What’s in the Bag?

The presentation of every Afterburner decal I’ve ever seen is very eye-catching, and this one is no exception. The cover sheet has left-side profiles of the 8 aircraft represented in the package, along with a color print of the squadron patch of each aircraft. Flip the baggie over and you’re presented with a very colorful 8” x 10” decal sheet full of markings and stencils. Stick your meaty paws inside the baggie and it gets better. In addition to the 8” x 10” decal sheet, there is a 5” x 8” sheet with further markings and stencils, mostly black, white, and brown. All decals, printed by Cartograf, appear to be in register, shiny, sharply printed, and with excellent color saturation. They do, however, feel thicker than your typical aftermarket sheet; we’ll find out more about that when I put them on a model.

Lifelike Decals has long been known for their high quality, limited edition decal releases. The decals come in the customary clear plastic zip bag, and inside you will find two full color, single sided pages with color callouts, decal placement guides, references, and a ton of historical information on each aircraft covered. Not to mention the decals themselves. This release contains one standard size decal sheet with markings for four WWII Imperial Japanese Army Ki-44 Shoki “Tojo” fighters, as well as a smaller sheet with the kill markings, and a small “correction” sheet for kill markings. Decals are printed by Cartograf of Italy, and are clear and in perfect register.

This kit contains 45 tan styrene parts that will create six British or Commonwealth tank or AFV crewmen. Four wear the late 1944 – early 1945 one-piece “Pixie suit” made from water-repellant canvas with khaki lining and hood. This warm equipment had two zippers and could be converted into a sleeping bag. These four men are illustrated both wearing gloves and bare-handed, so it’s how you paint them. The other two figures are wearing the usual khaki battle dress. Everyone wears a black beret molded onto their heads. Only figures A, D and E have headphones (molded on) and, if you use the box top as a guide, you can add wires.