Being a Naval Aviation fan, I am always on the lookout for new markings and schemes. One of the more interesting schemes to come out in the last few years is the digital camouflage scheme work by the CAG of VFA-137, “The Kestrels”. I have always liked VFA-137 schemes (maybe it is the groups nickname, the Flying Buttcheeks) and some of their markings have been produced in 1/48th scale by several different manufacturers. The Kestrels are based at NAS Lemoore in California and started flying F-18A’s and have transitioned all the way to the new F-18E’s.

DXM Decals has produced one of the ultimate set of decals for the F-18E in that it replicates the digital camouflage scheme perfectly with decals.

Thank you to Gary Newman of Squadron Signal Publications and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me the opportunity to review this excellent photographic tour aboard the USS Massachusetts in Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA. There is a wealth of detail contained in an astonishing number of color photos, all with great descriptive captions.

Background

Designed in the 1950/60’s with production beginning in 1967, the T-64 was more expensive and technically complex than the T-72 which entered production shortly after. It had a crew of three and featured an electro-hydraulic autoloader for the main gun that initially was 115 mm but later upgraded to 125 mm smoothbore to maintain fire superiority over the NATO tanks then being produced. The smaller crew allowed the tank to be designed with a lower profile and drop in overall weight by 6 tons, but increased the workload for the crew in everyday tank maintenance. The T-64 was constantly updated throughout its production run of 13,000 that ended in 1985. It was a basis and test bed for development of the T-80 tank. The T-64 would only be used by the Soviet army and never exported, and upon the breakup of the Soviet Union it would remain in the arsenals of constituent republics. The largest operator of T-64s outside of Russia currently is the Ukraine.