Boeing F/A-18E VFA-27
Royal Maces 2004 – 2008

Afterburner Decals, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

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Afterburner Decals continues its sterling coverage of the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet squadrons with this latest sheet. 

AD48-048 provides markings for the F/A-18E Super Hornets of VFA-27, the 'Royal Maces' between 2004 and 2008 when they were embarked aboard the USS Kitty Hawk as a part of Carrier Air Wing Five.

In a departure from their normal format of both a featured squadron’s CAG and line birds, this sheet provides markings for just the aircraft assigned to the CAG, the Commanding, and the Executive Officers of the squadron with the sheets’ main focus being the different markings worn by the CAG aircraft from 2004 through to 2008.

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Eight different sets of markings are provided in all.  The individual markings schemes and aircraft are as follows:

• The CAG bird, Bureau number 165860, modex 200.  This aircraft is finished in the basic Tactical Paint Scheme (TPS) worn by the F/A-18E comprising Federal Standard 36320 (dark ghost grey) upper surfaces over Federal Standard 36375 (light ghost grey) undersides.  Being a CAG bird though, it wears colour in the form of black vertical stabilisers and the upper surface/spine of the fuselage.  These black areas are trimmed in yellow to make up a visually striking machine.   Markings are provided for this machine as it appeared in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.  The main changes are to the various names that appear on the airframe to reflect the changes of command of the squadron and the Air Wing.  Other changes include the changing of the CAG title on the tops of the vertical stabilisers to CVW-5 from 2007 and the wearing of “Battle E” and “Battle S” awards on the 2006 and 2007 versions.

• The Commanding Officer’s machine Bureau number 165861, modex 201.  This aircraft wears the standard TPS as well as lo-viz markings.  The wearing of lo-viz markings on a CO’s bird is unusual as, whilst they generally do not wear the same full colour markings as the CAG bird, they do wear some colour in their unit markings.  Alas, this option looks just like a plain old line bird!  The markings depict it from 2005 and 2006.  Again, the only changes are to reflect the changes in command.

• The final option is Bureau number 165862, modex 202, the Executive Officer’s aircraft.  More of the same with this option in that it wears the standard TPS with all of it’s markings in grey and black.

The decals have been printed by Cartograf (gee they must be a busy company!)  You get two separate sheets in the bag, a normal sized one that carries the vast majority of the squadron markings as well as what looks to be two comprehensive sets of stencil data.  The other sheet carries the yellow trim for the spine and vertical stabiliser markings of the CAG bird (you will have to paint the fin caps yourself as no decal is provided) as well as all of modex numbers and two sets of slime lights.  As you would expect from Cartograf, the decals are all in perfect register and are sharp and clear. Even the warning placards are legible - under magnification of course!  The decals have been sized for Hasegawa kit.

Placement guide/support information is provided on three sheets of good quality glossy sheets that are just shy of A-4 in size.  One sheet carries a guide to the placement of stencil data, another carries an upper surface view of the CAG bird to show the extent of the black and yellow markings on the front with the reverse showing left hand side profiles of the CO’s and XO’s machines.  The final sheet shows left hand side profiles of each rendition the CAG bird on the front whilst the rear carries a “load out” chart.

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

So there you have it, another excellent decal sheet from Afterburner Decals. 

AD48-048 from Afterburner Decals provides you with first rate decals and support information for five different marking options for the Maces colourful CAG bird as well as three lo-viz options.

Footnote

I had the great fortune to go aboard the USS Kitty Hawk in 2008 and watch the Royal Maces’ Super Hornets in action and at rest.

To assist you in finishing you next 1/48 scale Hasegawa Super Hornet, I have forwarded a selection of images that I took of the CAG bird to Brett who will no doubt upload them into a reference page on Hyperscale.

Enjoy!

Thanks to Afterburner Decals for the sample

Review Copyright © 2009 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 19 May, 2009
Last updated 19 May, 2009

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