Reviews of scale model decal sets.

Review Author
Chad Richmond
Published on
February 26, 2011
Company
SuperScale International
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$10.00

This decal sheet initially has you scratching your head about whose sheet it really is. It’s a SuperScale International sheet, with Squadron Products logo on the bottom of it, and it’s printed by Cartograf ion Italy. It doesn’t really matter, because it is a really well done sheet. It features markings for two very colorful Harriers. The VMA-214 bird bears Pappy Boyington’s markings and is in a different than normal two tone grey scheme, FS36118 and FS35237 with a black fin and black wing tanks. The VMA-211 bird is in the same two tone grey scheme with a bright red fin trimmed in yellow. The instruction sheet is in full color, which is a nice touch, and there are enough stencil data to allow you to do both aircraft. You have to really pay attention to all of the marginal notes, because all of the marking data is on one side of the crowded instruction sheet.

Review Author
Chad Richmond
Published on
February 7, 2011
Company
Eagle Editions Ltd.
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$17.50

Editor: Features the Russian captured D-9, "White 16" II./JG 301, "Black 4" W. Nr. 400271 III./JG 2 and "White 15" W. Nr. 600651

Just when you thought you had seen every marking scheme for Fw 190D9’s, Jerry Crandall comes out with a new book on the Dora and decals for newly discovered aircraft.

This sheet contains markings for four different aircraft, one of which was a captured aircraft used by the Russians The other three bear non-standard colors and markings, which was not at all unusual during the late stages of the Spring of 1945, right at the end of the war.

These decals are in keeping with the usual high quality research of Eagle Editions and are perfectly in register, as printed by Cartograf of Italy.

By the way, if you want some good reading and an excellent reference to add to your reference collection, get FW 190 Dora Volume Two, published by Eagle Editions, Ltd. It will give you even more info on these four aircraft.

Review Author
Fred Amos
Published on
January 21, 2011
Company
PT Decals
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$19.56

This decal provides markings for several different aircraft used by the Aeronaval/L’Armee de L’Air in the years following World War Two. Included are markings for two P-39's used in Algeria in 1945, a captured Fieseler 156 C Storch, two Grumman F6F Hellcats, an SBD-5, an Fw190-A5 and a Dewoitine D.520. The decals are very colorful and in perfect registry.

Review Author
Chip Jean
Published on
December 24, 2010
Company
Afterburner Decals
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$20.00

OK guys, a show of hands; how many of you don’t like Hasegawa kit decals? You’ve had bad experiences with them and hate ‘em to the point that you won’t build or even buy a given Hasegawa kit unless you can get aftermarket decals for it? Not a problem for those F-Teen kits where you easily have many more aftermarket decal choices than kits. However, when it came to cool looking, non-gray jets, like the Mitsubishi F-2, you were stuck….until now.

Review Author
Jack Kennedy
Published on
December 13, 2010
Company
Authentic Decals
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$8.00

One item that is the curse of all figure painters is that molded insignias and badges on the figures are way out of scale. They are usually raised and if in scale, they would stick out about an inch or more. Now, Authentic Decals has produced a set of decals for modern US soldiers with insignia, rank and regiment badges. With this release one would think that their prayers were answered. Unfortunately they were not with this set.

I realize that the modern US soldier does not have the colorful badges and insignia that were seen in WW II, but these are all monochromatic. Not only that, they are too small for 1/35 scale. I would also note that the regiment badges seem to be out of register.

There is only one set of each rank so if you screw up one, you will have to change the rank of the figure. The decals are so small that it is hard to distinguish one from another. They are numbered on the decal sheet, but there is no other reference as to which one is which.

Review Author
Bill Schwarz
Published on
December 1, 2010
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.00

This is an out-of-the-envelope review on another of the famousTwobobs line of decals. This time up it's the sheet for the VMA "Yuma Nightmares". The number of this sheet is 48-222, which is 48th scale, but I believe it is done in 72nd and 32nd as well.

The decals themselves are printed in the USA by Microscale, and as always is top notch, responding well to any of the decal solvents. Fast becoming an industry standard, there is virtually no overlapping carrier film.. The sheet is well researched, and includes artwork for 3 Harriers. Two are BII Plus's, one is a BII Night Attack version. One has a blue tail for that splash of color.

Review Author
Bill Schwarz
Published on
December 1, 2010
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.00

This time up it’s the Twobobs Decals sheet 48-223 "Gunship Harriers". Though this sheet is 1/48th scale. I believe this is also available in 32nd scale as well as 72nd scale. Check their website as well. The sheet is printed beautifully by MicroScale. This time up it’s for two famous squadrons: VMA 214 "Black Sheep”, and VMA 223 “Bulldogs”.

The artwork is superb and the instruction sheet shows all views as well as pictures of the real aircraft. This sheet covers three birds. Two are from VMA 214, and one is from VMA 223. One of the Blacksheep birds has a splash of color. That is the black tail with white lettering and numbers. The stenciling is first rate too.

These decals respond well to all the major decal solvents. There should be no problems with this sheet and Twobobs’ Bob Sanchez and crew should be commended for prducing these great decals! Now I have to get my Harrier back on the table and get to work. My only problem is which sheet or which Harrier to do!

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
December 1, 2010
Company
Eagle Editions Ltd.
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$17.50

Eagle Editions is synonymous with Luftwaffe research designed for the model builder. Their latest release is for any 1/32nd scale Friedrich. As always with EagleCals, the quality is felt right from opening up the packaging.

You are presented with markings for four Freidrichs. These are quite colorful aircraft. All of them start out with base colors of RLM 78/79, but that is where they commonality ends.

The instructions are printed in color on four 8x10 pages. The front page contains the profile and plan views. The profile views are printed larger on the second page. These profiles are absolutely beautiful. I don’t know for sure but I’m fairly certain they are done by Tom Tullis. The third page is a written description of each aircraft. The fourth page contains the stencil diagram.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
November 14, 2010
Company
TSDS
Scale
1/55
MSRP
$15.89

TSDS makes products designed for the Sci-Fi modeler and the decal set for the Moebius Moon Bus is just one example of the excellent quality for which TSDS is known.

The decals are advertised as color water-slide decals and indeed they are both colorful and use the traditional dunk-and-slide application technique.

The decals are printed on a single sheet, approximately 5x9. The markings are clear and crisp. Since the entire sheet consists of one large piece of carrier film it is important that each decal be removed from the carrier sheet with the “cut” lines being as close to the actual marking as possible.

The decals responded very well to a short dip in water and none were damaged in the application process even though I handled some of them rather roughly. For all intents and purposes one can apply these decals in the same fashion as one uses for those decals that are supplied in any typical model kit.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
May 24, 2022
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.00

Once again, aircraft from “My era”, the early 1980’s, are starting to appear on decal sheets. RAF Alconbury was a busy place; Not only for the RF-4C’s that were stationed there, but the U-2R (TR-1 at the time) was a common sight. And in between all that activity, the dart-shaped F-5E’s of the 527th Aggressor squadron claimed AR as home. They were frequently deployed to other locations such as Deccimommano, Italy, and USAFE bases in Germany and Spain to practice their trade on our local USAFE fighter pilots.

These sheets from Twobobs are excellent historical references. If you are independently wealthy enough to own several of the new F-5’s from AFV, you could easily make an entire squadron of Warsaw-pact look-alikes. I’m certain these decals will work with the Monogram and Italieri 1/48 F-5E’s if you have them in your stash.