U.S. Coast Guard Choppers
Part One

Model Alliance Decals, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Squadron.com

A new release from Model Alliance and boy is it a bright one!

The sheet will be welcomed by the rotary-wing brigade as it provides markings for Augusta MH-68A “Stingray” and Aerospatiale/Eurocopter HH-65A, B and C “Dolphins” of the US Coast Guard (USCG).  Markings are provided 24 for machines in the USCG’s distinctive white-banded international orange paint scheme.  Whilst here are markings for 24 machines, you can only model 19 of them, more of which anon.

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Thumbnail panels:

Details of the individual options are as follows:

• MH-68A 1091 HITRON (Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron) based at Jacksonville, Florida, February 2004.

• MH-68A 1109 HITRON Jacksonville, Florida, October 2005.

• MH-68A 1095 HITRON Jacksonville, Florida, November 2006.

• HH-65A 6592 Coast Guard Air Station Detroit, Michigan, June 1989

• HH-65A 6559 Coast Guard Air Station Miami, Florida, 1990.

• HH-65A 6590 Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii/USCGC Boutwell, Operation Iraqi Freedom, North Arabian Gulf, March 2003.  This option wears some large artwork in the form of an open-mouthed shark on its port side

• HH-65B 6514 Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, Louisiana, October 2002.

• HH-65A 6539 Coast Guard Air Station Brooklyn, New York, November 1997.

• HH-65B 6519 Coast Guard Air Training Centre Mobile, Alabama, August 2006.

• HH-65B 6567 AVDET 162 Polar Operations Division (POPDIV) Mobile, Alabama/ARCTIC WEST-EAST SUMMER 2005 (AWES 05) Cruise USCGC Healy, June 2005.

• HH-65B 6526 Coast Guard Air Station Detroit, Michigan, September 2005.

• HH-65B 6552 Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, November 2006.

• HH-65B 6578 Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay, California, September

• HH-65C 6552 Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco, California, June 2008.

• HH-65C 6507 Coast Guard Air Station Houston, Texas, October 2006.

• HH-65C 6563 Coast Guard Air Station Miami, Florida, May 2006.

• HH-65C 6566 Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, 2007.

• HH-65C 6581 Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey, September 2007.

• HH-65C 6580 Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, September 2008.

• HH-65C 6542 Coast Guard Air Station Savannah, Georgia, March 2008.

• HH-65C 6582 Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan, August 2008.

• HH-65C 6588 Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles, California, October

• MH-65C 6518 HITRON Jacksonville, Florida/National Security Cutter Bertholf, June 2008.

• MH-65C 6550 Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, Washington, July 2008.

Although each option looks very much the same most of them are somewhat personalised by the inclusion of shields and other artwork with the most striking being the Barbers Point/USCGC Boutwell option that wears a rather large open-mouthed shark on its port side.

The decals themselves have been printed by the Fantasy Printshop in the UK and are of the silk screen print type.  Whilst the vast majority of the designs are one-piece, there are a few that you have to apply over a separate white background.  The national insignia are also two-part decals which has you applying the red “bars” as a separate decal.  Everything is in perfect register and sharply printed.  You get two sheets with this one such is the amount of decals supplied.  There are two pairs of USCG insignia supplied (although one is smaller than the other and supplied for a non-existent 1/48 scale MH-68) so you can build up any two options on the sheet (I’ll never tell that you used the smaller ones!!)

The placement guide is in the form of a 10 page booklet (A-4 in size and folded in half).  It is printed on good quality glossy paper with each option illustrated by way of a side profile with a plan view of the upper surface of a HH-65 and a MH-68.   Each decal is numbered and keyed to the drawings, which is a good thing as there is a myriad of stencil data to be applied!  The booklet also has two pages carrying images of one-to-one-scale in-service machines and as well as half page guide to applying the decals. 

Now for the crunch!  The recommended kit is the Trumpeter HH-65A.  Be aware that there is no MH-68 kit currently available in 1/48 scale.  You will also need to carry out modifications/conversions to the Trumpeter HH-65A kit to accurately portray the machines on this sheet.  The sheet is available in 1/72 scale too and there is a Revell SA 365 Dauphin kit avail 1/72 scale that you can use so it is my guess that the 1/48 scale sheet is simply an up-scaled 1/72 scale sheet.

The decal sheets and the placement guide/booklet come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag.

The title – Part 1 – is intriguing.  Hopefully Part 2 will provide some retrospective markings.

This is a great sheet from Model Alliance.  It will provide you with a couple of very striking models to add to your shelves!

Thanks to Aviation Workshop / Model Alliance (UK)  for the review sample

Model Alliance products are available online from the Aviation Workshop.

Review Copyright © 2008 by Brett Green
Page Created 27 March, 2008
Last updated 27 March, 2008

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