Wild Boars
Mountain Home F-15C/D Eagles

Afterburner Decals, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron

The guys at Afterburner decals must like the F-15 Eagles of the 366th Fighter Wing as this is the second sheet that they have produced that feature them.  This time it’s the 390th Squadron Wild Boars of the 366th Fighter Wing based at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Mountain Home, Elmore County, Idaho that get the treatment.

Markings are provided for four of their machines all of which are finished in a disruptive pattern of FS 36176 Dark Mod Eagle Grey over FS 36251 Light Mod Eagle Grey.

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Details of each option are as follows:

• F-15C 86-0157 from 2006.  The Squadron Commanders bird, she carries pretty well standard markings which include full colour Air Command Shields, black (with white “shadowing”) MO designator codes, squadron titles and serials on her vertical stabilisers as well as full colour squadron and wing shields on her left and right intakes (respectively).  A black outline eagle features on the inside faces of her vertical stabilisers along with chord wise light blue flashes.   The tops of the outer faces of the vertical stabilisers feature a darker blue banner with the title “Boar Lead”. The leading edge of the band has a stylised boar’s head.  These latter markings are provided as a three-part decal.  Pilot/ground crew names feature on a white outlined boar’s head banner on either side of the nose beneath the cockpit.

• F-15D 86-0181 from 2003.  In what are essentially similar markings as the first option with the exception of the replacement of the Boar Lead titles with the words Wild Boars and different pilot/ground crew names.

• F-15C 86-0146 from 2006.  More of the same with this option wearing the same markings bar the serials and pilot/ground crew names as the previous one.

• F-15C 86-168 from 2006.  The same markings bar the serials and pilot/ground crew names are worn by this option too.

You get but a single normal sized decal sheet that carries the vast majority of the markings and stencil data as well as two smaller ones that carry the Boar Lead and Wild Boar banners with this set.  The decals themselves have been printed by Cartograf and everything is in perfect register even the intricate Wing, Air Combat Command and Squadron shields.

You get two pretty comprehensive sets of stencil data as well as two sets of Air Combat Command, Wing and Squadron shields so you can get two 1/48 scale F-15s from the sheet.  Also hidden amongst the stencil data is a set of white 390 AMU WILD BOARS titles that you can apply to intake covers should you wan to go the lengths of fabricating them.

The supporting information/placement guide sheets are just superb.  You get two A-4 sized pages printed on glossy paper that have colour side profiles of each option as well as single generic upper and lower plan views.  Stencil data placement is guided via a full A-4 sized sheet that show larger reproductions of the data so as you can identify it.  A smaller weapons and stores configuration diagram is also provided.

Further reference on the machines that feature on this sheet is provided in the form of 67 bright sharp and clear images on the Afterburner Decals web site at http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a396/AfterburnerDecals/390th/  There are some great shots of the afterburner cans minus the “turkey feathers” amongst them.

The decals have been sized to fit the Hasegawa kit.

The decal sheet and the information sheets/placement guides come packed in a clear plastic zip loc bag.

This is another first class effort from Afterburner Decals.

Recommended.

Thanks to Afterburner Decals for the review sample

Review Copyright © 2008 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 27 May, 2008
Last updated 27 May, 2008

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