure luck, all while the enemy poured lead in your general direction. It was withdrawn from front-line fighter service at this stage of the war, as by then the enemy aircraft outclassed it in most respects, so it carried on in ground-attack, night fighter and intruder roles where it excelled, without unnecessary exposure to enemy fighters. The Decal Set This new set of decals from Fantasy Printshop’s Euro Decals brand is available in 1:72 and soon in 1:48, and each sheet arrives in a strong Ziploc bag, the thick instruction booklets acting as front cover and protection for the decal sheet within. The decals are protected by a thin sheet of absorbent paper to keep the dreaded damp at bay if your storage facility isn’t up to snuff. There are eight decal options on each set, and other than the difference in scale resulting in a disparity in sizes (A6 for 1:72, A5 for 1:48), layout of the decal sheets, and thereby the price, the sets are identical in function for each scale. From the sheet you can build the following: BD761 ‘SW-F’ of 253 (Hyderbad State) Sqn., RAF Hilbastow, August 1942 BH125 ‘U’ of 3 PRU RAF in Egypt, North Africa, early 1942 BG737 of the Malta Night Fighting Unit, RAF Ta’ Qali, Malta, in July 1941 BE171 ‘YB-B’ flown by Sergeant J F Barrick of 17 Sqn., RAF in Burma, February 1942 BE421 ‘XP-G’ of 174 (Mauritius) Sqn., RAF Manston, May 1942 Z3971 ‘SW-S’, ‘Samastmans’, 253 (Hyderbad State) Sqn., RAF Hilbadstow, late 1941 BG971 ‘AX-V’, flown by Major General Gerald le Mesurier, 1 Sqn. SAAF, LG 92, Egypt, July 1942 BD930 ‘FG-Ʃ‘, 335 (Greek) Sqn., LG 37, El Alamein, November 1942 Decals are of course printed by Fantasy Printshop Ltd., which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. We’ve only received the 1:72 sheet so far, but the 1:48 sheet will probably be along soon. When this happens, we’ll update the review with an extra photograph accordingly. 1:72 1:48 Conclusion With all the activity around Hurricanes recently, these sets will be welcome by many, and with eight options per sheet, they’re great value. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  4. General Motors FM-2 Wildcat Mk.VI (ED-72138 & ED-48138) 1:72 & 1:48 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop Grumman began development work on a new carrier-based fighter in the mid-30s, starting with the F2F, which was a biplane, but it and the successor F3F led to the basic shape of the Wildcat, minus two of the wings. Initially, the new aircraft was outpaced by the Brewster Buffalo, and Grumman had to redesign their aircraft to carry a supercharged version of the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engine, and later, new flying surfaces that gave it the needed improvement, receiving orders from the US Navy as a very sensible and prophetic backup-plan in case the Buffalo was a let-down. Initial orders from France were delivered to the British Royal Navy after France fell before they could be delivered, where it was initially designated as the Marlet. The US Navy would adopt the type in late 1941 after the Buffalo turned out to be a disappointment, although it was quite a manoeuvrable little aircraft that saw some service elsewhere. Originally armed with 4 x .50cal machine guns, the F4F-4 was introduced in 1941 with an increased 6 guns to improve the aircraft's destructive power. Although the armament was increased to 6 guns, the ammunition capacity was not, giving pilots less time with their fingers on the trigger, which was generally disliked by the pilots for obvious reasons. The extra weight from two more guns and the new wing fold gear also reduced performance, which could keep the pilot in harm’s way longer than with the early mark. It was the primary US Carrier fighter during the early years of America’s war, with production continuing until 1943 when they switched over to building the replacement Hellcat, but one factory continued to make Wildcats for the British Fleet Air Arm (FAA). The Wildcat’s smaller size and slower landing speed was a boon on the typically smaller carrier that the British Navy operated in large numbers as escort carriers. This new set of decals from Fantasy Printshop’s Euro Decals brand is available in 1:72 and 1:48, and each sheet arrives in a strong Ziploc bag, the thick instruction booklets acting as front cover and protection for the decal sheet within. The decals are protected by a thin sheet of absorbent paper to keep the dreaded damp at bay if your storage facility isn’t up to snuff. There are nine decal options on each set, and other than the difference in scale resulting in a disparity in sizes, layout of the decal sheets, and thereby the price, the sets are identical in function for each scale. From the sheet you can build the following: FM-2 Wildcat, ‘7’ of Composite Squadron 4 (VC-4) based on USS White Plains 1944 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘22’ of Composite Squadron 93 (VC-93) based on USS Petrof Bay, April 1945 Wildcat Mk.VI, JV699 ‘J-F’ of unknown Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm based aboard HMS Trumpeter, December 1944 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘20’ of Composite Squadron 36 (VC-36) based on USS Core, April 1944 Wildcat Mk.VI, JV140 ‘B-IS’ of 882 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm based aboard HMS Searcher, 1945 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘G50’ of unknown training Squadron based in the USA, 1944 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘A16’ of Composite Squadron 78 (VC-78) based on USS Matanikau, 16 November 1944 Wildcat Mk.VI, JV851 ‘J3.V’ of 794 Naval Air Squadron Fleet Air Arm, based aboard RNAS Eglington, November 1945 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘3’ of Naval Aviation Modification Unit based at Johnsville, Pennsylvania USA, 1944 Decals are of course printed by Fantasy Printshop Ltd., which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. We’ve only received the 1:72 sheet so far, but the 1:48 sheet will probably be along soon. When this happens, we’ll update the review with an extra photograph accordingly. 1:72 (ED-72138) 1:48 (ED-48138) Review sample courtesy of
  5. Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb (ED-72143, ED-48143, ED-35001) 1:72, 1:48 & 1:35 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop Ltd. The Supermarine Spitfire needs no introduction, the Mk.V being one of the first substantial upgrades to its performance, adding the Merlin 45 as the power plant with fishtail exhausts that added extra thrust, and later in the run, using the B wing that replaced the two inner .303’ machine guns with a single 20mm Hispano cannon per side, fed by a 60 round ammo drum, necessitating bulges in the wings to accommodate them. The remaining pair of .303’ machine guns per wing were left unaltered with 350 rounds apiece, and the ailerons were skinned with aluminium alloy rather than the original fabric. The Vb became the standardised Mk.V, and some Mk.Is were converted to this standard if they survived long enough to go back to production facilities. The Mk.Vb remained in service until the surprise introduction of the Focke-Wulf Fw.190 by the Germans, which forced the British engineers to create the Mk.IX as an interim measure to counter it, although it stayed around longer than was probably envisaged. This new set of decals from Fantasy