Model Alliance Decals, 1/72 & 1/48

Reviewed by Mick Evans

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Squadron.com

Model Alliance continues to produce fine quality decal sheets, this time depicting, Royal Air Force and Royal Saudi Air Force English Electric Lightning aircraft.  The decals are available in both 1/72 scale MA-72170 and 1/48 scale MA-48170.

The decals are superbly printed for Model Alliance by Cartograf of Italy and have good colour saturation and register.  As usual the carrier film is ultra

The guys have once again done a superb job of the decal artwork and the colour instruction sheet.  Four thumbnail size photographs of the aircraft are included in the instruction booklet.  The instructions also give good detail on the colour schemes for all of the aircraft and the decals are designed as a compliment the Aviation Workshop Publications Ltd on Target 13 EE Lightning.

The ten schemes provided are as follows:

1. EE Lightning F.6 Sno XS931/G of 11 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Binbrook in 1968.  The aircraft is finished in natural metal with a black anti-glare panel.

2. EE Lightning F.6 Sno XR758/V of 11 Sqn of the Royal Air Force detached to RAF Tengah Singapore in 1969.  The aircraft is finished in natural metal with a black anti-glare panel.

3. EE Lightning F.2A Sno XN778/A of 92 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Gutersloh in 1976.  This was the personal aircraft of the CO W/Cdr E Durham and carried five exercise kills around the command pennant.  The aircraft is finished in overall BS381C:641 Dark Green with Natural Metal under surfaces and a black anti-glare panel.

4. EE Lightning F.3 Sno XP706/L of 74 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Leuchars in 1966.  The aircraft is finished in natural metal with a black anti-glare panel

5. EE Lightning F.3 Sno XR749/DA of the Lightning Training Flight of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Binbrook in 1985.  The aircraft is finished in overall BS381C:637 Medium Sea Grey with BS4800.118.21 Barley Grey lower fuselage.  The aircraft has the canopy, spine and fin painted in BS381C:110 Roundel Blue.  The squadron’s lion insignia is painted inside a large white disc on the fin.

6. EE Lightning T.5 Sno XS458/T of 5 Sqn of the Royal Air Force detached from RAF Binbrook to RAF Akrotiri in 1980 for the wing’s annual armament practice camp.  The aircraft is finished in BS381C:638 Dark Sea Grey and BS381C:641 Dark Green upper surfaces with Natural Metal under surfaces and a black anti-glare panel.  The spine and upper fuselage are painted in temporary white paint with an 11 squadron zapped painted on it.

7. EE Lightning F.6 Sno XR724/K of 11 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Binbrook in 1979.  The aircraft is finished in BS381C638 Dark Sea Grey and BS381C:641 Dark Green upper surfaces with Natural Metal under surfaces and a black anti-glare panel.  The fin has the squadron’s double eagle insignia painted on it.

8. EE Lightning F.2A Sno XM771/P of 19 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Gutersloh in 1973.  This was the normal mount of F/O Tony Paterson.  The aircraft is finished in overall BS381C:641 Dark Green with Natural Metal under surfaces and a black anti-glare panel.

9. EE Lightning F.53 Sno 53-692/L of 13 Sqn of the Royal Saudi Air Force based at Tabuk AB in 1977.  The aircraft is finished in overall BS381C:450 Medium Brown and BS381C:362 Mid Stone upper surfaces.

10. EE Lightning T.5 Sno XS417/Z of 56 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Coningsby in 1976.  The aircraft is finished in natural metal with a black anti-glare panel

Highly Recommended

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

Model Alliance products are available online from the Aviation Workshop.

Review Copyright © 2009 by Mick Evans
Page Created 14 August, 2009
Last updated 19 August, 2009

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