Frenchman Sylvain Hautier founded Syhart Decals (SY (Sylvain) HA (Hautier) , ART (design)) in 2006 with the aim of recreating in model form the special aircraft paint schemes that have been developed to celebrate anniversaries, participate in Tiger Meets, and for last flights. He also issues decals for regular schemes for lesser-known and unusual air forces for kits that offer limited decal options.

An example is the 1/72 Rafale C, with the kit issued by Revell offering limited choices. Sylvain’s answer has been to release a number of decal sheets for various air forces.

Mike Guardia is an internationally recognized author and military historian. A veteran of the United States Army, he served six years on active duty as an Armor Officer. He is the author of the widely acclaimed HAL MOORE: A SOLDIER ONCE...AND ALWAYS, the first-ever biography chronicling the life of LTG Harold G. Moore, whose battlefield leadership was popularized by the film WE WERE SOLDIERS, starring Mel Gibson. He has twice been nominated for the Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Book Award and was named Author of the Year in 2021 by the Military Writers Society of America. As a speaker, he hosts the lecture series HAL MOORE: LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP, which is available for presentation at schools, businesses, and civic organizations worldwide. In 2022, he appeared in Season 1 of the History Channel series, I WAS THERE, as a featured historian in the episodes on the Johnstown Flood of 1889; the Chernobyl Disaster; the Battle of Stalingrad; and the Oklahoma City Bombing.

It’s really unique to open these up and see the dark blue and white background to the decal sheet. It sets the individual decals off and honestly, I think it makes the numbers easier to read. When you look at the individual decals, what caught my eye right off the bat was how well the placards look. The lettering and lines have a bright silver metallic look to them that I don’t see in other decals. Printing on the smaller warning decals is crisp and readable at what looks like size 2 font. The registration on all the colors on my sheet looks perfect, no issues. The decals overall are very, very thin. You can hardly feel them on the sheet. When applying them be careful not to let them curl over on themselves. Apply right off the sheet to the aircraft, if possible. Another thing that stands out is how bold the red and the blue are. They really have good solid colors on the decal. The back page of the instructions has actual photographic references for locating the gear markings.

The non-profit UK-based group known as the Great War Aviation Society publishes its journal, Cross & Cockade International, four times a year. Issues are available in English as printed [Softbound, A4 (8.27” x 11.69”), 80 pages plus centerfold] as well as digital copies (or both). A new magazine, Contact!, is now available in both print and digital download. The Society also provides a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publishes WWI-themed books, such as the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front. The Great War Aviation Society also hosts a lecture series available through Zoom. If you are interested, please register early, as the call has a limited attendance capacity.

Iliad Design has provided the IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set for the fighters of WWII Operation Rutter. Planes represented are three Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb’s and one Hawker Hurricane Mk. II.

This 1/48^th scale decal sheet covers four schemes:

1. Spitfire Mk. Vb, BM324 (GW*S), “Tomana” of 340 Sqn., July 1942
2. Spitfire Mk. Vb, AR373 (MN*M), “LULANGURU” of 350 (Belgian) Sqn., July 1942
3. Spitfire Mk. Vb, AA853 (C*WX), of Wing Cdr Stefan Witorzenc, 302 Sqn., July 1942
4. Hurricane Mk. II, BE682 (XP*R), “Hurribomber” of 174 (Mauritius) Sqn., July 1942

In the Package

There is one decal sheet provided with all the individual markings for each airplane and this includes the roundels. General aircraft stencils will have to be sourced from somewhere else.

Each plane gets its own side profile illustration (for both sides) and instructions for special paint markings for Operation Rutter.