If you are a Phantom Phreak, the one thing you cannot get enough of is stencil data. The Phantom, no matter what service or nationality, seemed to be loaded with stencils. Most Hasegawa kits in 1/48 come with a fairly comprehensive set of stencils, though barely legible, incomplete, and they sometimes can be difficult to blend into the paint. If you have a slatted wing F-4E in your stash, then Afterburner Decals has come to the rescue with this very complete set of stencil data for those Phantoms painted in SEA camouflage and grey undersides.

Wow – this is such a great first release by new company Furball Designs and its chief cook and bottle washer, Geoff Martin. The decals are for the new Hobbyboss 1/48 F3H Demon and include markings for 9 (yup, NINE) planes:

• F3H-2M, 1957, VX-4 (with the Playboy bunny logo)
• F3H-2, 1963, VF-14
• F3H-2, 1962, VF-21
• F3H-2, 1963, VF-54
• F3H-2M, 1958, VF-61
• F3H-2, 1959, VF-101
• F3H-2M, 1958, VF-24
• F3H-2, 1961, VF-31
• F3H-2, 1959, VF-41

The decals come in two sheets – one is color and is 8" x 10" and the other is all black and is 7.5" x 8". Printing is by Cartograf and is superb, is in register, and is colorful. One thing that is excellent is the decals are separated for things like the speed brakes or the wing fences and there is no need for the modeler to cut.

Bob Sanchez continues to turn out great decals. This sheet is for F-15C Eagles from Bitburg Air Base in Germany. The markings are on one full and one half sheet printed flawlessly by Microscale. They include markings for jets ranging from 1983 through 1993 and show three different stencil styles and two paint schemes. Markings include squadron and wing commander’s aircraft, as well as an aircraft marked for the US/Germany Tricentennial in September of 1983. Six of the tail numbers shown carry kill marks from Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

The instructions include six full-color pages of drawings and pictures of the different aircraft that can be made from these sheets. Markings for 13 aircraft are on the sheets, with sufficient stencils to do one full-color, two subdued, and one Mod-Eagle jet. In my opinion, this sheet is well worth the asking price, especially considering it does function as its own reference guide.

Twobobs has released a sheet in 1/48 scale for those of us who like colorful aircraft, something that will relieve that expanse of grey on grey in the display case. The aircraft catered for on this sheet are two F-16A Midlife Update (MLU) aircraft at Skrydstrup AB of the Royal Danish Air Force. They were painted in special markings to celebrate the anniversaries of the activation of their squadrons.

The first, F-16AM Block 10 MLU, 78-0194, commemorates the 60th Anniversary of ESK 727 on 18 June 2010. It has an all orange-red tail fin and fairing with a white cross and a golden lion and golden script showing 1950 and 2010 for either side of the tail.

Set 48-233. Colorful markings from the first air show of the 2009 season of the J-10 Chinese Demo Team. There are markings for both the single- and two-seat variants of the J-10. There are enough options on this sheet to build 1 each of any of the jets from the 2009 air show season.

Two sheets of decals are included in this set. Markings include national insignia, Demo Team logo, aircraft numbers, stunning tail markings, and various red and white scallops.

Decals are sized for both the Bronco and Trumpeter 1/48th scale kits.

Set 48-234. More colorful markings from the first air show of the 2010/2011 season of the J-10 Chinese Demo Team. There are markings for both the single- and two-seat variants of the J-10. There are enough options on this sheet to build 1 each of any of the jets from the 2010/2011 air show season.