Decal Sheet Contents

There are three sheets of decals included in this package: the larger of the three has the roundels and fin flash along with aircraft codes. The mid-size sheet has additional aircraft codes and numbers, while the third and smallest sheet has individual pilot nose art. There are decals to model at least two of 10 photo-documented subjects, based on carefully interpreted graphic reconstructions. Additional models built will require the modeler to provide roundels and fin flash.

The decal sheets include marking from the three squadrons: 71 Squadron, four aircraft, 121 Squadron, four aircraft, and 133 Squadron two aircraft. Six 8 1/2" by 11" pages of black and white instructions are included with the decals, along with a link to the supplier is provided from which full color instructions may be obtained and home printed. The black and white is more than adequate, but the color version is spectacular.

The instructions include right-side/left-side views of each subject aircraft, with decals placement noted. In addition the last page includes a chart with more specific information for each aircraft. Of special interest is the technical notes column where the type of exhaust, propeller and windscreen and canopy is noted. A lot of research went into this product.

Conclusion

The Spitfire has always been a very popular modeling subject in several scales. Combining the aircraft's appeal with markings for American volunteers takes it over the top. This is an outstanding topic and product and is highly recommended for Spitfire fans across this hobby. The added information in the tecchnical notes will help make the build all the more rewarding.

I wish to thank Skygrid Aviaeology and IPMS USA for the opportunity to review this set of decals. A special thanks to Alison Higgins for her help and follow up on my request for assistance.

Eagle Squdaron History (from WikiPedia)

The Eagle Squadrons were three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force, formed with volunteer pilots from the United States during the early days of World War II (circa 1940), prior to America's entry into the war in December 1941.

Before America's entry into the War, many US recruits simply crossed the border and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to learn to fly and fight. Many early recruits had originally gone to Europe to fight for Finland against the Soviets in the Winter War. Some of the recruits were men rejected by the USAAF as "lacking in intrinsic flying ability", who instead enlisted with the RCAF.

Charles Sweeny, a wealthy businessman living in London, began recruiting American citizens to fight as a US volunteer detachment in the French Air Force, echoing the Lafayette Escadrille of World War I. Following the Fall of France in 1940, a dozen of these recruits joined the RAF.

Sweeny's efforts were also coordinated in Canada by the World War I air ace Billy Bishop and the artist Clayton Knight who formed the Clayton Knight Committee, which by the time the United States entered the war in December 1941, had processed and approved 6,700 applications from Americans to join the RCAF or RAF. Sweeny and his rich society contacts bore the cost (over $100,000) of processing and bringing the US trainees to the United Kingdom for training.