Printshop’s Euro Decals brand is available in 1:72, 1:48 and the newly popular 1:35 scale, and each sheet arrives in a strong Ziploc bag, the thick instruction booklets acting as front cover and protection for the decal sheet within. The decals are protected by a thin sheet of absorbent paper to keep the dreaded damp at bay if your storage facility isn’t up to snuff. There are eleven decal options on each set, and other than the difference in scale resulting in a disparity in sizes, layout of the decal sheets, and thereby the price, the sets are identical in function for each scale. From the sheet you can build the following: Spitfire LF Mk.Vb, BL415 AZ-B, flown by Flt.Lt. Walt “Johnnie” Johnston of 234 (Madras Presidency) Sqn., Royal Air Force, based at RAF Deanland and used on spotting operations over the D-Day beaches, 6th June 1944 Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop, ER228 ZX-S of 145 Sqn., Royal Air Force, Egypt 1942 Spitfire Mk.Vb W3458 YQ-X flown by Flt.Lt. Les “Buck” Casson of 616 (South Yorkshire) Sqn., Royal Air Force, RAF Tangmere, 9th August 1941 Spitfire Mk.Vb EP464 NN-E of 310 (Czech) Sqn., Royal Air Force, Exeter, July 1942 Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop. JK792 WR-O of 40 Sqn., South African Air Force, Italy, 1944 Spitfire Mk.Vb W3458 JU-E of 111 Sqn., Royal Air Force, North Weald, October 1941 Spitfire Mk.Vb EP254 DW-B flown by Sqn. Ldr. J. E. “Johnnie” Johnson, CO of 610 (County of Chester) Sqn. Royal Air Force, West Malling, 19th August 1942 Spitfire LF Mk.Vb EP644 RY-S of 313 (Czech) Sqn. Royal Air Force, RAF Churchstanton, March 1943 Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop AB254 GN-H of 249 Sqn. Royal Air Force, Ta’Qali, Malta, 1942 Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop ER622 WR-D of 40 Sqn. South African Air Force, Gabes, North Africa, April 1943 Spitfire Mk.Vb BL753 YO-H flown by P.O. Don Blakeslee of 401 “Ram” Sqn. Royal Canadian Air Force, RAF Gravesend, May 1942 Decals are of course printed by Fantasy Printshop Ltd., which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. We only received the 1:72 and 1:35 sets at time of writing, but you can surmise the look and functionality of the 1:48 sheet, which we’ll probably receive in due course, as often happens. When this happens, we’ll update the review with an extra photograph accordingly. 1:72 1:48 1:35 Conclusion The Mk.Vb Spit was a workhorse of the early part of WWII, and as such there are many schemes and variations. This sheet provides a good range of famous and less-famous airframes, spread across the its operational period, showing how long it served in defence of Great Britain and its people. What's more, it's available in most of the popular scales. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  6. General Motors FM-2 Wildcat Mk.VI (ED-48138 & ED-72138) 1:48 & 1:72 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop Grumman began development work on a new carrier-based fighter in the mid-30s, starting with the F2F, which was a biplane, but it and the successor F3F led to the basic shape of the Wildcat, minus two of the wings. Initially, the new aircraft was outpaced by the Brewster Buffalo, and Grumman had to redesign their aircraft to carry a supercharged version of the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engine, and later, new flying surfaces that gave it the needed improvement, receiving orders from the US Navy as a very sensible and prophetic backup-plan in case the Buffalo was a let-down. Initial orders from France were delivered to the British Royal Navy after France fell before delivery, where it was initially designated as the Marlet. The US Navy would adopt the type in late 1941 after the Buffalo turned out to be a disappointment, although it was quite a manoeuvrable little aircraft that saw some service elsewhere. Originally armed with 4 x 0.50 cal machine guns, the F4F-4 was introduced in 1941 with an increased 6 guns to improve the aircraft's punching power. Although the armament was increased to 6 guns, the ammunition capacity was not, giving pilots less time with their fingers on the trigger, which was generally disliked by the pilots for obvious reasons. The extra weight from two more guns and the new wing fold gear also reduced performance, which could keep the pilot in harm’s way longer than with the early mark. It was the primary US Carrier fighter during the early years of America’s war, with production continuing until 1943 when they switched over to building the replacement Hellcat, but one factory continued to make Wildcats for the British Fleet Air Arm (FAA), many from General Motors, bearing the FM prefix for clarity, which the British Fleet Air Arm renamed the Wildcat Mk VI, just to re-confuse us. The Wildcat’s smaller size and slower landing speed was a boon on the typically smaller carrier that the British Navy operated in large numbers as escort carriers. The Decals This set of decals is available in 1:48 and 1:72, with the major differences being the size of the sheet and the layout of a few of the smaller decals due to space constraints. Each set contains decals for nine General Motors manufactured FM-2 Wildcats that were involved in fighting during WWII, with a variety of colour schemes to tempt you into building more than one. FM-2 Wildcat, ‘7’ of Composite Squadron 4 (VC-4) based on USS White Plains 1944 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘22’ of Composite Squadron 93 (VC-93) based on USS Petrof Bay, April 1945 Wildcat Mk.VI, JV699 ‘J-F’ of unknown Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm based aboard HMS Trumpeter, December 1944 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘20’ of Composite Squadron 36 (VC-36) based on USS Core, April 1944 Wildcat Mk.VI, JV140 ‘B-IS’ of 882 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm based aboard HMS Searcher, 1945 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘G50’ of unknown training Squadron based in the USA, 1944 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘A16’ of Composite Squadron 78 (VC-78) based aboard USS Matanikau, 16 November 1944 Wildcat Mk.VI, JV851 ‘J3-V’ of 794 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm based at RNAS Eglington, November 1945 FM-2 Wildcat, ‘3’ of Naval Aviation Modification Unit based at Johnsville, Pennsylvania, USA, 1944 The decals are printed to Fantasy Printshop’s usual high standards, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The 1:48 sheet is A5 in size, while the 1:72 sheet is smaller at A6, which is half the area. 1:72 (ED72138) 1:48 (ED48138) Conclusion The sheets contain the national markings and personalisations for each of the decal options, but you’ll need to use the kit stencils to complete your model, as you probably expected. If you’re a Wildcat obsessive (and we’re not judging), it’s great value. