The Dogs of War - USA/USAF/USMC/VNAF O-1 Bird Dogs in the Vietnam War

Published on
Review Author(s)
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$15.50
Product / Stock #
48-003
Base Kit
Model USA and Hasegawa rebox
Company: AOA Decals - Website: Visit Site
Provided by: AOA Decals - Website: Visit Site

When you mention the Vietnam Air War, most people think of the F-4 Phantom or the F-105 Thunderchief, not some slow-moving, single-piston-engined airplane like the O-1 Bird Dog. But this little airplane played a pivotal role in close air support role over South Vietnam. The Model USA kit has been out for some time, but the markings options have been limited until now. Thanks to AOA Decals we now have plenty of marking options.

Contained in a 6x9-inch ziplock-bag are two decal sheets. The instructions are printed in full color on four 8.5x11 double sided pieces of paper. The cover is a beautiful full color shot of an O-1 on a mission over Vietnam. It will aid the modeler in weathering the model. Some color call-outs are listed and the back side of the sheet has the stencils. The other sheets have side-view as well as the top- and bottom-views of each airplane. Did I mention that there are marking options for TWENTY THREE airplanes? That is TWO-THREE! You will find something there that you will certainly like. Marking options are included for US Air Force, US Army, US Marine Corps and Vietnamese Air Force. Ten aircraft are US Army, seven USAF, two USMC and four VNAF airplanes.

The decals themselves are printed on two sheets. The decals are in perfect register and printed by Microscale. You know that they will react well to setting solutions and they are very thin and opaque.

The first sheet is a 6 x 9 that contains the markings for all the aircraft. There are some colorful marking options on this sheet. My personal favorite is ‘Cat Killers’ of the US Army. The door art on this airplane is quite unique and colorful. There are plenty of others that are striking. The second sheet is half that size and has the dark blue USAF markings.

Since the kit's decals are out-of-register, this decal sheet is essential if you have the Model USA kit. Twenty three marking options on the sheet will certainly appeal to the modeler. The research is impeccable. World class printed decals from Microscale and twenty three marking options. What more could you ask for from a decal sheet? This sheet is a must have. It made me go out and buy another kit to try these on.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to AOA Decals and IPMS/USA for the review copy. You can obtain yours directly from AOA at www.AOAdecals.com. Let them know you heard about it here.

Product picture

Reviewer Bio

Floyd S. Werner Jr.

Building models since the age of 7, I’ve become known for my Bf-109s and helicopters. I currently run Werner’s Wings. I was previously the ‘star’ of the Master Class Model Building Video series. I’ve been published numerous times on various website, including Hyperscale and ARC. My work has been in FSM and Great Scale Modeling 2001, as well as, numerous other model magazines. I’m a published author with my Squadron/Signal Walkaround book on the Kiowa Warrior. My models have continuously won many regional and national awards. My unique model photography gives my models instant recognition for their historical perspective.

I’m a retired from the Army after 21 years of flying Cobras and Kiowa Warriors, including tours in Iraq, Bosnia, Korea, and Germany. I’m also a retired Flight Officer for the Baltimore City Police and flew their helicopters chasing bad guys. I’m currently flying Cobras and Hueys with the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation.

I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart, Yvonne, for 42 years. Our daughters have blessed us with six grandchildren. My passions continue to be his family, friends, helicopters, models and airplanes, especially the Bf-109 and my beloved AH-1 Cobra. My motto has always been - MODELING IS FUN!