Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Aeromaster Decals' 1/48 scale Colorful Corsairs
will be available online from Squadron.com

Sheet number 48118 is the second part in Eagle Strike Productions two-part coverage of the A-7 Corsair II. 

More of the same stuff with this sheet.  Bright, colourful markings on a canvas of gull grey and white. 

Markings are provided for three A-7Es.  Two from the Atlantic Fleet, as well as a solitary Pacific Fleet machine, the only one between the two sheets. 

Bureau number 156851, the CAG aircraft of VA-174 'Hellrazors'.  The markings depict the aircraft as it was in December, 1974.  Finish is gull grey and white with a white vertical stabilizer and nose radome. 

Markings include:

• A black outlined yellow block with the pilot's name in black lettering for the forward fuselage below the windscreen.

• 400 Modex in black for the nose, fin cap and a further pair for the top of the flaps.

• VA-174 titles in black for the dorsal strake.

• Abbreviated bureau number for the base of the fin.

• Bureau number block in black for the rear fuselage.

• Unit markings that consist of a multi-coloured triangle (each colour depicting a different squadron within the airwing) with a black outlined yellow diamond that contains a stylized black AD airwing identifier.  The two markings are separated by a thin white strip.  This strip is incorporated in the one-piece decal and further separate ones are also provided.

• Another unit marking consisting of a black stripe with yellow diamonds that is placed chord-wise across the top of the fin and rudder.

Another CAG bird, Bureau number 158831, of VA-105 'Gunslingers'.   Finish is gull grey and white with a white radome.  Markings include: 

• A green outlined white block with the pilot's name in green lettering for the forward fuselage below the windscreen.

• 400 Modex in black with a white shadow for the nose, as well as a set of plain black ones for the top of the flaps.  The ones for the nose are in two parts.  A further set of 00s are also provided for the fin cap.  These are incorporated onto a one-piece decal that includes the white of the fin cap along with a thin black stripe at the base of the fin cap.  Another set of 00s are and stripes are provided for the fin cap, this time without the white background.

• USS Saratoga titles and the Bureau number block in black for the rear fuselage.

• A 'Battle E' award consisting of a green shield with white shadowing for the fuselage above the national insignia.

• Unit markings that consist of a multi-coloured chevron (again, each colour depicting a different squadron within the airwing) with a black knight's head –as in the chess piece – on a gull grey circle background and VA-105 tiles in black at the base.

• Stylised AC airwing identifier in green with black shadowing for the rudder.

The last option is a Pacific Fleet aircraft – the only one on both sheets – Bureau number 160880 (the placement sheet and the decal incorrectly show it as 150880 which was really a Vought F8U-2NE Crusader) of VA-93 'Ravens' circa 1982.  Finish is gull grey and white with dark blue trim on the top of the vertical stabilizer and fin cap and a white radome.  The placement guide advises that the nose radome may have been black and the photo of the aircraft in the Bert Kinzey Colours and Markings book does show it with a dark coloured radome.   You will have to paint the blue trim your self as no decal is provided.  Markings include:

• 313 Modex in black for the nose and the top of the flaps with a set of abbreviated 13s in white for the fin cap. 

• Stylised NF airwing identifier in black for the vertical stabilizer.

• USS Midway titles and the Bureau number block in black for the rear fuselage.  As stated above this is the wrong Bureau number.  If you are keen on producing this option simply slice the offending '5' off and replace it with the '6' from the first option's Bureau number.

• Unit markings that consist of a pair of red and blue stylised jets with red exhaust for the base of the vertical stabilizer.

• Blue and white stripes for the rudder.

• Small stencil style VA-93 titles in black for the base of the fin strake.

• VA-93's shark mouth markings for the sides of the fuselage immediately behind the intake.

As with the Colourful Corsairs Part 1, each option has its own set of national insignia, NAVY titles, intake warnings and basic stencilling.  The stencilling is mainly confined to the larger, more visible data such as the rescue arrows, rescue information and ejection seat triangles. 

Two separate sheets are included.  The larger one contains the minority of individual markings and the second, smaller sheet carries a set of NAVY and USS Saratoga titles as well as the alternative fin cap 00s for the second option, and all of the national insignia and stencil data. 

The decals have been 'printed in Italy' by Cartograf'.  Everything is in perfect register.  The decals are glossy and there is an absolute minimum of carrier film surrounding each subject.  Cartograf decals are not as easy to use as other aftermarket ones – read Microscale - but do give the same results if your are patient and use settling solution. 

The placement sheet is A-4 in size and in full-colour.  It shows left hand side profiles of each option, a close-up of the nose of a generic A-7 (to show where the stencil data goes) and a smaller generic top-view.  The rear of the placement sheet also has a comprehensive guide to applying decals. 

The decals and placement guide are packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag. 

The recommended kit is the Hasegawa one. 

The minor goof with the Bureau number apart, this is another nice sheet from Eagle Strike. 

Recommended.

Thanks to AeroMaster / Eagle Strike Products for the review sets

On-line sales are available from the AeroMaster Products / Eagle Strike Productions web site.
 

Review TextCopyright © 2003 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 31 October, 2003
Last updated 31 October, 2003

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