In 2003, Iliad Design’s first decal offering was a 1/48 scale set for pre-War Hurricanes. Flash ahead 11 years and Iliad has added a 1:72 scale version of that set to their ever-growing line of decals. But this set is more than a scaled down version of the four subjects found on the original 1:48 scale set. Iliad’s 1/72 scale set provides markings for seven Hurricanes in RAF service during 1938 and 1939.

Six of the seven aircraft featured in this set sport upper surface camouflage of Dark Green and Dark Earth (in both A & B schemes, which are clearly illustrated) with a variety of underside colors that were employed during the pre-war period. But, the scheme for the seventh aircraft offers a striking contrast.

The seven subjects included are:

• Hurricane Mk.I, L1934, ‘OP-D’ of No. 3 Squadron in July 1939. This was an early Mk.I with an un-armored windscreen, a Watts propeller with black blades and a Dark Earth spinner and was painted in a ‘B’ pattern camouflage scheme with a divided black/white underside.
• Hurricane Mk.I, L1568, of No.73 Squadron in 1938. Displaying a red 73 on its rudder, this aircraft was finished in the ’B’ pattern scheme with an aluminum underside and yellow surrounds on fuselage and upper wing roundels.
• Hurricane Mk.I, L1643, of No.85 Squadron in the winter of 1938/39 displaying codes NO-B. Also an early Mk.I, with an un-armored windscreen, this aircraft was painted in the ‘A’ pattern scheme with under surfaces divided in white and black along the centerline.
• Hurricane Mk.I, L1975, of No.17 Squadron in early 1939. Displaying fuselage codes UV-K, this Hurricane was camouflaged in the ‘A’ pattern scheme with aluminum underside and a black-painted left wing.
• Hurricane Mk.I, L1990, of No.56 Squadron in mid-1939. Camouflaged in the ‘B’ pattern scheme, this aircraft had an aluminum, white and black underside and a black spinner and deHavilland 3-blade propeller.
• Hurricane Mk.I, 315, of No.1 Squadron in summer 1939. This early Hurricane displayed no fuselage codes or serial number, but had yellow surrounds on the fuselage roundels. Lower surfaces were finished in aluminum and sported a 2-blade propeller with a black spinner.
• Hurricane Mk.I, L1606; returned from 56 Squadron service in June 1938, had its armament removed, was finished in overall aluminum and re-registered as G-AFKX, to become a demonstrator and test bed aircraft for Hawker.

Iliad Design has a reputation for including complete markings for each subject and this set is no exception. All national insignias, codes, serials and individual aircraft markings necessary for each of these aircraft are provided on the decal sheet. Small aircraft stenciling is not included however.

Iliad decals are of very high quality. They are well printed, registration is exact, and colors are vivid and opaque. The decals are printed on thin film that I have found will respond well to mild setting solutions such as MicroSol and Gunze’s Mr. Mark Softer. There is minimal carrier film surrounding each printed image but it is advisable to apply the decals on a smooth glossy finish and use a setting solution to avoid silvering.

A double-sided, full color instruction sheet is included that provides modelers with a port profile of each Hurricane (with appropriate aircraft and unit information) and both overhead and underside views of each aircraft.

Iliad decals can be found at a number of full service retail hobby shops and on the Internet. However, they also can be easily sourced directly from the manufacturer at the website noted above. The website also provides a list of retailers who stock Iliad’s products.

This decal set is highly recommended. My thanks to Illiad Design for supplying the review sample and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it.