Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Yellow Wings Decals are available online from Squadron

As the title of the sheet suggests, the contents of the pack provide you with wing chevrons for the upper and lower surfaces of each wing, and the fuselage bands in each of the six colours used during the yellow-wing era of the U.S. Navy and USMC aviation.   As well as this, you get 40 tri-colour prop tip decals, six each squadron insignia for VF-41 and VF-72 and thin black pin-striping in both black and white to edge the cowling bands that you will have to paint yourself to complete your model.

Thankfully, Yellow-Wings Decals have printed all of the markings with the thin black edging (bar the black one of course!) that were a feature of these markings.  They have also clearly marked each decal with “front, rear, top left and top right” so as you can apply them the right way around!

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Thumbnail panels:

The decals themselves have been printed by the Microscale the company that all the other decal manufacturers are measured against.  They are well up to the high standards being thinly printed with an absolute minimum of carrier film.

As with all Yellow-Wings Decals products, comprehensive support information is provided along with the decal sheet.  You get two A-4 sized sheets that are printed on both sides.  Individual side and lower surface plan views are provided for F4F-3s of VF-41, VF-42, VF-71, and VF-72 to give you an idea of the how to place the decals as well as providing info on the paint scheme.  You also get detailed information on the painting of USN/USMC machines between 1930 and 1941 (termed the golden wing era) as well as instructions for the sequence of the application of the decals themselves and a chart that suggest matches paints of the era to readily available model paints – Tamiya, Testors and Polly Scale.

The decals and information sheets come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag along with a stiff header card to save everything from being bent.

The recommended kits are the Hobby Boss F4F-3 (early Version) and the Tamiya F4F-4 suitably back-dated to F4F-3 standard.

Yellow-Wing Decals have produced a good quality product with this one and I’m sure that it will be welcomed by those of us who want to model the new Hobby Boss F4F-3 kits in alternative markings than that provided in the box.

Thanks to Yellow Wings Decals for the review sample.

Review Copyright © 2008 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 26 January, 2009
Last updated 26 January, 2009

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