Post-War Seafires
Griffon Engined

Freightdog Decals, 1/48

Reviewed by Brett Green

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Freightdog Models was very quick off the mark with a new decal sheet as soon as the Airfix 1/48 scale Seafire Mk.XVII was announced last year. In fact, this sheet has been available for a couple of months already, while the Airfix kit is only just hitting the hobby shop shelves in the UK.

Freightdog Models has provided markings for nine Griffon-powered Seafires in this release. There is plenty of variety, with three Seafire Mk.XVs, four Seafire Mk.XVIIs, one FR.46 and one FR.47. A nice rage of finishes is being offered too - one in High Speed Silver (paint, not bare metal), and several each in high-demarcation Sky / Extra Dark Sea Grey, and the temperate scheme of Sky / Dark Slate Grey / Extra Dark Sea Grey.

The recommended kits are the new Seafire Mk.XVII and the older (but still sublime) Seafire Mk.46/47. For the Seafire Mk.XV options, you could always use the flawed Hobbycraft kit (although it is nowhere near as bad as the Hobbycraft Spitfire Mk.XIV) or the ARII/Otaki kit with the Aeroclub conversion; but you now also have the option of kitbashing the wings of the new Airfix Seafire XVII with the fuselage of the Airfix Spitfire XII.

The nine options are as follows:

• Mk.XVII SX311/167 of 1833 RNVR 1952;

• Mk.XVII SX370/HF (overall HSS with trainer bands) of 728 Sqn Hal-Far 1950;

• Mk.XV SR572/112 of 1832 RNVR 1949; FR.47 VP480/180 of 800 NAS on HMS Triumph 1950 (Korean Stripes);

• Mk.XVII SX159/102 of 1831 RNVR 1946 (Temperate scheme);

• Mk.XV PR419/107 of 790 NAS 1946 (Temperate scheme);

• Mk.XV PR474/6-11 HMS Glory touring Australia 1946, and of specific interest to me, Bankstown Airport, just down the road from where I live and where I learnt to fly (temperate with BFP roundel and bar on fuselage only);

• Mk.XVII SX235/101 of 1831 RNVR 1951

• and lastly FR.46 LA545/110 of 1833 RNVR 1948 (Temperate scheme).

To make room for all nine options on the A5 sheet, 'D' type roundels and stencil markings are not included. You will be able to source the stencils, the fuselage and upper wing roundels from the Cartograf-printed Airfix decal sheet, but a trip to the spares box will be required for the lower "D" roundels for four of the options.

The decals are glossy, in register and perfectly printed. The carrier film is thin and close to the border of all the markings.

Instructions are on three double-sided A4 sheets folded to create a 12 page booklet. Each subject is covered in four-view colour illustrations plus specific notes on colours and markings. Paints are called out as BS and FS numbers, and by brand - Humbrol, Xtracolor, Xtracrylix, Lifecolour and ModelMaster.

The first run of 200 sheets sold out even before the new Airfix kit was released, so Colin has had another 200 sheets printed. The only difference between the two print runs is that the red circles in the roundels are printed separately in the new version.

There are some very interesting Seafire marking options here, so if you want to use some on your various Airfix kits, you'd better be quick!

Thanks to Freightdog Models for the sample.

Freightdog Models and Decals are available online fron their website

Review Copyright © 2011 by Brett Green
Page Created 10 June, 2011
Last updated 10 June, 2011

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