Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Aeromaster Decals' 1/48 scale Mosquito Best Seller Part I
is available online from Squadron.com

Eagle Strike Productions is (thankfully) revising and re-releasing their earlier sheets covering the De Havilland Mosquito – the world's first truly multi-role combat aircraft. 

48175 is the first sheet in the Best Sellers series covering the Mosquito and it provides markings for four machines.  They are: 

FB Mk VI RS625.  The markings depict at the time when it was assigned to the Royal Air Force's 143 Squadron as a part of the Banff Strike Wing.  This aircraft was flown by Squadron Leader David Pritchard to carry out anti shipping operations along the Norwegian coast in 1945.  It wears a camouflage finish of extra dark sea grey upper surfaces over sky under surfaces.  It displays a little colour in the form of yellow spinners with white stripes.  The provided markings are:

• NE squadron and individual aircraft D codes in black with a yellow outline.
• Black RS625 serials.
• A pair of 24" fin flashes.
• A pair of type C upper wing roundels.  These are supplied as a two-part decal with the red centres as separate decals.
• A pair of type C1 fuselage roundels.  Again, with separate red centres.

FB Mk VI LR347.  Another machine of the Banff strike wing, this time from 248 Squadron and crewed by Flight Lieutenant Stanley G. Nun and Flying Officer C.M. Carlin.  Camouflage is as per the previous option with the exception that has extra dark sea grey spinners and sports a complete set of D-Day markings.  The provided markings are: 

• Individual aircraft T code letter in red.
• Black LR437 serials
• A pair of 24" fin flashes
• A pair of Type B upper wing roundels – one-piece decals this time.
• A pair of Type C1 fuselage roundels with separate red centres.

NF II DZ717 of 605 Squadron Castle Camps in the June of 1943 as flown by Flight Lieutenant D.H. Blomey.  It is in the night intruder camouflage scheme of medium sea grey and dark green upper surface camouflage over night undersides and medium sea grey spinners.  The provided markings are: 

• UP squadron and U individual aircraft codes in red.
• Red DZ717 serial
• A pair of 24" fin flashes.
• A pair of Type B upper wing roundels – one piece.
• A pair of Type C1 fuselage roundels – with separate red centres.
• A pair of white letter Os for the nose.  Only one is required so I guess that the second one is supplied in case the first one is not opaque enough over the night undersides.
• A scoreboard comprising 13 swastikas, 11 of then in grey and one in white.

The final option is FB Mk VI A52-525 (RAF serial HR505) of 1 Squadron 86th Attack Wing RAAF at Labuan, Borneo in July 1945.  The machine is in overall silver dope finish (no masking required!).  The supplied markings are: 

• Black NA squadron and J individual aircraft codes.
• Black A52-525 serial.
• A pair of RAAF Pacific theatre markings fin flashes.
• RAAF pacific theatre markings roundels for the fuselage and the upper surfaces of the wings.

1 Squadron aircraft normally (but not always) carried their individual aircraft letter on the nose, in this case the letter J.  A52-525 also purportedly carried door art consisting of a cartoon bikini-clad girl with the words Lady Luck.  Neither of these markings is supplied on the sheet nor is there any stencil data whatsoever. 

The placement guide is the standard A4 sized sheet with full colour port side profiles of each option in the centre pages with smaller top and bottom plan views on the back page. 

The decals have been "Printed in Mexico".  They are very well printed, thin and in perfect register. 

The recommended kits are the Airfix and Tamiya ones. 

The decal sheet and placement guide come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag. 

This is a nice sheet from Eagle Strike Productions. 

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 © 2004 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 03 February, 2004
Last updated 11 March, 2005

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