Kits-World P-51 squadron codes: a warning.

[lasermonkey]

I recently got to the stage where I needed to apply the decals to a 1/72 scale P-51B that I have been building. I had decided on a 357th FG a/c, being 43-6556/G4*B/Chicago Gun Moll, this coming from a Repli-Scale sheet. It was only when I came to apply the decals that I realised that Repli-Scale had omitted to include the necessary white codes for this aircraft! Now, the 357th used some what appear to be hand-made stencils and the B in particular is unique in appearance. A sift through my decal stash didn't reveal anything suitable.

 

I looked on the Hannants site and found some white codes made by Kits-World and with the instructions featuring several 357th FG machines, thought it would be ideal. It isn't.

 

A cursory glance when they arrived left me feeling they they were undersized and when measured, they came out at 7.5mm, which scales out at 21.25". The standard* code size for the VIII Fighter command was 24", or just under 8.5mm in 1/72 scale. While 1mm may seem trifling, they are visibly wrong-looking and utterly useless for the purposes they are being sold. Having subsequently looked at the Kits-World site, they do state that the characters are 7.5mm (the Hannants site doesn't), but why go for such a random, useless size when the necessary information is easily available? It's sloppy research* and the instructions are  misrepresentative.

 

I'm now £7.50 down, have a set of useless decals and still need to find some suitable codes. Back to square one.

 

If you want 24" squadron codes for your USAAF fighters, don't buy the Kits-World sheets.

 

 

*not the first time I have encountered poor research from KW, as referenced on the grey RAF codes thread from a while back.

[delbydoo]

Unfortunately I came across a similar problem with a couple of Superscale sheets. I wanted Ridge Runner III & Glennis in 1/72, and found that Superscale did both! So I bought both. Only to find that the stencilling was indeed in 1/72, but that the individual aircraft markings, and national markings, were 1/48. Slightly annoying, but now I have both in 1/48, and that new Eduard Mustang is looking oh-so-nice.