S u m
m a r y
|
| Catalogue
Number: |
GG48-003 - Aggressive
Scooters |
| Scale: |
1/48 |
| Contents and
Media: |
Two decal sheets (one
full-size, one smaller); four sheets of single sided, full color
instructions; one folded 8.5 x 11 inch notebook page |
| Price: |
AUD$18 each plus $3
postage and handling |
| Review Type: |
FirstLook |
| Advantages: |
Good variety of schemes;
high quality decals with perfect registration; accurate schemes;
attractive colour artwork; good quality notes on individual aircraft and
colours; four-views included in instructions |
| Disadvantages: |
ALPS printed main black
sheet |
| Recommendation: |
Highly Recommended |
Reviewed by David W. Aungst
HyperScale is proudly supported by
Squadron.com
Gekko Graphics amazed the modeling community last year with
there well designed and thoroughly researched decals for the A-4G/K Skyhawks in
New Zealand service. It has been too long coming, but Gekko Graphics has finally
released their next decal sheet. Still for the A-4 Skyhawk, the new sheet
provides four aircraft from the Naval Fighter Weapons School (NFWS), "Topgun".
The package for these decals arrives as thick as the New Zealand decals were
last year. Stuffed inside the zip-lock bag are two decal sheets, a color cover
page highlighting all four aircraft provided in the package, four full color
half-page camouflage diagrams, and one folded 8.5 x 11 inch notebook page with
further descriptions about the aircraft. The instructions, besides looking great
in full color, are priceless in that they provide full four-view coverage of
each of the four aircraft. This keeps right in line with the high standards of
research that Gekko set for their products last year.
The decals are broken down into two sheets. The larger sheet provides all the
black and white markings and the metallic gold name blocks (the scan above does
not show the metallic name blocks correctly, they are true metallic gold). This
large sheet is printed on an ALPS printer. The smaller sheet provides all the
various color markings for the aircraft. This includes rescue markings and the
Topgun unit badges. The smaller sheet is silk-screen printed the same as most
other decal manufacturers.
The four aircraft provided on the sheet are each very different from the
others, making the sheet very useful and making it so there is something that
most everybody will like. The four aircraft on the sheet are really only two
real aircraft with one version for one aircraft and three different versions for
a second aircraft. They are as follows.
|
#1: A-4E 152080, 1992. This aircraft is provided in a very
interesting green/brown sort-of wraparound tiger stripe pattern.
|
|
#2: A-4E 150023. This is a blue/gray mottled scheme. This is the
camouflage the aircraft wore when it retired from Topgun in the late 1980s.
|
| |
|
#3: A-4E 150023. This is a version of the Heater-Ferris scheme as
seen on the F-4S aircraft of VF-301 and VF-302. I have never been able to
pin down a date on this scheme. Attributes of the airframe would indicate it
occurred in the middle 1980s, just before the blue/gray scheme provided by
option #2. |
|
#4: A-4E 150023, October 1980. This is a brown/tan mottled scheme.
This is the scheme the aircraft wore in October of 1980, just prior to when
this same aircraft wore the MiG scheme. If you compare this camouflage to
the MiG scheme, you will note the pattern of the brown and tan is identical
between the two schemes. This aircraft was simply masked over and light gray
was added to make the silhouette of the MiG 17 using this already present
camouflage pattern. |
For my own purposes, the three versions of 150023 on this decal sheet are
very welcome. I have a group project I want to build (someday) that encompasses
all seven schemes worn by 150023 in Topgun service. Between TwoBobs and this
Gekko sheet, I have five of the seven versions covered.
Richard is killing me with his Skyhawk sheets.
As if I did not already have enough Skyhawks that I wanted to build, he has
added another definite project to my growing "Skyhawks to build" list. I
actually want to build all four versions on this sheet, but the three 150023
versions were already on my list. Richard only answered my prayers and provided
the decals to build them without having to move mountains to com up with the
markings.
Highly Recommended
Thanks to Gekko Graphics for the review samples
Gekko Graphics decals are
available online from their website
Review Copyright © 2003 by
David W. Aungst
This Page Created on 23 July, 2003
Last updated 14 August, 2003
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