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  7. Vought Corsair Collection (ED-48139 & ED-32139) 1:48 & 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop Ltd. The Corsair is an iconic fighter aircraft that had speed, agility and an unusual gull-wing to recommend it to pilots, but its gestation was far from easy due to the optimistic and highly demanding specification that required not only high speed but also a high munitions capability, and a low stall speed to make it suitable for carrier operations. It was given the largest engine then available in the shape of the Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp radial engine, which could drive a huge three bladed prop that was almost 14 feet across. This meant that the wings had to be given an inverted gull shape so that the prop didn't strike the ground on take-off or landing. It had already proved itself capable before the United States entered WWII, being the first US single-engined aircraft to exceed 400mph. Concerns about armament led to the cowling guns being deleted and three .50cal machines guns being installed in each wing, which displaced the fuel tanks to a fuselage extension ahead of the cockpit, giving the aircraft its distinctive racer-like appearance. By 1941 it was in production and had been allocated the name Corsair, but initial trials revealed an unpleasant stall characteristic that would lead to one wing dropping suddenly, which had to be fixed with a small root mounted stall strip. The set-back cockpit also gave poor forward visibility on landing and take-off, with oil emissions from the engine further obscuring the view. The top cowling flaps were replaced with a fixed panel to reduce this, and the landing gear struts were re-tuned, but this delayed its use as a carrier borne fighter until 1944. Despite these set-backs it was used successfully as a land-based fighter, and was operated in large numbers by the US Marines successfully against the Japanese. Several pilots became Aces in the Corsair, which was superior to the Zero in most respects, and more survivable thanks to armour and self-sealing fuel tanks, which coupled with the pilots' experience over the poorly trained rookie Japanese pilots made them easy targets. Because of its speed at low level it was also used for ground attack missions, firing unguided rockets and dropping bombs from wing pylons. The Royal Navy also used the Corsair from 1943, putting it into use immediately, as it was far superior to their existing second-string options, and despite its unforgiving deck handling characteristics it found favour with pilots. After WWII it went on to serve in many conflicts, with the production line finally closing in 1953, more than 10 years after opening. As a testament to its longevity and usefulness, some foreign operators still had Corsairs on charge in the 1970s! This set of decals is available in 1:48 and 1:32, with the major differences being the size of the sheet and the layout of a few of the smaller decals due to space constraints. Each set contains decals for seven Corsairs that were involved in fighting during WWII in the Pacific theatre of Operations, with a variety of colour schemes to tempt you into building more than one. F4U-1A Corsair, NZ5272/NZ5307, ‘307’ of No.1 Servicing Unit, Royal New Zealand Air Force, based at Henderson Field Guadalcanal, October 1944. Finished in Sea Blue front fuselage, wings and rudder, plus three-colour camouflage on the mid-rear fuselage. F4U-1 Corsair, Bu.No. 17590, ‘590’ flown by Capt. A R Conant of VMF-215 ‘The Fighting Corsairs’, US Marine Corps. based at Torokina Air Base, Bougainville, January 1944. Finished in Blue Grey and Light Grey camouflage. F4U-1A Corsair, ‘SS11 / Sally’ of Service Squadron 11, US Marine Aircraft Group 11, US Marine Corps., based at Espiritu Santos, Vanuatu Island, New Hebrides, 1945. Finished in overall Silver Dope with black anti-glare strip. Brewster F3A Corsair JS479, ‘BH2/Q’, 718 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, based at RNAS Ballyhalbert, Mid-1945, finished in three colour camouflage. F4U-1 Corsair, Bu.No. 02310, ‘13/Viva!’ flown by 2nd Lt. Kenneth Ambrose Walsh of VMF-214 ‘Wild Aces’, US Marine Corps., based at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, 28 May 1943. Finished in Blue Grey and Light Grey camouflage. Vought Corsair Mk.II, JJT260 ‘P54’, of 757 Naval Operations Training Unit, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, based at Puttalam Ceylon, July 1944, finished in Dark Slate Grey and Extra Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and Sky below. F4U-1A Corsair, Bu.No. 17965, ‘K99/103’ of VMF 115, ‘Joe’s Jokers’, US Marine Corps, May 1944, Finished in three colour camouflage. The decals are printed to Fantasy Printshop’s usual high standards, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The 1:48 sheet is roughly A5 in size, while the 1:32 sheet is twice the size at A4, in case you weren’t familiar with the progression of standard paper sizes. 1:48 1:32 Conclusion The sheets contain the national markings and personalisations for each of the decal options, but you’ll need to use the kit stencils to complete your model, as you probably expected. If you’re a serial Corsair builder, it’s great value. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  8. North American F-100D Supersabre Collection Part 4 (ED32-134) 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop The F-100 began life as a development of the F-86 Sabre with a more sharply swept wing to achieve supersonic speeds, but it evolved into a completely different airframe before it was accepted into service, being much more than just a supersonic Sabre. It fought extensively in Vietnam, then later in Air National Guard (ANG) units as well as some overseas sales. The last airframe flew in US service at the end of the 70s, with the overseas aircraft carrying on for a few more years into the 80s, after which a lot of them found their way into air museums around the world. Fantasy Printshop’s Euro Decals line have created some sheets for the fans of the Hun during its service, including the many ANG units, which often sported colourful markings on their shiny metal airframes. We now have four sheets in all of the major scales, namely 1:72, 1:48 and 1:32 with identical subjects in each scale, just a change of the size and layout of the sheets, and price due to the obvious increase in decal real-estate. The set arrives in a Ziploc bag with a cover sheet and two pages of A4 colour instructions inside (one side per airframe), plus the two sheets of decals printed on shiny blue decal paper. The common national markings are printed on the one sheet, while the airframe specific markings are on the other. Each sheet is protected by a sheet of wax paper to keep condensation at bay. This set contains decals for the following subjects: #55-2950 flown by Col. C Banburt, Wing Commander of 81st Tactical Fighter Sqn., 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, US Air Force, Toul-Rosieres Air Force Base, 1958 #56-3417 of 356th Tactical Fighter Sqn., 354th tactical Fighter Wing, US Air Force Europe, Aviano Air Base, Italy, 1960 #56-3020 of 390th Fighter Bomber Sqn., 366th Fighter Bomber Wing, US Air Force, England Air Force Base, USA 1957-59 Decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop as you’d expect, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion There’s a good choice of schemes and locations between this sheet and the preceding sets, plus plenty of assistance with painting the rest of the airframe surrounding the three good-sized profiles that accompany each decal option. