Colorful Crusaders

Part Five

 

AeroMaster Decals
 

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Aeromaster's 1/48 scale Colorful Crusaders Part Five is available online from Squadron.com

For fans of US Naval aviation, this sheet is a trip back to the days when gull grey and white was applied to airframes in an attempt to camouflage them and squadron painters did then best to make stand out!

This sheet is one of the two recently released by Aeromaster, and it provides markings for two F-8Es of the Atlantic fleet.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

First is a CAG bird, Bureau number 150352 of VF-62 “Boomers” whilst aboard the USS Shangri-La in 1963. I’m puzzled here that the bureau number supplied for the vertical stabilizer is 150915 whilst the data block has it as 150352. Maybe this was right as squadron painters do make mistakes but without positive information on this I’d be inclined to replace the 915 with 352. This would not be too onerous a task as the font style is readily available on various “numbers and letters” sheets.

The “Boomers’ ” yellow and black markings are provided as one-piece decals for the vertical stabilizer and tops and bottoms of the wings. The remainder of the markings are in black and include the 200 modex for the nose and wing top. The rest of the CAG modex are simple numeral “0”s and these are supplied for either side of the base of the rudder as well as the upper surface of the flaps. CVW-10’s AK airwing identifiers are supplied as part of the one-piece vertical stabilizer decal and as separate decal for the top of the right wing, USS Shangri-La, Navy titles, the Bureau number data block and canopy rails – with the pilot’s name - complete the markings for this aircraft.

Next is Bureau number 150303 of VF-103 (from a time when they were known as the “Sluggers”) when it served as the CO’s aircraft aboard the USS Forrestal.

VF-103’s markings are also black and yellow and consist of a large black outlined yellow arrow for the vertical stabilizer and yellow tips to the wings – again, outlined in black. You are given two options with the wing tip markings firstly, they are supplied as complete decals that you can carefully apply and trim to fit or as the simple black outline and you have to paint the yellow yourself. Other full-colour decals are the small “Sluggers” squadron insignia for the side of the fuselage behind the cockpit. Everything else is black and includes, 201 modex for the nose and top of the right wing, and as per the “Boomers” aircraft, the remainder of the modex are simple “01”s, Bureau numbers for the vertical stabilizer, Navy titles, USS Forrestal titles which are placed on the sides of the fuselage under the wing – not normal practice, AJ airwing identifiers for the vertical stabilizer and right hand wing top, and the Bureau number data block.

One complete set of national insignia is included. The port insignia is supplied in two parts to allow you to place the top half of it over the in-flight refuelling door if you opt for it to be open on your model. All of the national insignia is supplied as three part decals, i.e. you have to apply the red bars yourself.

Stencil data – one set only - is sparse and only the most visible of it is supplied. This may be an issue with modellers who desire every bit of stencil data but I suspect that it will not be an issue with most modellers.

The decals have been printed in Italy. My bet is by Cartograf. They are crisp, sharp and in perfect register. Decal placement is guided by a double-sided A-4 sized sheet which feature full colour side profiles and plan views. The sheet contains pertinent colour notes for each aircraft. It also advises you that the Monogram kit, the recommended one, needs to be converted by removing the ECM fairing at the top of the vertical stabilizer. The decals and placement guide are packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag.

This is an excellent sheet from Aeromaster. With the imminent release of the Hasegawa F-8 my bet is that this sheet will be popular.

Recommended.