Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Aeromaster Decals' 1/48 scale Deadly Demons Part II
is available online from Squadron.com
 

Eagle Strike Productions sheet 48183 is the second sheet in a planned four-sheet coverage of the McDonnell F-3 Demon.  This sheet also provides markings for an aircraft, of the Pacific Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet.  Both machines are in light gull grey over white camouflage with black anti-glare panels, radome and fin tip/wing-tip antennas.  The individual aircraft are: 

F-3H-2N Demon, Bureau number 133564d, a four-gunnned aircraft, of VF-82 Iron Men. It wears red diamonds on a white background on the tips of the wings and horizontal stabilizers.  The markings depict it from 1958 when it was at Naval Air Station Oceana, dis-embarked from the USS Forrestal.  The provided markings are: 

·        Black 112 modex for the nose. 

·        White diamond markings for the wing and horizontal stabilizer tips.  These are two-part decals to ease placement but you will have to paint the tips red first. 

·        Red and white diamond trims for the rudder and rear of the sliding portion to the canopy.  This time, they are one-piece decals and incorporate the red as well.  This decal also incorporates a red horizontal band that is applied chord-wise across the vertical stabilizer.  Extra red decal is provided to assist with patching if required. 

·        Black VF-82 titles. 

·        Bureau number block. 

·        'Last four' of the Bureau number for the base of the vertical stabilizer. 

·        Black AJ airwing identifier code. 

F3H-2 Demon, Bureau number 143440, another four-gunned machine of VF-193 Ghost Riders, from Naval Air Station Moffett Field in 1958.  The provided markings are: 

• Black 303 modex for the nose, and upper right wing.  A smaller numeral 3 is also provided for the fincap.

·        Blue 'swoose' squadron insignia to both sides of the fuselage.

·        Blue diamond tail markings incorporating NM airwing identifiers. This is a one-piece decal with the NM airwing identifier thinly outlined in white. 

·        Black NM airwing identifiers for the top of the right wing.  This last decal is provided in two pieces to ease placement around the wing fence.

·        'Last four' of the Bureau number for the base of the vertical stabilizer.

·        Bureau number block.

The remainder of the decals are:

• As with the Part I sheet, one complete set of national insignia and large black Navy titles to share between both options:  The national insignia for the top of the left wing is provided as a two part decal to enable you to apply it on either side of the wing fence.   The red 'bar' of the national insignia is provided as separate decals.
• Two sets of wing walks are provided.  A black pair for the VF-82 option and a grey pair for the VF-193 machine.  A single black anti-glare and black stripes for the arrestor hook frame are also provided.  These items are excellent as it saves you some tricky masking!
• A set of red intake warning triangles.

·        A pair of black-painted gun panel.  Oddly, Eagle Strike supplies the larger panel but not the smaller one (for both options).

• A single set of ejector seat warning triangles.
• A red rescue arrow.
• Five various tan antenna for the underside of the fuselage – again an excellent inclusion as it saves masking!

The placement guide is A-4 in size and shows left hand and right hand side colour profiles of both options, as well as a plan view of the topsides and scrap views of the wing under surfaces.  A fairly complete list of references is provided including the "bible", the Ginter book Naval Fighters Number 12. 

The decals have been "printed in Mexico" and look to be every bit as good as the stuff we see from Microscale.  Everything is in perfect register, the colours look to be pretty right and the decals opaque.  

The suggested kit is the Grand Phoenix one but the placement sheet advises that they may be used on the other two Demon kits that are available (but eclipsed by the Grand Phoenix one) with some adjustment.

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

An excellent sheet from Eagle Strike Productions. 

Note   Both of these machines were equipped with the "short" beaver tail.  You can modify the kit part if you want but Airies have already produced a resin replacement "short tail" that will save you a lot of time. http://acc.kitreview.com/aires4232reviewrk_1.htm 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Footnote

It is great to see that Eagle Strike have taken the risk of providing aftermarket sheets for a limited run kit.  I hope that they sell out and the experience encourages them to produce further sheets for obscure subjects.

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 © 2005 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 14 February, 2005
Last updated 16 February, 2005

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