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  9. North American F-100D Supersabre Collection Pt.2 & Part 3 (ED32-132 & ED32-133) 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop The F-100 began life as a development of the F-86 Sabre with a more sharply swept wing to achieve supersonic speeds, but it evolved into a completely different airframe before it was accepted into service, being much more than just a supersonic Sabre. It fought extensively in Vietnam, then later in Air National Guard (ANG) units as well as some overseas sales. The last airframe flew in US service at the end of the 70s, with the overseas aircraft carrying on for a few more years into the 80s, after which a lot of them found their way into air museums around the world. Fantasy Printshop’s Euro Decals line have created some sheets for the fans of the Hun during its service, including the many ANG units, which often sported colourful markings on their shiny metal airframes. We now have four sheets in the major scales, namely 1:72, 1:48 with identical subjects in each scale, just a change of the size of the sheets and price due to the obvious increase in decal real-estate. These new sheets are filling in the gaps in 1:32 for the larger scale modeller, so while you’re checking out these sets from the links, you may want to also have a look at Part 4, which should be along any minute. Each set arrives in a Ziploc bag with a cover sheet and two pages of A4 colour instructions inside (one side per airframe), plus the two sheets of decals printed on shiny blue decal paper. The common national markings and stencils are printed on the one sheet, while the airframe specific markings are on the other, wider sheet. Each sheet is protected by a sheet of wax paper to keep condensation at bay. North American F-100D Supersabre Collection Part.2 (ED32-132) This set contains decals for the following four subjects: #56-3151 of 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, United States Air Force, based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, 1959 #56-3056 of 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Unites States Air Force, based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, 1959 #56-2862 of 454th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 323rd Fighter Bomber Wing, United States Air Force, based at Bunker Hill Air Base, Indiana, 1957 #56-2933 of 1st Fighter Day Squadron, 413th Fighter Day Wing, United States Air Force, based at George Air Force Base, California, 1959 North American F-100D Supersabre Collection Part.3 (ED32-133) In this set you can model the following three subjects: #55-2796 flown by Capt. Robert Maxwell, 511th Tactical Fighter Sqn., 405th Fighter Bomber Wing, US Air Force, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, US 1959 #55-3558 ‘Stinger’ of 35th Tactical Fighter Sqn., 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, US Air Force, Itzuke Air Force Base, Japan, 1960 #56-3315 flown by Maj. C Jones of 492nd Tactical Fighter Sqn., 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, US Air Force, Chaumont Air Force Base, France, 1959 Conclusion There’s a wide choice of schemes and locations between these two sets, and plenty of assistance with painting the rest of the airframe surrounding the four good-sized profiles that accompanies each decal option. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  10. North American F-100D Supersabre Collection Part.1 (ED32-131) 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop The F-100 began life as a development of the F-86 Sabre with a more sharply swept wing to achieve supersonic speeds, but it evolved into a completely different airframe before it was accepted into service, being much more than just a supersonic Sabre. It fought extensively in Vietnam, then later in Air National Guard (ANG) units as well as some overseas sales. The last airframe flew in US service at the end of the 70s, with the overseas aircraft carrying on for a few more years into the 80s, after which a lot of them found their way into air museums around the world. Fantasy Printshop’s Euro Decals line have created some sheets for the fans of the Hun during its service, including the many ANG units, which often sported colourful markings on their shiny metal airframes. We have the 1:32 scale set 1 now, and there are more large-scale sheets in the works, so while you’re checking out the set from the links, you can see the options for the later sheets #132 #133 and #134 that will be along in due course. The set arrives in a Ziploc bag with a cover sheet and two double-sided pages of A4 colour instructions inside (one side per airframe), plus one and a half A4 sheets of decals printed on shiny blue decal paper. The common national markings are printed on the half sheet, while the airframe specific markings are found on the full sheet. Each sheet is protected by a sheet of greaseproof paper to keep condensation at bay. In this set you can model the following subjects: #56-3433 of 352nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, United States Air Force, based at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, USA, 1959 #56-3404 of 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, 832nd Air Division, Unites States Air Force, based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, USA, 1959 #56-3307 of 417 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, United States Air Force, based at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, 1959 #55-3775 of 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, United States Air Force, based at England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 1958 The decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop as you’d expect, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin high gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. If you’ve got a smaller Super Sabres, we reviewed the smaller scale sheets a while ago, here. Conclusion There’s a good choice of schemes and locations in this set, and plenty of assistance with painting the rest of the airframe around the four good-sized profiles that accompanies each decal option. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  11. Lo-Viz Insignia & Data for USN/USMC/USAF (ED-32114) 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop After the relief of the end of WWII there was a period of bright liveries applied to military aircraft, and that happened again after the Vietnam War with US aircraft, going through what many aviation enthusiasts think of as the glory days, sometimes known as Hi-viz in light of what came next. Modern camouflage thinking has turned the fast jet world grey, and along with it, their markings too. Many studies on camouflage have been done over the years, and grey came out as the preferred colour to give your aircraft more time in view without being noticed by the enemy. Clearly, the raucous throaty roar of a jet won’t leave your aircraft invisible forever, but every second counts in warfare. Pretty much every modern air force uses some variation on grey for their general camouflage, although we do still have some adherents to the old ways, often used in specific climates where grey may not work, or they just don’t want to have grey jets. This decal set is for Modern Lo-viz US aircraft, and includes two A4ish sheets of decals in greys and black, with one sheet specifically tailored toward various aircraft as follows: F/A-18 Hornet F-15E Eagle F-117 Nighthawk A-10 Thunderbolt II F-14 Tomcat F-15C Eagle AV-8B Harrier II (Grey) A-4 Skyhawk