Sylvain Hautier started Syhart Decals in 2005. Syhart Decals being derived from SY (Sylvain) HA (Hautier), ART (design), Decal (Decals.).

Although I had heard of Syhart Decals, this was the first time I had seen these in person, and I was very impressed with the presentation, the instruction sheet/manual and the high quality of the decals themselves.

The are several manufacturers of the 1/72 scale Rafale and represent various versions, whether Air Force, Marine or two-seater. These decal sets do not seem to be specific to any one manufacturer.

The decals were presented on bright blue paper that looked very similar to the paper used by ICM and Kits World Decals. Each decal on the sheet was sharp and in register, with minimal excess clear film. The printed part of each decal had more of a satin finish, while the excess film was glossy.

The instruction sheets for each set were a work of art! They were in both French and English. I would recommend that the modeler commits the unthinkable act of spending time reading and getting familiar with the plethora of information and directions the instructions present. I don’t think I have ever seen such attention to detail that Sylvain had clearly put into each decal set!

Set 72 -117 was for one French Rafale M, painted in a stunning white with black Tiger stripes, that flew at the 2017 Tigermeet. There were three decal sheets dedicated to the Tiger stripes, and one for the stencils. Note that some stencils would not be used on this Rafale. Syhart included instructions fully detailing which decal to start and finish with and where to position it (the stripes mainly) on the model. Also included were paint colors from Gunze, Revell, Humbrol, Model Master and others.

Set 72 -159 represented a Hellenic (Greek) Air Force Rafale EG that participated in Ramstein Flag, 2024. The decals were presented on two sheets, one for the aircraft stencils, three types of drop tanks and weapons pylons, and the other for the aircraft markings. On one side of the folded (one) page instruction sheet, a cover “page” showed a four-sided pictorial of the Rafale to be modeled. Folding that page out showed stencil markings for each drop tank type and the included adhesive, walkway masking sheet positions. The other side of the sheet showed where to apply all the aircraft stencils and Hellenic marking. A small separate sheet detailed the left side of the tail and colors to paint that.

Set 72-915 v2 included a large number of standard French Air Force Rafale B/C/M aircraft and included two decal sheets. One for markings and the other for stencils. A separate cover sheet showing each aircraft type represented in the set and a stapled booklet detailing the individual aircraft markings followed by pages dedicated to stencils for each aircraft version, pylons and drop tanks. This set also included adhesive masks to paint the walkway markings on either side of the cockpit.

I tested a couple of decals and found they performed as good as they looked on the sheet. They were thin, but quite strong, laid down on the model surface nicely and conformed to recessed panel lines beautifully.

I would recommend these decals to any modeler who wanted to build a stunning 1/72 scale Rafale or one of many other aircraft types that Syhart makes decals for.

Thank you very much to Syhart Decals and IPMS USA for the opportunity to review these wonderful decals.