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 Navy, Royal Air Force and South African Air Force Blackburn/HS Buccaneer S.1 and S.2 aircraft.  The decals are available in both 1/72 scale MAS-72177 and 1/48 scale MAS-48177.

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 thin and my experience with Cartograf decals is that they will snuggle down into the surface detail well.

All the data decals are provided for the three aircraft depicted.  The guys have once again done a superb job of the decal artwork and the colour instruction sheet artwork.  Three thumbnail size photographs of the aircraft are included on the rear cover of the instruction booklet.  The instructions also give good detail on the colour schemes for all of the aircraft.

The fourteen schemes provided are as follows:

1. HS Buccaneer S.1 Sno XN965/636 of 809 Sqn of the Royal Navy based at RNAS Lossiemouth Scotland in 1965.  The aircraft is finished in the nuclear anti flash scheme of overall BS381C:302 Gloss White with natural metal leading edges.  The markings are in the subdued pale blue and red colours.

2. HS Buccaneer S.2 Sno XN980/233 of 801 Sqn of the Royal Navy based on board HMS Victorious in 1966.  The aircraft is finished in BS381C:640 Extra Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and BS381C:302 Gloss White with natural metal leading edges.

3. HS Buccaneer S.2 Sno XV346/656 of 736 Sqn of the Royal Navy based at RNAS Lossiemouth Scotland in 1968.  The aircraft is finished in overall BS381C:640 Extra Dark Sea Grey with natural metal leading edges

4. HS Buccaneer S.2A Sno XT284/611 of 803 Sqn of the Royal Navy based at RNAS Lossiemouth Scotland in 1969.  The aircraft is finished in overall BS381C:640 Extra Dark Sea Grey with natural metal leading edges

5. HS Buccaneer S.2B Sno XW986 of A&AEE based at Boscombe Down Wiltshire in 1974.  The aircraft is finished in BS381C:356 Golden Yellow, BS381C:537 Signal Red and BS381C:641 Dark Green with natural metal leading edges.

6. HS Buccaneer S.2A Sno XT272 of the Royal Aircraft Establishment based at RAE Farnborough in 1991.  The aircraft is finished in BS381C:302 Gloss White, BS381C:537 Signal Red and BS381C:537 Oxford Blue with natural metal leading edges.

7. HS Buccaneer S.2C Sno XV344 of DERA based at Boscombe Down Wiltshire in 1993-94.  The aircraft is finished in BS381C:302 Gloss White, BS381C:537 Signal Red and BS381C:537 Oxford Blue with natural metal leading edges

8. HS Buccaneer S.2B Sno XN976 of 208 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Lossiemouth Scotland in 1991.  The aircraft is finished in overall Gloss Black with natural metal leading edges.

9. HS Buccaneer S.2 Sno XT283 of the Strike and Fighter Test Squadron A&AEE based at Boscombe Down Wiltshire in 1987.  The aircraft is finished the wrap around camouflage scheme of BS381C:638 Dark Sea Grey and BS381C:641 Dark Green with natural metal leading edges.

10. HS Buccaneer S.2B Sno XV160 of 208 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Honnington in 1977  The aircraft is finished the winter distemper camouflage of Distemper White and S381C:638 Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and BS381C:627 Light Aircraft Grey lower surfaces with natural metal leading edges.

11. HS Buccaneer S.2B Sno XV160 of 208 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Honnington in 1977.  The aircraft is finished the camouflage scheme of, BS381C:641 Dark Green, BS381C:450 Dark Earth, BS381C:361 Light Stone and BS381C:627 Light Aircraft Grey with natural metal leading edges.  The scheme was a special scheme for the Red Flag exercise 77-9 held at Nellis AFB in Nevada.

12. HS Buccaneer S.2B Sno XW547 of 216 Sqn of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Honnington in 1979.  The aircraft is finished the wrap around camouflage scheme of BS381C:638 Dark Sea Grey and BS381C:641 Dark Green with natural metal leading edges.

13. HS Buccaneer S.50 Sno 425 of 24 Sqn of the South African Air Force based at AFB Waterkloof South Africa in 1966.  The aircraft is finished in BS381C:638 Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and BS381C:636 PRU Blue lower surfaces with natural metal leading edges and Black anti glare panels.

14. HS Buccaneer S.50 Sno 425 of 24 Sqn of the South African Air Force based at AFB Waterkloof South Africa in 1979.  The aircraft is finished in BS381C:638 Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and BS381C:636 PRU Blue lower surfaces with natural metal leading edges.

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 17 August, 2009

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