Background and Historical Notes

From DXM Hobby Studio’s Decal Notes

These decal sheets provide some very colorful markings for eight of the U.S. Navy’s F-14B Tomcat squadrons, covering markings from the years 2001 – 2004. These are all from VF-103 ‘Jolly Rogers’ squadron, and all display either high visibility or low vis aircraft flying NAS Oceana.

This 1/48^th scale sheet is intended for use with either the Hasegawa, Great Wall or Hobby Boss kits.

In 2020, the JASDF celebrated the final year of service for the RF-4E, which had entered service in 1961, with a specially marked airframe, serial 57-6907.

Taiwanese modeling company, DXM Models, has released a set of 1/48 decals for this airframe and has kindly sent IPMS/USA a sample. This set included two sheets of decals, one for the stenciling and standard markings, while the second is devoted exclusively to the special markings applied to the airframe.

A full colour instruction leaflet includes comprehensive decal placement and painting guides for top, bottom and both sides. Colour callouts are in Mr. Color, Humbrol and FS standard where applicable.

The decals are printed for DXM by Cartograf, which ensures quality. The colours are strong, even the tiniest of stencils is readable under magnification and the colours are perfectly aligned. I expect them to behave properly with appropriate solutions, as with all Cartograf’s offerings.

In September 2022, in a surprise move, the Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) revealed a new special markings scheme for one of its aggressor F-15J Eagles of the 306 Hikotai based at Komatsu AB. In conjunction with Paramount Pictures as publicity for the then-new Top Gun: Maverick movie, the service had painted up one of their Eagles as Top Gun instructor ‘Maverick’ Mitchell’s personal F/A-18E, specially for a forthcoming Air Festival at the airbase. A bit of a non-sequitur, but it looks good!

Taiwanese modeling company, DXM Decals, has released a set of 1/48 decals for this airframe and has kindly sent IPMS/USA a sample. The single standard-sized decal sheet is packed to the gills with images, including all the decals required for the special scheme and a full set of stencils, including all the individual fuselage panel numbers that festoon the F-15’s airframe. There must be in excess of 400 decals on this sheet – many hours of modeling fun!

AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review another one of their newest releases, JLTV (1) - M1279

US Marines (35-013). The decals come in two sheets, one of stencils and the other of markings for nine options.

In October 2008, Oshkosh won the contract for the American military Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program to replace the US military’s High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). The contract specified combining the mobility of a HMMWVS combined with the protection and survivability of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAP). The JLTV has three base models: the 2-door Combat Support Vehicle (CSV)/Utility Vehicle (UTL), the 4-door General Purpose Vehicle (GP) and the 4-door Close Combat Weapons Carrier (CCWC). The platforms can then be fitted with specific mission packages to fulfill many roles and complete many different tasks. The CSV/UTL JLTV is now known as the M1279.

Two Bobs Aviation Graphics has provided the IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps with a wonderful waterslide decal set commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the very first Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) mission, which was flown during the Vietnam War in 1965. This project was code named “Wild Weasel.” This decal set captures the unique paint scheme applied to F-16C Fighting Falcons of the 20th Fighter Wing out of Shaw AFB in South Carolina.

The two F-16C Fighting Falcons markings are for: