Decals | IPMS/USA Reviews

Reviews of scale model decal sets.

B-2 Spirit Global Strike Stealth

Review Author

Rob Booth

Published on

August 24, 2018

Company

Twobobs Aviation Graphics

Scale

1/72

MSRP

$14.00

If you build modern aircraft subjects, you’re probably already familiar with Two Bobs Aviation Graphics decals. Owner Bob Sanchez is a USAF vet who has put in plenty of time around modern jet aircraft. His firm produces some of the best quality decals available for unusually marked and typical line examples of modern aircraft subjects.

The subjects of this set are nineteen examples of B-2 “Spirit” stealth bombers of the 509th Bomb Wing, stationed at Whiteman AFB, MO. They include the “Spirits” of America, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, Missouri, California, South Carolina, Washington, Kansas, Nebraska, Georgia, Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, Oklahoma, Kitty Hawk, Pennsylvania and Louisiana, each with their distinctive gear door graphics markings. There are only 20 B-2’s in the USAF inventory, and one is assigned to testing duties. So this set allows you to model any of the current inventory stationed at Whiteman.

F-16C Alaskan Splinter Part II

Review Author

Michael Novosad

Published on

August 21, 2018

Company

Twobobs Aviation Graphics

Scale

1/48

MSRP

$15.00

Note: Part II of my review for the Two Bobs F-16C Alaskan Splinter decal set 48-262 contains much of the information included in the original review, but has added information for the painting and decaling of a Hasegawa 1/48th scale F-16C. This is addressed under "Application" below.

Two Bobs

Two Bobs Aviation Graphics offers decals in 1/72nd, 1/48th and 1/32nd scales for most modern US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps military aircraft. There are also sheets for some Russian, Chinese and British modern jet aircraft. In addition, Two Bobs offers a 1/48th scale T-2C Buckeye and a T-45C Goshawk, a publication, and sanding sticks.

Their website supplies images of their decal sheets so the buyer will know what is being purchased. One nice feature that I really like is the inclusion of the FS numbers for the various camouflage color schemes on their full color instruction sheets.

Me 262 B-1a/U1

Review Author

Paul Mahoney

Published on

July 21, 2018

Company

Eagle Editions Ltd.

Scale

1/48

MSRP

$17.50

New (to me) from Eagle Editions’ “EagleCal” line is this 1/48 scale sheet of decals for the Me 262 B-1a/U1 night fighter. There is a copyright of 2016 on the instructions, but this is my first exposure to this sheet.

As with any other EagleCal product, my first impressions are that this is another high-quality product. Opening the ziplock bag, one finds a single, full-color instruction sheet wrapped around a decal sheet (with a protective slip of tissue paper). Three subjects are covered: two operational Luftwaffe night fighters and one a/c that was captured by the US.

Aircraft markings in this sheet are:

FAC & BS BOMBER OSCAR DEUCES USAF/VNAF O-2A/O-2B Skymasters in the Vietnam War

Review Author

Rod Lees

Published on

June 20, 2018

Company

AOA Decals

Scale

1/32

MSRP

$19.50

AoA (Angle of Attack) decals: Continuing their focus on Vietnam War subjects. We sincerely appreciate AoA sending IPMS/USA their latest release for review (and thanks also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending this sheet my way).

This decal set includes stenciling for two aircraft, so you can get two, maybe three marking options out of your investment if you are careful. The modeler is up front provided options to build at least two of 14 different O-2 aircraft.

Mitsubishi A5M Part 2 Decals

Review Author

David Wrinkle

Published on

June 14, 2018

Company

Lifelike Decals

Scale

1/48

MSRP

$16.30

The A5M “Claude” known internally to Mitsubishi as the KA-14 and formally as the Navy Type 96 Navy Carrier-based Fighter was the first all metal monoplane to enter service as carrier-based aircraft. The Claude is the direct predecessor to the A6M “Zero” and did see combat through the beginning of the Second World War but had been pretty much removed from combat by 1942. Late in the war a few were even used as kamikaze aircraft.

North American P-51 IVa (K) – British Camouflaged Mustangs

Review Author

Jarrod Booth

Published on

June 4, 2018

Company

LPS Hobby

Scale

1/72

MSRP

$14.57

I was drawn to this decal set for two reasons:

One, I thought that camouflaged Mustangs are not seen as much as the bare metal US aircraft.

Two: I had to do the Aussie Southern Cross marking being an Aussie!

LPS Hobby is a decal manufacturer from Brazil. The decal sheet, instruction sheet and cover page are contained within a generously sized zip-lock bag.

This small decal set contains marking for three British camouflaged P-51K Mustangs from Royal Canadian, South African and Royal Australian Air Forces:

KH608, Y2, “Edmonton Special”, PO John Mallandaine, 442 Sqn RCAF, Hunsdon, England. May 1945
KH673, GL-N, “Sweetpea”, 5 Sqn SAAF, Udine Italy, January 1945
KH676, CV-A, F/Lt 'Dusty' Lane, 3 Sqn RAAF, Cervia, Italy, April 1945

The recommended donor kit is the Tamiya 1/72 P-51D Mustang, however the newer Airfix, or any other manufacturers P-51D/K could also be used.

F-16C Alaskan Splinter Part II

Review Author

Michael Novosad

Published on

May 22, 2018

Company

Twobobs Aviation Graphics

Scale

1/48

MSRP

$15.00

Two Bobs

Two Bobs Aviation Graphics offers decals in 1/72nd, 1/48th and 1/32nd scales for most modern US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps military aircraft. There are also sheets for some Russian, Chinese and British modern jet aircraft. In addition Two Bobs offer a 1/48th scale T-2C Buckeyes and a T-45C Goshawk, a publication and sanding sticks.

Their website incudes images of their decals sheets so the buyer will know what is being purchased. One nice feature that I really like is the inclusion of the FS numbers for the various camouflage color schemes on their full color instruction sheets.

F-16C Alaskan Splinter Part II

Review Author

Michael Novosad

Published on

May 22, 2018

Company

Twobobs Aviation Graphics

Scale

1/48

MSRP

$15.00

Two Bobs

Two Bobs Aviation Graphics offers decals in 1/72nd, 1/48th and 1/32nd scales for most modern US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps military aircraft. There are also sheets for some Russian, Chinese and British modern jet aircraft. In addition Two Bobs offer a 1/48th scale T-2C Buckeyes and a T-45C Goshawk, a publication and sanding sticks.

Steve Ritchie and Friends Decals (Limited Edition)

Review Author

Rod Lees

Published on

May 16, 2018

Company

Werners Wings

Scale

1/32

MSRP

$25.00

IPMS/USA recognizes one of our own, Floyd Werner, for providing this sheet set for review and I personally applaud our reviewer corps leadership, John Noack and Phil Peterson, for sending them to me for review. Floyd is well known for his expertise in the WWII Luftwaffe genre, as well as his personal exploits flying Snakes in the U.S. Army. This sheet was sponsored by Kitty Hawk, the much-maligned (but in my opinion) EXCELLENT company which provides us with products which would NEVER have seen the light unless they took the plunge. So you have to work to make them to personal standard? Huff… part of the price of admission. ( I swear if you give these guys a new, free Lexus they’d complain about the new car smell)

USAAF Camouflaged P-51D, Parts 1 & 2

Review Author

Ben Morton

Published on

May 9, 2018

Company

LPS Hobby

Scale

1/72

MSRP

$15.00

Decals designed for Tamiya P-51D, but should work for any 1/72nd scale kit.

There are more 'new to me' companies out there than I can shake a stick at. One such company is LPS Hobby from Brazil. This group has been making after-market decals sets for a 1/72nd scale aircraft for some few years now.

[On a side note: Being part of the IPMS/USA review corps affords the opportunity to get your hands on some of these company’s items without added expense or well... any expense. Something to think about.]

The subject of this missive is two sets (Part One and Two) of after-market decals for USAAF camouflaged P-51D's. The subjects are all from the 363rd Fighter squadron, 357th fighter Group stationed at Leistin, England in 1944.

The specific aircraft included in Part One are:

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