Iliad Design has a newly released set of decals for 1/48^th scale P-51D Mustangs in various National Guard markings. Upon receiving the decal set for review I contacted Iliad Design and asked if there was a specific P-51D kit for which the decals were designed to be used. I was informed that the decals could be used on any P-51D on the market. I bought an Airfix P-51D to use as the test bed for this review. This is not a review of the Airfix kit, but I should mention that it has a great deal of detail. I mention this detail because the decals would be put to the test to see how well they “fit” over, and into, this detail. I will mention that I enjoyed the Airfix project immensely and found it to be a model that I could recommend to anyone who is looking for a good Mustang.

The Iliad decal sheet includes tail codes, fuselage markings for National Guard units from four States, nose art (when called for), and the usual Star and Bar national insignia. This decal sheet does not provide stenciling. Stencil decals and a few other markings will be added to the Mustang later, but all the decals seen in the accompanying images are Iliad decals.

Included on this sheet are markings for Mustangs in National Guard units for Oklahoma, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin. I chose to finish my Mustang using the Texas markings. The instruction sheet which accompanies the decal sheet has some helpful artwork which makes placement on the airframe simple. Four illustrations, showing the port side of the aircraft are very helpful when applying the decals. The illustrations show panel lines and those lines happen to match up very well with the detail engraved into the Airfix kit. On the reverse side of the instruction sheet are four illustrations which show the upper surface of the aircraft. Again, the panel lines shown on the illustrations match those on the Airfix kit.

The model was painted using Alclad paint, some enamel paint, and some acrylic paint. The aircraft was airbrushed with a coat of Future. To apply the decals, they were placed in distilled water, which was room temperature, that being about 80 degrees. I found that the decals were ready to apply after 30 seconds to 1 minute in the water. No setting solution was used, and none was required. A Q-Tip was used to help the decals snuggle into the engraving. I was pleased that the decals did not wrinkle or rip when being handled. The decals are thick enough to be handled but thin enough to fit nicely on the curved surfaces of the wings and the fuselage.

When spending hard-earned money on a kit, then buying after-market decals, building the kit, and painting the model, one expects the decals to be the final step that makes the project an enjoyable experience. These decals exceeded my expectations. One expects the decals to have distinct color separation, when appropriate, and these decals have sharp lines of separation between the colors. The dimensions of the various areas of the white, blue, and red on the Star and Bar markings are uniform and consistent. There isn’t a problem with colors “bleeding” or off-center printing. The instruction sheet, showing the placement of the markings, is easy to read and interpret.

This decal sheet is highly recommended. The decals are of high quality and well worth the modest price. Thanks to Iliad Design for providing this product to IPMS for review.