Lifelike Decals has produced another sheet for the Hasegawa/Minicraft/Academy and Eduard 1/72nd B-24s.

Contained in a 6x9 Ziploc baggie, the first thing you will notice is two A4 sized single sheet full color instructions. One sheet contains the front with the profile drawings and the back page has the plan views and references listed where Lifelike got their information from. This is a particularly good idea because if you wanted to verify the information you could. The other thing this does is it allows Lifelike to tell you what they saw. Lifelike is not afraid to make an informed guess if they don’t know something. But unlike other decal companies, Lifelike will tell you if they don’t know something.

The decals themselves are some of the world’s best. They are printed by Cartograf and Microscale. There are four sheets of decals. Cartograf prints the nose art because of the finesse and shading. Microscale does all the unit markings, national insignia and the de-ice boots.

The first aircraft is an olive drab over neutral grey aircraft operating out of China. It is rather famous, “The Goon”. The aircraft has nose art on both sides of the nose with the character made famous from the Popeye comic strip. This aircraft carried the most successful aerial gunner of the war, Sgt. Arthur Benko, with sixteen aerial victories. The weathered national insignia with the new darker blue surround adds more visual interest.

Aircraft two is “Shoo Shoo Baby” complete with large nude nose art and a huge Red Raiders badge on the side. This B-24 is painted in Olive Drab over Neutral Grey. 76 red mission markings have been added below the cockpit.

A natural metal B-24 is the subject of the third offering on the sheet. “Mickey Finn” is a very different kind of nose art, a drunken man leaning on a tilted light pole. The mission markings are unique too, they are wine bottles, also leaning to the side. The tail has black and yellow checkers on the lower half.

The last aircraft is really unique looking, especially for a B-24. It has the Vargas nose art of “Sleepy Time Gal” but what really sets this aircraft apart is the natural metal upper surface and the flat black lower portion. It is also had the upper turret removed. The rudder has yellow checkers. This would make a really cool looking model.

Unique nose art along with colorful unit markings make the B-24 and in particular these aircraft a perfect canvas for the unit artist and the model builder. World class decals and detailed color analysis by Lifelike make these, and all of Lifelike decals, some of the best decals in the world.

Highly Recommended

Thanks to Lifelike Decals for the review copy. You can obtain your copy by contacting them directly at http://www.lifelikedecals.sakura.ne.jp . Let them know you heard about it here.