1/48 Buccaneer decals - 12/208Sqn

[eng]

Is there any decals about for the RAF wrap round camo schemes or the grey scheme, for either 12 or 208 Sqn, have had a wee search about the usual places but drawn a blank. Can't find a pic of Modeldecal sheet 057 but I think this is Navy scheme's, possibly 800Sqn.

Any help would be appreciated.

Eng

[Gary West]

Yeah I think both are covered from memory on the Model Alliance Brick sheet - quite difficult to get hold of now though.

[AnonymousAA72]

Is there any decals about for the RAF wrap round camo schemes or the grey scheme, for either 12 or 208 Sqn, have had a wee search about the usual places but drawn a blank. Can't find a pic of Modeldecal sheet 057 but I think this is Navy scheme's, possibly 800Sqn.

Any help would be appreciated.

Eng

In 1/48th? They are both including in the Airfix kit.......

[entlim]

Yes indeed....

[Tim]

Markings for wrap-around schemes are the same as for other Buccaneers, the only difference was simply extending the upper surface camouflage around the undersides. The 12, 208, 15 and 16 plus OCU markings remained the same (the OCU marking went smaller onto a red circle eventually though, and 216 Sqn only ever operated Buccaneers with wrap-around camo). As Bill says, the kit decals are one option, plus Modeldecal (only in 72nd), Model Alliance, Xtradecal, etc.

Edited November 29, 2007 by Tim

[wadeocu]

The Modeldecal sheets are all 1/72, but very nice none the less. In my opinion, the Model Alliance sheet is nicely printed but poorly researched. There are grave errors that jump out at folks like me who are intimately familiar with the type. For example, XX348 is supplied for the 16 Sqn scheme but that serial belongs to a Hawk - it should be XV348, the colors of the cutlasses and their shape are wrong for the OCU scheme and the 16 Sqn Saint badge has no halo!! In my opinion, the only really good 1/48 RAF Bucc sheet ever printed was the Xtradecal sheet. Its a bugger to find now. I once chated with David Hannant about it and he said it was done back in the days when they used paste board and xacto knives to make the master sheet so there is no simple camera ready digital art with which to make another run. If you ask me, a new 1/48 Bucc sheet is sorely needed. I even tried to get the folks at CMR to do their fantastic 1/72 sheet in 1/48, but that really is outside the scope of their product line.

If you can't find the Xtradecal sheet (which is really worth a long hard search) then the best option is to mix and match the kit decals and the MA sheet. The fox head badge for the 12 Sqn scheme on the MA sheet is wrong for a grey aircraft and it lacks the pink stencils that were used on that scheme, but the fox is right for many wrap around schemes and you could mix and match the serials to get the scheme you are after. Problem with the fox heads is that in the 70s and 80s 12 Sqn Buccs all carried unique fox heads, all varying in some small detail. The one on the kit sheet is exactly right for that airframe but it was fairly unusual with all the pink around the eyes and so on. The MA sheet's fox is more generic and suitable for a wrap around or grey bottom scheme. Its wrong for the overall grey though becuase they changed the badge in the 90s to a more detailed sort with shading and the like. As for 208, I think you are stuck with kit decals for the squadron badges - I know of no aftermarket sheet that has them.

Cheers, Jack

Edited December 1, 2007 by wadeocu

[eng]

Thank's for the info folk's - the decal sheet in my kit is a bit ropey looking and I doubt it will do the job, plus I'd been sure there was a 1/48th MA sheet which I thought would have been of a higher quality.

Will go for a mix n match when the time comes - Thanx again,

Rgds,

Eng