This sheet of markings is for the F/A-18Bs belonging to VFA-125, The Rough Raiders. They are one of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aggressor squadrons whose mission is to teach other fighter squadrons the tactics and skills they need to stay alive in a real dog fight.

This set of markings comes with decals for 5 separate aircraft. They are:

• F/A-18B 325 BuNo 162850, May 2005
• F/A-18B 327 BuNo 162876, May 2005
• F/A-18B 400 BuNo 162864, Mar 2008
• F/A-18B 401 BuNo 162885, Sep 2009
• F/A-18B 402 BuNo 162864, Mar 2008

I’ve always liked the aggressor paint schemes and this sheet represents 5 of the different schemes that are used. I’m sure that there is one for every aggressor fan. I picked the blue and gray scheme which I have always liked. Two Bobs recommends the Hasegawa kit but as luck would have it I didn’t have a B model in my stash and the only one I could get my hands on was the IDEA kit which is imported by Hobbycraft Canada. The bad part is that it actually turns out to be of the prototype and needs a lot of putty to update it. Of course after I got it done I found a Hasegawa F/A-18B at one of the model swap meets. I just had to pick it up because I still have 4 more decal options to choose from. Two Bobs really does give you your money’s worth when it comes to the amount of options you get from one set.

The decals are “proudly printed by MicroScale”. They’re thin, they’re on register, and they go onto the model and stay where you put them. The only problem I noticed was that the NJ markings on the tail were a little larger in height than what they appear to be on the instructions or in the photos. The decals held up very well and worked nicely with Micro Set and Micro Sol. I smoothed them out using a wet, soft Testors paint brush to remove any bubbles or creases. A lot of other decals would start to fall apart when you try to adjust them too much but these hold up very well.

The instructions are very good and they include photographs of the actual aircraft from many angles. You can be sure that each aircraft is thoughly researched and all markings are accounted for. Also included is a list of model kits and accessories that are out there.

Very Highly recommended. I really do enjoy using the Two Bobs decal sheets, not only for the perfect way that they work, but also for all of the history and research that goes into them. I find myself going to the Two Bobs web site just to see what decals are coming out next, and if I have the right kit in my stash to do them.

Thanks to IPMS/USA and Two Bobs for letting me use and review these decals.