Reviewed by Rodger Kelly 

Yellow Wings Decals are available online from Squadron

Here is something new from the people at Yellow Wings Decals. 32-001 is their first foray into 1/32 scale and they have celebrated this by issuing the initial sheet in their "Special" Survivors Series.

The sheet provides the markings for a single aircraft, SBD-2 Bureau number 2106 throughout her brief military career from July 1941 when she was assigned to VB-2 aboard the USS Lexington until her untimely demise in July 1943 when she was spun into Lake Michigan whilst serving with Carrier Qualification Training Unit, Naval Air Station Glenview.

Yellow Wings has chosen a significant machine to provide markings for. Apart from being the sole surviving SBD-2 above water, Bureau number 2106 was also present at Naval Air Station Ford Island on December 7, 1941 when the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force raided Pearl Harbour, took part in the early the early Pacific Fleet operations including the 10 March 1942 raid on Lae-Salamau in New Guinea, and when re-assigned to The United States Marine Corps' VMSB-241 participated in the decisive battle of Midway, surviving the attack on the Imperial Japanese Navy Ship Hiru, albeit with a wounded crew and at least 210 holes in her.

Markings are provided to enable you to replicate 2106 in the three different paint finishes she wore; her initial and highly colourful "yellow wing" scheme, the overall non-specular light grey, and the blue grey over light grey scheme. The final scheme has three different markings options including red and white rudder markings with red centre national markings, painted out but still visible red centre national markings, and her final markings of white star on blue circle background national insignia with white "plane in squadron" numbers and letters.

As with all of Yellow Wings Decals products, this sheet is backed up with extensive research and documentation. Yellow Wings provides six double-sided A-4 sized pages of information and drawings. Each marking variation has its own three-view black and white drawing whilst another sheet provides left-hand side profiles of each marking variation in colour with the artwork by well known Hyperscale contributor Rich Dann.

The other sheets provide a written history of 2106, a replica of a period document that provides the colours and markings worn by all of USS Lexington's SBD-2s by Bureau number, a list of all SBD-2s produced and their squadron/carrier assignments by Bureau number, and finally, a list of suggested model paint matches to official United States Navy and United States Marine Corps colours (Testors, Tamiya, and Gunze).

The suggested kit is the new Trumpeter SBD1-2 one (if you haven't seen this yet, it’s a beauty!) but I'm sure that you could use the old Matchbox one (suitably modified of course) if you really wanted to.

Be aware that you will also need to find the national insignia markings from elsewhere as they are not supplied on this sheet. For the first marking option, Yellow Wings sheet 32-002 will help you here and Yellow Wings advise that a future release (32-026) U.S. National insignia in the five different sizes will provide the national insignia you need. A further future release (32-009) will provide you with stencil data for the SBD
(-1, -2 and – 3)

The decals themselves are produced by Microscale and are well up to the products we are used to seeing from this benchmark company.

The decal sheet and the accompanying documentation are packed into the ubiquitous clear plastic zip-loc bag along with a full sized stiff cardboard header to stop everything from being bent and creased.

Another very nice product from Yellow Wings Decals!

Recommended.
 

Thanks to Yellow Wings Decals for the review sample.

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Review Copyright © 2006 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 17 July, 2006
Last updated 17 July, 2006

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