Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Aeromaster Decals' 1/48 scale Texans Over Korea
will be available online from Squadron.com

The 50th anniversary of the Korean War is upon us and Eagle Strike Productions seem to be commemorating this with the issue of several different sheets covering the aircraft that participated.  As the title implies, this is the first of two sheets carrying markings for the North American 'Texan'.  Markings are provided for five different aircraft. 

AT-6D 42-85074 of the 6147th Tactical Control Group. 

The supplied markings depict the aircraft as it appeared in October 1952 whilst based at Seoul City airport.  The aircraft is in overall aluminium painted finish with an olive drab anti-glare, a black and yellow chequered cowl, early black and yellow theatre stripes on the wings and a red, yellow and blue striped fin tip.  Supplied markings consist of:

• The black chequers for the cowl – you will have to paint the cowl yellow.

• TA-074 'Buzz Number'.

• The red, yellow and blue stripes for the fin tip.  This marking is supplied as a one-piece decal.

• U.S. AIR FORCE and aircraft serial number for the fin.

The black and yellow theatre stripes for the wings are not supplied. 

LT-6G 49-3550 'Moan'n Lisa' of the 6148th Tactical Air Control Squadron. 

The markings depict her as she appeared in 1952 whilst based at Chunchon.  'Moan'n Lisa' is in overall aluminium painted finish with an olive drab anti-glare and a red fin tip.  The supplied markings consist of:

• LTA-550 'Buzz Number'.

• U.S. AIR FORCE and aircraft serial number for the fin.

• The red fin tip.

• Nose art in the form of the name Moan'n Lisa in red with black shadowing for both sides of the nose.

SNJ-5C Bureau number 51683 of the Joint Operations Center Korea. 

The aircraft is in overall aluminium painted finish with a black anti-glare.  The supplied markings consist of:

•  683 Modex number for the nose.  The '3' of the modex on the port side is applied over the intake and has been supplied in three different pieces to ease placement

• JOC Korea titles for the fuselage and fin.

• NAVY titles for the fuselage.

• Bureau number block for the rear fuselage.

LT-6D 49-3556 'Peggy' another 6148th Tactical Air Control Squadron machine from 1952. 

As per its squadron sister, it is in overall aluminium painted finish but sports a black anti-glare instead of an olive drab one.  The fin tip is also in red and the use of the red paint is extended to include the wing tips and red and white chequered main gear doors.  The main gear wheel covers are white with red concentric circles.  Supplied markings include:

• LTA-556 'Buzz Numbers'.

•  The name 'Peggy' in red for the nose

• U.S. AIR FORCE and aircraft serial number for the fin.

• The red fin and wingtips.

• The red and white chequers for the main gear doors.

• The red and white wheel covers.

AT-6D 42-85163 'Patches' of the 6147th Tactical Air Control Squadron. 

The aircraft is depicted as it appeared at Tageu in 1950.  The odd man out on the sheet, 'Patches' is in olive drab over neutral grey camouflage.  The artwork on the placement sheet shows it with a black anti-glare so perhaps it was originally in aluminium painted finish.  This aircraft also sports red fin and tail tips.  Markings consist of: 

• Yellow TA-163 'Buzz Numbers'.

• Yellow USAF titles for the wings – starboard upper and port lower. 

• Yellow U.S. AIR FORCE and aircraft serial number for the fin.

• The name 'Patches' in white.  This last decal is supplied in two parts as apparently, the aircraft received a replacement cowl at some stage and the 'Patches' became 'Pat'.

There are sufficient decals provided on the sheet to produce one of the USAF aluminium painted machines – there is only one set of black USAF titles and the Navy aircraft.  Find a further set of national markings from elsewhere and you can also produce the olive drab option.  There is no stencil data whatsoever on the sheet. 

The placement sheet is A-4 in size and in glorious full colour.  It shows left hand side profiles of the first four options and a right hand side view of the last option.  Scrap views are also provided for the wing tops and bottoms.  The artwork for the NAVY option shows the aircraft as a T-6.  Be aware that, as the Bureau number suggests, it really was an SNJ and as such it should be sporting a tail hook and a different tail wheel. There is a colour shot of this aircraft in the old Warbirds Illustrated Number 13 and it clearly shows this.  Whilst Eagle Strike does provide the wing and tail tip markings as decals, a note on the placement sheet states "Although provided, we suggest that you paint the wing and tail tips.  It looks so much better, and it is not difficult at all.  Try it, you will love it!" 

The decals themselves have been "printed in the USA'.  There is no identity as to the printer but they look (and smell!) very much like Microscale decals to me. 

The decals (there are two sheets – the main one which carries all of the decals except for a single USAF wing title and a smaller one which carries, you guessed it! the missing USAF wing title) and placement sheet come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag. 

This is a very nice sheet from Eagle Strike. 

The suggested kits are Revell/Monogram and Ocidental. 

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 28 October, 2003
Last updated 30 October, 2003

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