Euro Decals Panavia Tornado GR.4/4a (ED-48117) 1:48

[Mike]

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