V-122 Osprey AV-8B Harrier II (Black) F-8J Crusader KC-135E Stratotanker MH-60 Seahawk F-16 falcon Near the bottom of the first sheet are a number of other US stars and bars in various styles, with more over on the top of the other sheet, along with tons of NAVY and MARINES logos, ejection seat warning triangles, and rescue arrows in various shades and styles all around them, which should keep most modeller going for a long time and a number of projects. You may have noticed that there are a few options for which we don’t yet have injection moulded kits in 1:32, such as the V-22 Osprey and the KC-135E. The latter isn’t likely to be forthcoming anytime soon unless you’re willing to scratch-build it or you know something we don’t, but there is a 1:32 Osprey kit available in vacform. Fancy a challenge? If so, Euro Decals have you covered! Conclusion Fantasy Printshop's decals are a known quantity and will go down without fuss, so if you're in the market for some additional decals for your larger scale modern US aircraft, then look no further. Go on, you know you want a 1:32 Osprey. I kind of do, which is worrying. incidentally, this set is also available in 1:72 and 1:48 scales on the links below if you like your models smaller and are in the market. Highly recommended. 1:32 (ED-32114) 1:48 (ED-48114) 1:72 (ED-72114) Review sample courtesy of
  12. McDonnell Douglas F-4C & F-4E Phantoms of the 57th FIS (48124 & 72124) 1:48 & 1:72 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop The history of this now-inactive squadron began before the US entered WWII flying piston-engined fighters, moving to Iceland in the 50s flying the then-new jet-engined fighters. In 1973 they transitioned to Phantom II F-4Cs, a process that took until 1975 to complete, then a further change to F-4Es with improved and modernised avionics later in the decade. This set is a new one from Euro Decal and covers four options of the “The Black Knights of Keflavik” as they were sometimes known. There are three F-4Es and one F-4C on the sheet, with two each in the grey and NATO camo for a bit of variety. The sheet arrives in a familiar ziplok bag with the instructions to the front consisting of two folded A4 sheets in colour, with four view drawings of the airframes and a list of paints required in Federal Standard, Humbrol, Xtracolour, Xtracrylix and Lifecolor codes that should give you plenty of options using your favourite paint conversion chart. Behind the instructions are two sheets of decals, one tiny, the other larger, up to A5, depending on which scale you’ve opted for. The second small sheet contains just two Air Forces Iceland shields, which are almost identical to the shields on the top corners of the main sheet, save for a red streak in the aircraft within the border. It's not 100% clear if it’s an optional decal, or whether the red-streaked decals are an addendum from the instructions, but most of the badges I found online had the red stripes, although a few did not. From the sheet you can build the following: F-4E Phantom 66-370 – Captains Tait & Diaxotopoulis, Naval Aviation Station Keflavik, Iceland, 1985 F-4E Phantom 66-300 – Naval Aviation Station Keflavik, Iceland, 1977 F-4E Phantom 66-334 – Naval Aviation Station Keflavik, Iceland, 1978 F-4E Phantom 66-370 – Naval Aviation Station Keflavik, Iceland, 1974* * This aircraft is famous for being photographed executing a barrel-roll around a Tu-97 Bear in 1974. Decals are of course printed by Fantasy Printshop, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Highly recommended. 1:72 (ED-72124) 1:48 (ED-48124) Review sample courtesy of
  13. 2021 RAF Display Eurofighter Typhoon (ED32136) 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop After an airshow hiatus during 2020 while we all kicked our heels, worked from home etc. during the Covid lockdown and hopefully didn’t catch that infernal lurghi, there were a few air shows in 2021, and the spectators were treated to a display Typhoon flying in new a patriotic scheme, sporting a stylised Union Jack flag on the wings and a large roundel on the tail. It’s been a bit of a marmite scheme as is often the case, with some loving it, others loathing it. I’m in the “it’s quite nice” camp, and think it looks pretty good, while retaining most of the earlier black scheme it was previously painted, which is always good and saves the tax-paying public a wee bit of money compared to a total respray. The aircraft was flown during the 2021 season by Flight Lieutenant James Sainty of 29 Squadron, based at RAF Coningsby, and the date of the sheet is fixed as July 2021, while the scheme has carried on into 2022. This decal set from Fantasy Printshop’s Euro Decals line arrives in a large Ziploc bag, with a glossy cover page, another glossy page printed on both sides with the four profiles on it plus paint call-outs and decal positioning instructions. Behind them are two A4+ decal sheets, and another narrow sheet that is almost as tall as the others along the long edge. There are decals to adorn one model, but as the Tiffie is pretty large in 1:32, the decals are commensurately large and take up all the available space, with the smaller sheet having wing walkway dotted-lines, plus some areas of colour to help you fill-in if you don’t manage to get the decals to settle down without some small gaps. This makes any repairs a much less onerous task, and is to welcomed. The huge wing decals have slots cut in them to cater for the underwing pylons, and are split between the main aerofoil and the flying surfaces, a style that is replicated on both top and bottom surfaces. The standard wing roundels are split and have their red centres printed nearby, allowing perfect placement using your own eyes, rather than relying on the printer’s alignment, which while it can be sufficient for most printing purposes, can still look ‘off’ if even a fraction of a fraction of a millimetre out of alignment for concentric circles, which human eye seem to be very sensitive to. The spine must be painted by the modeller, while the underside has a tapered likeness that is printed in two sections, having the white section applied over the red. The stencils are included in the set, and those that are on the colourful wings and tail are supplied as separate decals, all of which are called out on the diagrams, as are the stencils on the black painted surfaces. The canard decals don’t include white so they should be painted overall white with grey leading edges before decaling them top and bottom. The 29 Squadron roundels on the fuselage sides are overshadowed by the massive tail roundel and stylised segment of the nation’s flag, and these decals are printed without the red that is to be used on the spine, advising you to paint the tail at the same time, apart from the dielectric panel at the tip. The grey section near the rudder’s hinge is included integrally with the decal, which should help immensely when it comes time to align them with the fin. The leading edge of the fin is also left grey for the same reasons, but you should paint that. Decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop just in case there was any doubt, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. There are a lot of decals, some of which are large, so take care when applying them, remembering that you have some spare sections of colour to make good any goof-ups you might make. The set is comprehensive, even including the slime-lights and the afore mentioned walkway decals. Colour call-outs are included for Humbrol, Xtracolour, Xtracrylix and Lifecolor brands, as well as the official BS codes. Conclusion A superbly colourful decal set that spans three sheets and three main colours. If you don’t like the scheme, how have you got this far into the review? The Revell kit this set is intended for is imposing, and diverging from the standard grey scheme with some black, red, white and blue will give it a big lift in visual appeal in your cabinet to at a show. