PAX River
F/A-18A, B, C, D, E, F

Bug Testers

1/48 scale

Afterburner Decals

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron

AD48-025 is amongst the latest batch of sheets produced by Afterburner Decals and heck, what a sheet it is!

The subjects on the sheet are all F/A-18s (one example of each of the Hornets series in-service to date) that are flown by VX-23 Salty Dogs based at the Naval Air Warfare Test Centre, Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, or Pax River as it more commonly known.  However, before looking at the sheet, it would be appropriate to have a look at the organisation that flies the aircraft depicted by Afterburner Decals.

VX-23’s role is that of supporting research, development, test and evaluation of fixed-wing tactical aircraft by providing pilots, maintenance services, safety oversight and facility support.  The Primary areas of their support includes flying qualities and performance evaluations, shipboard suitability, propulsion system testing, tactical aircraft mission systems testing, ordnance compatibility and ballistics efforts, reliability and maintainability assessments, flight fidelity simulation and flight control software development.  The Salty Dogs also provide government flight representatives, test monitoring, chase aircraft support, and facilities for contractor demonstration, validation, and development work involving tactical aircraft and associated systems.

The Squadron comprises around 40 officers (United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and foreign), 335 enlisted (United States Navy and United States Marine Corps), and 240 civil service and contractor employees directly involved with maintenance, planning, safety oversight and support of the squadron’s 30 odd F⁄A-18A⁄B⁄C⁄D⁄E⁄F Hornets and Super Hornets, as well as EA-6B Prowlers and T-45A⁄C Goshawks.  Additionally, the squadron is supported by hundreds of flight test engineers provided by the test and evaluation engineering competency and various contractors.  VX-23 conducts over 3,000 flight operations annually, totalling about 5,000 flight hours, much of which involves high-risk flight test.  VX-23 conducts operations from a facility that includes three large hangars and also operates and maintains a TC-7 catapult and MK-7 arresting gear facility.AX R

With the background out of the way, let’s have a look at what the guys at Afterburner Decals give us.

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The sheet provides markings for six different F/A-18s in all, an A, a B, a C, a D an E, and an F.  Details of each option are as follows:

• F/A-18A, Bureau Number 161925.  Depicted circa 1986 and the odd man out on the sheet, it is finished in a truly striking scheme of segmented black and white which was no doubt applied as a means of recording and thus comparing visual data collected during testing.  The machine wears the unflattering name of “D'Skunk” on either side of her spine undoubtedly bought about by her black and white colouring as well as full colour national insignia with a thin white outline to make it stand out from the black background.  Another oddity is that is wears the designator 7T on its vertical stabilisers rather than the SD Air Wing designator worn by Naval Air Warfare Centre Naval Aircraft Division aircraft at Patuxent River.   There appears to be a glitch on the artwork for the placement guide for this option in as much as the white portions of the national insignia have been omitted from the national insignia on the underside and the top halves on the ones on the fuselage sides – the decals however are perfect.

• F/A-18B, Bureau Number 161947 modex 323 from 2003 and finished in the Tactical Paint Scheme (TPS) finish of Federal Standard 36320 dark ghost grey over Federal Standard 36375 light ghost grey.  The machine wears SD Air Wing designator as well as VX-23’s segmented rudders (black stripes on the light ghost grey rudders) and unit logos of a stylised aircraft diving through a thunderbolt on her vertical stabilisers and the words STRIKE TEST on either side of her spine.  National insignia are lo-viz.

• F/A-18C, Bureau Number 163476 Modex 100 from 2003.  Camouflage is the standard TPS with segmented rudders and unit logos on her vertical stabilisers, SD Air Wing designators the words STRIKE TEST on either side of her spine.  National insignia are lo-viz.  The machine is liberally covered with black and white calibration markings that are used to analyse video and photographic captures to evaluate various aspects of a test flight (weapon separation is but one of the test regimes undertaken by VX-23).

• F/A-18D, Bureau Number 163986 modex 422 from 2003.  This option is marked in the same manner as the second option and her camouflage is the standard TPS with segmented rudders and unit logos on her vertical stabilisers, SD Air Wing designators the words STRIKE TEST on either side of her spine.  National insignia are lo-viz.

• F/A-18E, Bureau Number 165537 modex 100 from 2005.  In standard TPS finish, but with full colour unit markings on her vertical stabilisers – the rudder segments are now in dark blue, the lightning bolt is red and the stylised diving jet is white – and the title MARINES in red on the port side of her flanks (NAVY on the opposite) dark blue STRIKE TEST, SD and full colour national insignia.  The calibrations man has paid a visit to this bird too as she is liberally covered in calibration markings.  The placement guide illustrations for this (and the final) option have omitted the white portion of the unit insignia too – again, the supplied decals correctly depict the marking.

• F/A-18F, Bureau Number 165929 modex 421 from 2005.  This final option is finished in the same TPS and markings as the previous machine less the MARINES title and the calibration markings.

There is stencil data a plenty too including decals to simulate the blankets for the environmental system between the vertical stabilisers on the E and F options, a set of black walkways for the chines on the A option, three sets of national insignia (one with a white surround for the ‘D’Skunk’ option, a full colour set and a lo-viz set.  Two sets of tiny white squares to apply to the insides of the exhausts and warning placards for the ejector seats.  There is no placement guide for the last two items and a visit to the Afterburners website to look at the placement guide for their F/A-18E and F/A-18F stencil data set (48-017) will help you with this.  What appear to be two sets of slime lights are also provided and too, as a bonus, you get two sets of unit full colour logos to apply to an aftermarket intake covers should you wish to go this route.  As well as this, you also get a 75th Anniversary of Naval Aviation logo for the vertical stabiliser of the ‘D’Skunk’ option.  From what I can work out, you have enough decals (less the stencil data) to model three different options with the supplied decals.

The decals themselves have been printed by Cartograf.  The main sheet is large too at 193mm x 260mm (7?” x 10¼”) and it is absolutely crammed full of decals!  There are two sets of calibration markings provided too, a large selection on the main sheet as well as on a second smaller sheet.  These markings are all different too.   Everything on both sheets is in perfect register, sharply printed and clear.  The decals have been sized for the Hasegawa kit.

As with all of the Afterburner Decals sheets that I have seen, there is plenty of top quality support material to assist you.  This sheet gives you four A-4 sized sheets that assist you with decal placement and you are going to need it if you want to model an option that features the photographic calibration markings!  To this end, there is a separate a-4 sized sheet that has large scrap views of the pylons and fuselage sides so you can get it right.  The ‘D’Skunk’ option is well provided for too having plan, side and scrap views.

The decal sheet and support material come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag.

Another excellent release from the guys at Afterburner Decals.  The markings provided will enable you to produce a Hornet operated by VX-23 from 1986 to 2005 and they will certainly stand out covered in all those calibration markings!

Recommended.

Thanks to Afterburner Decals for the review sample.

Review Copyright © 2008 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 5 March, 2008
Last updated 5 March, 2008

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