AOA Decals specializes in top quality, thoroughly researched decal sheets from the Vietnam War era. This is wonderful with all the new kit releases, as there are now more options for markings. Inside the package, there are full color profiles and notes about all eleven sets of markings, and two large colorful decal sheets printed by Cartograf. The sheet covers South Vietnamese Air Force AD-6/A1-H Skyraiders in 1/32 scale, with the recommended kit being Trumpeter or Zoukei-Mura. Detail and notes abound in the set, including notes on each specific plane, its color and markings, and any specifics about the plane. In fact, two of the markings represent Skyraiders that were retrofitted with the Yankee extraction system. The time frame involved is from the early 1960’s to 1970. Minimal stenciling is included also.

The schemes represented cover both four overall gull gray and seven camouflaged planes from the following squadrons:

“The Heroine / She” is the lead-off figure in Gecco’s first series that is followed by three figures in series two in GeccoDirect’s Tales From the Apocalypse that I believe are sculpted by Shojiro Kasai. This first series creates Scene 1: Day 1, 11:50am on the freeway and goes with two other figures, a truck driver, and a traffic guard. This figure, She, was on her way to pick up her little sister from a relative’s house but was involved in a terrible car accident leaving her unconscious. When she wakes up she is in the middle of a zombie pandemic! Now, her only mission is to track down her little sister and somehow survive the zombie infected apocalypse. The kit includes her shoulder bag and a misplaced zombie head to sit near her feet.

Thanks to Ross at SAC for sending us improved metal landing gear for the new tool 1/72 Airfix B-17G, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it to me….

Another of SAC’s expansive line of white metal upgrades to the basic kit plastic! The set consists of six parts: Two set of main gear struts, two extension support struts, and two-part tail gear for the kit.

Not much to say here; build your kit, leave off the kit gear, and install the SAC gear. Paint, add the painted wheels and tires, and you are done.

The mains are simply dropped in place with superglue, and the side supports glued to the other extension side support. Same process with the tail gear; the main offset axle and mount are cemented with superglue to the other side strut, and installed in the tail gear well.

Aircraft and History

The EA-18G is one of the latest approach to airborne electronic warfare. It’s roots go back to WWII when the radar made it’s first appearance and something as simple as aluminum foil was dropped by aircraft with the intent of fooling enemy radar. Technology made rapid advancements as did radar systems. Various airframes were used over the years to employ “jamming” technology with much success but there were also some limitations. Some of the airframes were effective but had a large crew required to operate and others were stable platforms but if put in a defensive position were sitting ducks. A couple of airframes (EF-111 and EA-6B ) had a great mix of capabilities with a solid jamming platform, defensive and evasive capabilities.

The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Spring 2017, features a photograph of a single bay Sopwith 2FR2 Bulldog. The rear cover features three color profiles of aircraft in the Castellorizo, and the Loss of HMS Ben-my-Chree article. If you check out the web site link above, you can get additional sample pics of the current issue.

Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front.