North American RA-5C Vigilantes

1/48 scale

Victory Productions

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

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48007 covering the North American RA-5C Vigilante is the latest sheet decal sheet from Victory Productions. 

As with the other sheets we have seen from them, Victory Productions don’t do things by halves!  Everything about the sheet is big, the aircraft, the markings and the decal sheet itself - 8" x 10½" and there is very little spare space on the sheet between the markings.  

Markings are provided for nine different machines and they are: 

• 151615 belonging to RVAH-1 of CVW-7 off the USS Independence in October, 1965.

• 149297, RVAH-6, CVW-2, USS Ranger in early 1968.

• 149313, RVAH-6, USS Constellation in late 1966.

• 150831, RVAH-7, CVW-11, USS Kitty Hawk in 1972.

• 156621, RVAH-9, CVW-8, USS Nimitz, 1976-1977.

• 156614, RVAH-11, CVW-11, USS Constellation, 1971-1972.

• 147858 (or) 145157, RVAH-11, CVW-7 USS Kitty Hawk late summer/early fall of 1967.

• 156640, RVAH-12, CVW-12, USS Enterprise, 1975.

• 151627, RVAH-13, CVW-11, USS Kitty Hawk, 9 March 1967

With the Vigilante wearing a vast array of markings, it must have been hard for the guys at Victory Productions to choose what aircraft they were going to include on this sheet.  You can't please everyone I guess but I think they have chosen wisely and have included some pretty famous ones including the second option, RVAH-1's 151615 which was the first to photograph the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" in early 1968. 

The research that must have gone into producing this sheet is reflected in the notes contained on the back of the placement guide – which is by the way the same size as the decal sheet - 8" x 10½".  The sheet is jammed full of notes – in what I'd guess at as 6 font on each of the options which gives a potted history of the machine, what was noteworthy about it and how it was painted and marked.  The front of the placement guide is in full colour and gives you a side profile of each aircraft.  

The decal sheets (there are two of them, the larger main sheet as well as a smaller one that carries a set of standard and smaller – for the camouflaged machines -  national insignia as well as a set of red intake markings and various stencil data, rescue information and ejection seat triangles) have been produced in Italy by Cartograf.  They are beautifully printed thin and in perfect register.  The colours used look pretty right to me too.  The decals and placement are packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag. 

The recommended kit is the Trumpeter one.  It has been written that the Trumpeter kit represents a "1516" build machine.  If this is correct, then you can only use four sets of markings from the sheet.  However, like most, I would expect a blind eye being turned to this fact and "modellers licence" being used in using these decals! 

In summary, this is another excellent effort from Victory Productions.  It not only supplies you with some truly great markings, it also provides you with detailed individual histories of each of the machines.  If you area fan of the gull grey and white era of US Naval aviation you are going to love this sheet.

Heartily Recommended!

Thanks to Victory Productions for the review sample

Review Copyright © 2005 by Rodger Kelly
Page Created 10 May, 2005
Last updated 10 May, 2005

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