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  14. North American F-100D Supersabre Collection Part.1&2 1:72, 1:48 & 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop The F-100 began life as a development of the F-86 Sabre with a more sharply swept wing to achieve supersonic speeds, but it evolved into a completely different airframe before it was accepted into service, being much more than just a supersonic Sabre. It fought extensively in Vietnam, then later in Air National Guard (ANG) units as well as some overseas sales. The last airframe flew in US service at the end of the 70s, with the overseas aircraft carrying on for a few more years into the 80s, after which a lot of them found their way into air museums around the world. Fantasy Printshop’s Euro Decals line have created some sheets for the fans of the Hun during its service, including the many ANG units, which often sported colourful markings on their shiny metal airframes. So far we have two sheets in three scales, namely 1:72, 1:48 & 1:32 with identical subjects in each scale, just a change of the size of the sheets and price for obvious reasons. There are another two sheets in the works, so while you’re checking out these sets from the links, you can see the options for the later sheets #133 and #134 that will be along soon. Each set arrives in a Ziploc bag with a cover sheet and two pages of A4 colour instructions inside (one side per airframe), plus the two sheets of decals printed on shiny blue decal paper. The common national markings are printed on the one sheet, while the airframe specific markings are on the other. Each sheet is protected by a sheet of greaseproof paper to keep condensation at bay. North American F-100D Supersabre Collection Pt.1 In this set you can model the following subjects: #56-3433 of 352nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, United States Air Force, based at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, USA, 1959 #56-3404 of 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, 832nd Air Division, Unites States Air Force, based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, USA, 1959 #56-3307 of 417 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, United States Air Force, based at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, 1959 #55-3775 of 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, United States Air Force, based at England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 1958 1:72 Part 1 1:48 Part 1 North American F-100D Supersabre Collection Pt.2 This set contains decals for the following subjects: #56-3151 of 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, United States Air Force, based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, 1959 #56-3056 of 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Unites States Air Force, based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, 1959 #56-2862 of 454th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 323rd Fighter Bomber Wing, United States Air Force, based at Bunker Hill Air Base, Indiana, 1957 #56-2933 of 1st Fighter Day Squadron, 413th Fighter Day Wing, United States Air Force, based at George Air Force Base, California, 1959 1:72 Part 2 1:48 Part 2 No picture, as we didn’t get this set, but you can probably guess the content from the 1:72 scale pic. The decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop as you’d expect, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion There’s a wide choice of schemes and locations between these two sets, and plenty of assistance with painting the rest of the airframe surrounding the four good-sized profiles that accompanies each decal option. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  15. Messerschmitt Emils Part 1 (ED-32109) 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop The Bf.109E was colloquially referred to as the Emil, and with it being the 109, there are many, many kits of it in all scales. There has been a flurry of renewed activity in the Emil field of late, which has prompted Fantasy Printshop to release this detailed release to give modellers enhanced choice of options beside those in your average kit. The set arrives in an unassuming ziplok bag, and inside are two sheets of instructions/profiles, plus two roughly A4 sized sheets of decals, one of which is slightly larger than the other. There are eight options available from the sheets, and you can build any of the following: Bf.109E-7/B S9+RS 8./ZG1 , Russia, Summer 1942 Bf.109E-3 6-99 Condor Legion Grupo num.25, 1939 Bf.109E-3/B DG200, No.1426 Flight, RAF, 1941 Bf.109E-3, J.277 Fl.Kp.21 Swiss Air Force Bf.109E-4, Black 13, 8./JG1, 1941 Bf.109E-4, White 1, Royal Bulgarian Air Force, Winter 1944-45 Bf.109E-4, White 10, Wnr.5244, 13 Sqn., Slovak Air Force, April 1943 Bf.109E-3, White 3, Wnr.0820, 4./JG77, Norway, October 1940 There is a huge variation in colour schemes, and they’re split roughly 50/50 between those with mottling and not, so will still represent good value to even the most mottle-phobic modeller, or those without an airbrush. The decals are of course printed in-house, and are exceptionally vibrant, with good register, colour density and sharpness. For the Swiss aircraft there are white crosses for the fuselage sides, requiring you to paint the bands behind them yourself, but then again that’s what modelling’s all about! Number 6 is really going to test your airbrushing skills, being covered in a complex pattern of wriggly worms in grey and white. Conclusion If you’re bored with kit decals for your Emil projects and want something just a wee bit brighter and more varied, then this sheet with be for you. Get your wallet out Review sample courtesy of
  16. Panavia Tornado GR.4/4A Pt.2 (ED-48120 & ED-72120) 1:48 & 1:72 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop We’ve got plenty of new(ish) Tornado kits, and Euro Decals have resized their 1:32 sets to 1:48 and 1:72 to give us more options with all that sexy new plastic. We reviewed the 1:32 set last year, and if you’ve read that one, this will be eerily familiar. Sorry about that! Arriving in a ziplok bag with a printed cover sheet and the decals behind, the instructions are found on the back of the cover page and on another sheet, with one page for each of the three options. The instructions show four views and the colours used to paint the model in BS, Humbrol, Xtracolour, Xtracrylix and LifeColor codes, plus the colour names for those of us without those brands in our supplies. From the sheet you can build any or all of the options, as they have thoughtfully supplied enough RAF roundels to complete three models. Wouldn't that look impressive in the cabinet? Fantasy Printshop do their own printing, and their sheets always have good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Here are your options: GR.4 ZG756 of 14 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, 2005 GR.4 ZA401 crewed by Wing Commander Ian Wood & Squadron Leader Laurie Fisher of 13 Squadron, RAF Marham, 2005 GR.4 ZA543 of 15 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, 2005 Like most modern jets, the major colour is grey (two shades), but the Tornado's great big fin gives the RAF creatives plenty of scope for interesting schemes, with a small replica repeated on the nose. Option C also has a fetching black spine that extends around the cockpit and up the fin, as well as a cheeky fox on the tail. Conclusion Another sheet of colourful decals for the medium and small Tornado. Very nicely done. Highly recommended. 1:48 1:72 Review sample courtesy of
