Single-Seat Hunters

AIRfile, 1/72 scale

S u m m a r y :
Catalogue Number:	AIRfile Item No. 72-001 - Single-Seat Hunters
Scale:	1/72 (also available in 1/48)
Contents & Media	Decals for 34 subjects with colour-printed painting and markings guide.
Price:	Available on-line from Fantasy Printshop for £12.95. Click here for currency conversion.
Review Type:	First Look.
Advantages:	Excellent production quality and attractive subject choices.
Disadvantages:	None apparent.
Conclusions:	This is a superbly produced set of some very attractive and interesting single-seat Hunter schemes. The focus is on earlier versions, which means some conversion work will be needed to the readily available injected kits, or searching for a PJ Productions F.4 or F.5 kit. There are however seven F.6 choices, but only two for the FGA.9; making a total of nine schemes directly suited to Revell’s Hunter kits (the first and best kit choice for most). I still definitely recommend this set despite its early Hunter emphasis..

Reviewed by Mark Davies

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Squadron.com

The Hunter is a popular modelling subject, with several single seat versions being offered in 1/72 scale, usually either F.6’s or FGA.9’s. We have had injected kits from Frog (two toolings, F.1 & FGA.9) with numerous re-boxings by other companies, Airfix (also two toolings, F.6 & FGA.9), Matchbox (F.6), Plastyk (F.6, not a Frog re-box), and most recently Revell (F.6 & FGA.9). Resin offerings have also been available from PJ Productions (F.4, 5, 6 & FR.10), KMP (F.5) and Maintrack (F.3). Revell’s kit is an excellent one, and would be the sensible choice out of the injected kits, with PJ Productions worth consideration as well.

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The packaging header advises that 32 options are provided, but a count of individual subject profiles in the colours and markings guide reveals 34 schemes. However, the guide’s plan view page lists serial numbers for 33 subjects! This last figure is also the total I counted for individual aircraft serial numbers on the actual decal sheet. Regardless of the count, there are plenty of options; these being as follows, where the version is given with the number of schemes in brackets - F.1 (three), F.4 (sixteen), F.5 (four), F.6 (seven), FGA.9 (two), and FR.10 (two).

It is apparent that only nine options will suit the readily available kit options of either an F.6 or FGA.9, which does seem a bit surprising. However, Alley Cat offer a resin FR.10 conversion set for the Revell F.6 kit

So, no less than 25 of the 34 options will require some conversion work of readily available single-seat Hunter kits. Some may wish to consider using the Pavla F.3 conversion set (the F.3 was a one-off speed record-breaker), intended for the Revell kit, as a way of obtaining the earlier style wing without the dog-tooth leading edge applicable to the F.1/4/5. This will not cover all the changes needed, but it would be a start.

The subjects covered by this sheet amount to 34 RAF aircraft; and as mentioned earlier, most are early models. All but one raspberry ripple machine are camouflaged, but there is still a pleasing selection of colourful options as to choose from as many have squadron bars flanking their fuselage roundels, plus many have colourful tailfins

AIRfile Decals is a Fantasy Printshop brand, and the decals come supplied in this company’s usual zip-lock plastic bag. The instructions are nicely produced in colour and clearly indicate markings placement. They consist of five double-sided A4 pages. A brief written description of the paint scheme is given for each subject outlining its unit, time period, and colours applied. The decals appear to be printed superbly, with crisp registration and excellent colour density. Two sheets are supplied, and represent very good value in my opinion.

The same subjects are also available in 1/48 as FPAF 48-001, and AIRfile have published a book on the Hawker Hunter featuring numerous colour photographs.

This is a superbly produced set of some very attractive and interesting single-seat Hunter schemes. The focus is on earlier versions, which means some conversion work will be needed to the readily available injected kits, or searching for a PJ Productions F.4 or F.5 kit. There are however seven F.6 choices, but only two for the FGA.9; making a total of nine schemes directly suited to Revell’s Hunter kits (the first and best kit choice for most).

I still definitely recommend this set despite its early Hunter emphasis.

Thanks to the Fantasy Printshop for this sample.

Text and Images Copyright © 2014 by Mark Davies
Page Created 23 October, 2014
Last updated 23 October, 2014

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