Shelf Oddity Decals for 1:144 Aircraft (post WWII)

[Mike]

Decals for 1:144 Aircraft

Shelf Oddity

 

 

Shelf Oddity are a new company to this reviewer, but as I don't get out much you've probably all heard of them before.  They are based in Poland, and specialise in some of the smaller scales, both in aircraft and other genres, such as maritime in 1:700 and 1:350, although they haven't done much in 1:350 as yet (give them time).  A thoroughly modern company, they provide you with the products with minimum packaging of a minimalist design, using the ubiquity of the internet to provide you with detailed instructions for each set from their website, harming no trees, but maybe bruising a few electrons in the process.  Each set so far arrives in a small clear foil resealable bag, with a piece of card holding the decals with tiny pieces of tape, and their pink logo with backward Y in the top right corner.  That's all there is – no bulky instructions to pad out the bag and increase transport costs – just what you need.  Face it, if you're reading this review, you have the internet, so can download the instructions, which are in the de facto standard PDF format, which you can save or if you really, really must, print out at home.  The decals are silk screen printed on a blue backing paper and have close-cut glossy carrier film over each individual one.

 

Shelf Oddity do more than just decals, but it's the decals I picked out of their recent samples first, so here they are.

 

 

Commonwealth Reisens (SO31449  Sweet/F-Toys)

I'll admit to scratching my head at the name Reisens, but it's a sheet for captured Mitsubishi Zeroes used by the Commonwealth after WWII.  You get markings for four aircraft, as follows:

 

• A dirty-white, green crossed A6M3 composite aircraft used by RNZAF pilots in Kara Island, Bougainville 1945
• A6M3 c/n. 3844, its original IJN version with tail no. 2-282. OK, one of its predecessors to be exact
• A6M5 c/n.1303, a NMF machine with TAIC 11 marking wearing unusual RAF roundels. This is a 'Commonwealth' one, the actual plane never left the US. NAS Anacostia/Eglin AFB 1945
• A6M5c c/n.5622, another NMF machine, the sole representation of 52 Hei type. Aircraft used by RAAF pilots in Clark Field, Luzon 1945

 

 

 

 

 

Rhodesian Air Training Group (RATG) Silver Hurricanes Mk.I (SO314412 for Sweet)

Patterned on the Sweet Hurricane kit, you can decal two of the following three airframes as trainers at the central flying school at Norton Air Base in Rhodesia 1945:

 

• Canadian built AG244 featuring Dull Red spinner and tail belt
• T9531 featuring gun camera on starboard wing and tail wheel from Hurri Mk.II
• V6787 featuring Dull Red spinner and front of the fuselage plus a few panels in natural metal finish

 

 

 

 

 

Canberra B.2/TT.18 (SO314416)

The largest set comprising three sheets of decals for the following options:

 

• WH926 - B.2 of 76th Squadron, nuclear tests atmosphere sample collecting aircraft
• WJ608 - B.2 assigned to "Swifter Flight" tests
• WF890 - B.2 assigned to "Swifter Flight" tests
• WJ717 - TT.18 of FR&ADU Royal Navy, 1973, code 814
• WJ753 - B.2 of 100th Squadron

 

 

 

 

RAF Beverley C.1 Update (SO314418 for MikroMir)

These decals to replace and improve upon some of the kit decals to give a more representative finish to your model.  As well as containing some stencils for the camouflaged and white-topped airframes it has the following:

 

• Replacement markings for camouflaged XB106 machine
• Replacement markings for white-top XB267 machine

 

 

 

 

 

RAuxAF Silver Spitfires LF.16e (SO314419 for Eduard)

Decals of markings worn by the post war Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons 609 and 612 during their silver period.  Markings for one model.  This sheet is a limited run of 25 (now 24), so don't hang about!

 

 

 

 

 

RAF Silver Tempests F.5/TT.5 Markings & Stencils (SO314420 for F-Toys)

Although patterned for the F-Toys kit, it should fit any kit of the type if you can find one, and you can build one of the following:

 

• F.5 machines SN330 or SN136 from of 3 Sqn RAF based in Germany,
• TT.5 machines SN354 or SN274 of 229 OCU RAF based in Chivenor, UK

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

Great news for 1:144 scale fans, as it can't be every day you can just go out and buy aftermarket decals (can it?).  Plenty of choices in addition to these as I write this, and it should hopefully please a lot of people with really good eyesight.

 

Very highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of

[bootneck]

Yes, you need to get out more Mike.   Shelf Oddity are well known and very popular among the 1:144 community; I have a few of their items. Their etch and missiles sets are good but  I haven't tried any of their 1:350 stuff yet but, as you say, it is early days for them with that scale.

 

Nice review Mike.

 

Mike

[rio]

Need to get the Hurricane decals. Rapidly running out of options with all the ones I have.

 

Rich

[ajmm]

I have used both the spitfire and hurricane decals reviewed above in the last year and can honestly say they are among the best behaved and nicest decals I’ve used. Settled into all the surface detail very nicely and very opaque, but minimal carrier film. In register and clearly printed. Not more to say!

 

I’d post a few pics but I don’t know if that’s appropriate here. 

 

Mike - also worth noting that if you do go to the trouble of printing the instruction sheets, they come out the printer in 144 scale which can be v handy. 

 

Nice review. Might have to go build me a Tempest...

Edited August 16, 2018 by ajmm

[Julien]

2 hours ago, ajmm said:

I have used both the spitfire and hurricane decals reviewed above in the last year and can honestly say they are among the best behaved and nicest decals I’ve used. Settled into all the surface detail very nicely and very opaque, but minimal carrier film. In register and clearly printed. Not more to say!

 

I’d post a few pics but I don’t know if that’s appropriate here. 

Feel free to post to show the results.

 

Julien

[ajmm]

Thanks Julien 

 

I’m sure others could do far more with these decals than I’m able but here are the Sweet Hurricanes...

 

 

 

 

As I say - worked perfectly and even the tailband went on without any issues. 

 

The Spitfires...

 

 

 

 

The vivid electric blue of the roundels is apparently correct for this aircraft. 

 

 

 

 

Lovely decals to use. V much recommended. 

 

Angus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2018 by ajmm

[Julien]

They look very good. Do you need to use any decal solutions on them?

 

Julien

[ajmm]

I used a tiny amount of Humbrol decals setting solution but you probably could get away quite happily without. They snuggle down into the surface detail very nicely. There’s no real carrier film to worry about either.