Reviewed by Rodger Kelly
 

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CAM’s 48-077 sheet provides markings for two of the brightest CAG birds that you could ever want to see! Both aircraft are painted in the standard F/A-18 Tactical Paint Scheme (TPS) of FS 36320 dark ghost grey over FS 36375 light ghost grey with the radome being tan with a bare metal tip.

First is F/A-18C Bureau number 164200 of VFA-105 “Gunfighters” off the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1994. The majority of the markings on this aircraft are in the Squadron’s colours of green and yellow. Just about all of them in fact! The only markings on the aircraft that seemed to have escaped the men with the green and yellow paint seem to be the “do not paint” stencils for the UHF/IFF antennas, the F/A-18C of the Bureau number, the VF-105 scripts for the wing drop tanks, and the Squadron’s black chess piece Knight on a white background.

Next is a Pacific Fleet aircraft, F/A-18C Bureau number 163705 of VFA-25 “Fist of the Fleet” when it was flying of the USS Independence during Op Desert Shield in 1990. These markings are a good example of the “Black Tailed CAG” era of US Naval aviation.

All of the standard markings carried by Hornets are in grey are supplied. These include the stencil data, stars and bars, and Navy scripts. The NK airwing identifiers, CAG (for the left side) and DCAG (for the right hand side), and ships titles are in yellow to contrast against the black of the vertical stabilizers.

Modex 400s, VFA-25, “Fist” titles (for the strake/fence on the LEX) and stencilled squadron insignia for the drop tanks are in black.

The CAG rainbow has been made larger than the fin so that you have plenty to play with to get it into the correct position. Once you have it right trim off the excess by carefully sanding it away. Remember that the rainbow stops at the end of the fairings for the high band antennas and does not protrude on to the antenna caps.

The artwork and printing on this sheet is superb. There are some tricky printing tasks involved in producing this sheet and all of the designs and they have been carried off perfectly with everything in exact register. The colours are also perfect. There are three different shades of yellow on the “Fisters” aircraft and the differences in hue have all been faithfully reproduced.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Decal placement is via the standard CAM method using an A-4 sheet in landscape format with side profiles and plan views. Each of the decals are numbered with the corresponding location on the instruction sheet numbered as well, removing any confusion as to where they are supposed to go. The cardboard header; as well as protecting the decal sheets, also provides coloured side profiles of each aircraft.

The second sheet provides two sets of wing walks, each in a different colour.

The decals, instructions and header are packed in a clear plastic Ziploc bag and the decals themselves have been printed by Microscale.

Markings for both of these aircraft have been produced by other decal companies but this is by far the best representation of them that I have seen. This is an excellent sheet from the guys at CAM.

Recommended.

Thanks to Brookhurst Hobbies for the review sample.

CAM Decals are available online from their website at http://www.camdecals.com and from Brookhurst Hobbies

CAM Decals 59 page 2002 color catalog of decals and resin parts is also
now available through the CAM Decals website

Review Copyright © 2002 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 09 November, 2002
Last updated 14 August, 2003

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