  17. Bubbletop Mustangs (ED-48119, ED-72119) 1:48 & 1:72 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop Airfix are bringing us new Mustangs in 1/48 & 1/72, however there are no shortages of them from other manufacturers. Therefore it's only fitting that we should get some newa ftermarket decals for them These sets from Euro Decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop, and arrive in A5 ziplok bags, with a set of side profiles on the front, instructions in the middle, and the decals on the rear, so they can be inspected through the protective sheet of thin paper. Sheet shown is 1/72, the 1/48 is the same layout just larger. Inside are four-way profiles of each of the six decal option, plus a legend with suggested colours in BS & FS numbers, Humbrol, Xtracolour, Xtracrylix, and LifeColor shades, with a page of general text about the aircraft on the back page. The options from the sheet are as follows: Mustang IV KH673 South African Air Force, Italy 1945. F-15D Republic Of Korea Air Force, Chinhae Air Base, 1950 Mustang IV, 3 (Christchurch) Sqn RNZAF Territorial Air Force, late 1940s. P-51D 44-11222 "Jolie Helene" 368th FS, 359 FG, USAAF, East Wretham, 1945 J-26 Mustang 26115 F.4 Swedish Air Force, 1951 F-51D A68-56. 86 Sqn Royal Australian Air Force Bohle River Airfield 1945 The sheets provide all the national markings as well for each option. Registration, sharpness and colour density are all good, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Recommended for your next Mustang build of you like a little something different to the kit options. 1:48 1:72 Review sample courtesy of
  18. Panavia Tornado GR.4/4a (ED-48117) 1:48 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop With the much loved Tornado now sadly in the rear-view mirror of the RAF, there's bound to be some nostalgia everywhere that the Fin, Tonka, call it what you will, gained fans. I'll always have a soft spot for it, as it was the frontline fighter/bomber of my youth, and it was always good fun at the airshows, especially the role demos that used to warm your eyebrows. The GR.4/a was the definitive variant that stayed in service to the end, and as such gets the lion's share of the attention, with the F.3 interceptor following behind as you might expect. For years we had the Italeri kit in 1:48, which needed a few bits of resin to make it more accurate, then Hobby Boss missed an opportunity when they produced a Panoovia Torando that bore a passing resemblance to a Tornado (seriously though, it does look quite like one from a lot of angles). Now we have the brand-new(ish) Revell kit in my favourite scale, which is up-to-date and builds nicely out of the box. This new sheet of decals from Euro Decals is for those with a 1:48 kit that doesn't necessarily want to build an example from the kit decals and instead diversify into other squadrons and eras, or you might just have seen their 1:32 scale (reviewed here) set last year and been a bit jealous. I'm happy, as I can copy and paste in the airframe details! Tornado GR.4 ZA461 crewed by Wing Commander Jon Nixon & Squadron Leader Conan Mullineaux of XV(R) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, 2015 Tornado GR.4A ZA405 crewed by Flt.Lt. S A Jenkins & Wg.Cdr. N A Thomas of 12 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, Nov 2015 Tornado GR.4 ZA542 "021" of 31 Squadron RAF during "Operation Ellamy" based at Gioia del Colle, Italy, 2011 Tornado GR.4 ZA560 "BE-Q" of 41(R) TES Squadron RAF Coningsby, 2017 Tornado GR.4 ZA412 crewed by Wg.Cdr. D S Arthurton & Fg.Off. R D Hartley of 617 Squadron The decals are printed in-house by Fantasy Printshop and are in good register, colour density and sharpness, with a close-cut glossy carrier film. The decals are closely packed on the sheet, but with room enough to cut each one free, and small numbers there to aid you in your choice by comparing them to the five page instructions, with four-view diagrams. Conclusion Perfect for going off-piste with your Tornado decal choices, and if you hook them up with the stencil set that is also available from Fantasy Printshop and we reviewed here. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  19. Panavia Tornado GR.4/4A Pt.2 (ED-32120) 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop Revell have recently released their big Tornado in GR.4/4A guise, which we reviewed here. Euro Decals were johnny-on-the-spot and released Part 1 of this set late last year, which we also reviewed here, and now we have Part 2. Arriving in a large ziplok bag with a printed cover sheet and the decals behind, the instructions are found on the back of the cover page and on another sheet, with one side for each of the three options. The instructions show four views and the colours used to paint the model in BS, Humbrol, Xtracolour, Xtracrylix and LifeColor codes, plus the colour names for those of us without those brands in our supplies. As well as the main sheet, there is a tiny addendum sheet that replaces one of the nose flashes of option B, which was originally printed the wrong way round. We're all only human, but it's far better for mistakes to be caught before release than after! From the sheet you can build any or all of the options, as they have thoughtfully supplied enough RAF roundels to complete three models. Wouldn't that look impressive in the cabinet? Fantasy Printshop do their own printing, and their sheets always have good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Here are your options: GR.4 ZG756 of 14 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, 2005 GR.4 ZA401 crewed by Wing Commander Ian Wood & Squadron Leader Laurie Fisher of 13 Squadron, RAF Marham, 2005 GR.4 ZA543 of 15 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, 2005 Like most modern jets, the major colour is grey (two shades), but the Tornado's great big fin gives the RAF creatives plenty of scope for interesting schemes, with a smaller stylised version repeated on the nose. Option C also has a fetching black spine that extends around the cockpit and up the fin, as well as a cheeky fox on the tail. Conclusion Another great big sheet of colourful decals for the great big Tornado. Very nicely done. