Reviewed by Rodger Kelly 

Yellow Wings Decals are available online from Squadron

72-002 and 72-026 from Yellow Wings Decals provide colourful pre-WWII markings for the Douglas TBD-1 Devastator.  As both sheets are dedicated to the same aircraft, I have combined both sheets into a single review. 

Each sheet provides markings for no less than 12 Section Leader's machines.  72-002 covers aircraft from VT-2 (USS Lexington) and VT-3 USS Saratoga) whilst 72-026 carries markings for VT-5 (USS Yorktown) and VT-6 (USS Enterprise). 

The markings common to both sheets include fuselage side codes, numbers for top of each wing, propeller warning stripes (just love these!), U.S. Navy titles, individual Bureau numbers for each aircraft, aircraft designations (i.e. TBD-1), and Battle Es where appropriate.  Unit insignia is also provided but these are carried on smaller, separate sheets. 

Where the sheets differ is that 72-002 carries Section Leader fuselage stripes and no wing chevrons, whilst 72-026 carries the wing chevrons but no Section Leader fuselage stripes!   

Be aware that the national insignia is not carried by either sheet and you will have to source separately – Yellow Wings produces these on their 72-001 sheet. 

Yellow Wings provides supporting information in the form of two A-4 sized pages (printed on both sides) which show three view black and white drawings of representative machines from each squadron on the front along with a potted history of the Devastator and further left and right hand profiles of a single machine on the back as well as table showing commonly available model paints matched to official United States Navy and United States Marine Corps colours. 

The decals themselves have been printed by Microscale.  They are thin, exhibit an absolute minimum of carrier film and are in perfect register. 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

The decal sheets (there are two in each product) and the supporting information sheets/placement guides are packed into a clear plastic zip-loc bag along with a stiff cardboard header that stops the decal sheet from being bent and creased. 

The recommended kit is the new Valom one. 

If you choose not to by both sheets you will have to paint either the wing chevrons or the Section Leaders fuselage bands.  Not an onerous task really but it would have been nice to have both on each of the sheets.

Even with this small gripe, I have no hesitation in recommending both sheets.

Recommended.
 

Thanks to Yellow Wings Decals for the review sample.

Review Copyright © 2006 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 10 August, 2006
Last updated 10 August, 2006

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