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  20. AVRO Lancaster Code Letters & Numbers 48x24x6 (ED-32123) 1:32 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop There are a couple of Lancasters in 1:32, or at least there will be soon. We've already seen the HK Models B.I kit (reviewed here), and Wingnut Wings should be releasing theirs later this year with an amount of luck and a fair wind, and that's a statement that's something I never thought I would type. Two 1:32 Lancaster kit in injection moulded styrene. What's the modelling age beyond platinum? Euro Decals have this new set for those that want to go "off-book" for their subject matter, or for those that may have accidentally screwed up their kit decals. We all know that decals aren't immune to coffee, tea and other liquids, as well as our human fallibility, so these things are known to happen, and probably happen to us all at least once in our modelling lifetimes, whether we care to admit it or not. Arriving in a clear ziplok bag with a printed front insert, the set we were sent to review includes two sheets, one a little larger than the other in terms of area, but you have different purchase options on their site. The larger sheet contains letters, while the smaller one has the digits, all of which are printed in dark red, as was common for the bomber force. You get two of every letter in two different styles with rounded or squared off radiuses (radii for the Latin speakers), which is also the case for the digits, but you get three of most of them in three different styles with only the 8s and 9s having 2 each. There are even two question-marks for your use if you need them. The carrier film is cut close to the printed areas, and the inside areas are filled with carrier film, but this is cut back in a curve at the openings such as the Cs and Js, and should hide away nicely with a few coats of clear gloss and maybe a little sanding to hide the edges. They are scaled to the 48" x 24" x 6" standard that is prescribed by the Air Ministry to the chaps with paint brushes, and taking the micrometer to the decals confirms that they are up to snuff, although scaling in inches was a bit of a novelty. The cover page shows a trio of different Lancs including a Dambusters adapted airframe and a Rose turreted example, but these are illustrative purposes only, as the tail flashes, airframe serials and other markings are outside the remit of this sheet. Conclusion Fantasy Printshop's decals are a known quantity and will go down without fuss with the aid of some decal solution (they recommend Microsol & Set), so if you're in the market for some additional decals for your behemoth Lanc, then look no further. The good news is that you can buy the sheets individually, or as a pack of four, so if you only need a few letters/digits it'll save you some shekels. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  21. Gloster Meteor FR.Mk.9 (ED-48115, ED-72115) 1:48 & 1:72 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop Airfix are bringing us a 1:48 FR.9, and MPM have already done so in 1:72, so it's only fitting that we should get some aftermarket decals for the kits These sets from Euro Decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop, and arrive in A5 ziplok bags, with a set of side profiles on the front, instructions in the middle, and the decals on the rear, so they can be inspected through the protective sheet of thin paper. Sheet shown is 1/72, the 1/48 is the same layout just larger. Inside are four-way profiles of each of the six decal option, plus a legend with suggested colours in BS & FS numbers, Humbrol, Xtracolour, Xtracrylix, LifeColor and Modelmaster shades, with a page of general text about the aircraft on the back page. The options from the sheet are as follows: WG116 "G" of II (AC) Sqb, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF, Geilienkirchen, Germany 1955. WX978 "Z" of 8 Sqn RAF, RAF Sharjah, Trucial States, 1959. WX962 "Q" of 208 Sqn RAF, Middle East 1950. WL265 "L" of 79 Sqn RAF, RAF Larbruch Germany, 1955. WB125 "UUB" of 226 OCU, RAF, RAF Stradishall 1954. VZ611 "B Z" of RAF, Based UK 1950s WX573 " TG" of 79 Sqn RAF, RAF Gutersloth, Germany, 1953. VZ601 of 79 Sqn RAF, RAF Gutersloth, Germany, 1959. Registration, sharpness and colour density are all good, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. There are a few issues with the profiles which have been spotted, along with some information; WB116/G - The 2 Squadron "Staffordshire Knot" logo on the intake was yellow in a red disk, not red in black disk (Airfix kit is correct) - the fin 'G' should have a white outline and have a tail - the G on the nosewheel (at least) is the wrong shape (Too rounded and should have a tail) - the front of the fin bullet should be red - the camo pattern on the stb side is slighly wrong WX973 T-G – camo on upper surface wrong (Grey goes too far forward), squadron marking is red/black; also code should be GoT on port side, should have black(or blue) and yellow fin bullet VZ611 BoZ – this is a 2 Squadron a/c, not UK based. Camo pattern shown is slightly wrong (compared to photo) on the demarcation on stb over nacelle VZ601 – Couldn’t find a pic of this one, but it should possibly have an individual letter on the fin (Pics of 79 Sqn Meteors with this marking are quite rare WL265 – Camo demarcation pattern on the real thing is slightly different, WX962 – couldn’t find a pic, but it matches other aircraft of that period. Worth noting that 208 had a huge variety of camouflage schemes, nose colours and nose patterns, so lots of alternative options WX978 – worth noting that this aircraft had very visible weathering around the gun access panel on the port side that almost looks like someone had sprayed ‘17’ on the side!!. Also beware a colour photo of another 8 Sqn FR9 that had the squadron colours painted in the wrong order (Yellow/Blue/Red) Even with a couple of errors the sheet recommended for your MPM/Special Hobby kit in 1/72, or the new Airfix kit in 1/48. My thanks to Dave Fleming for some help with this review. 1:48 1:72 Review sample courtesy of
  22. Bristol Blenheim Mk.I/IF (ED-48115, ED-72115) 1:48 & 1:72 Euro Decals by Fantasy Printshop Airfix are bringing us a 1:48 early Blenheim soon, and have already done so in 1:72, so it's only fitting that we should get some aftermarket decals for the kits These sets from Euro Decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop, and arrive in A5 ziplok bags, with a set of side profiles on the front, instructions in the middle, and the decals on the rear, so they can be inspected through the protective sheet of thin paper. Inside are four-way profiles of each of the six decal option, plus a legend with suggested colours in FS numbers, Humbrol, Xtracolour, Xtracrylix, LifeColor and Modelmaster shades, with a page of general text about the aircraft on the back page. The options from the sheet are as follows: Blenheim Mk.I K7040 V/114 of 114 squadron, RAF Wyton, Cambs. March 1937 Blenheim Mk.I K7059 TW of 90 squadron, RAF Bicester, Oxon, Sept 1938 Blenheim Mk.IF Serial unknown YN.B of 601 squadron, RAF Hendon, Middx. summer 1939 Blenheim Mk.I L7760 UQ of 211 squadron, RAF Tatoi, Greece, late 1940 Blenheim Mk.IF K7159 YK.N of 54 OUT, RAF Chruch Fenton, North Yorks, Dec 1940 Blenheim Mk.IF L1210 P of 771 Naval Air Squadron, FAA at RNAS Hatston, Orkney, 1942-43 Registration, sharpness and colour density are all good, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. There is a slight translucency to the whites however, so plan ahead if you are placing them over camouflage demarcations. Highly recommended. 1:48 1:72 Review sample courtesy of
×
×
  • Create New...