Venturas in Canada Part 3

8, 115 & 149 (BR) Sqns, Western Air Command, RCAF

Aviaeology, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Mark Davies

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The decal set reviewed here is the third in a series of four covering Venturas in Canadian service. The sets are offered as separate 1/72 or 1/48 scale editions.

At first glance the review sample could be mistaken for a fairly run of the mill decal set. The decals come in the usual plastic zip-lock bag with some rather ordinary-looking monochrome instructions. However, once the instructions are opened it soon becomes apparent that Aviaeology’s products are far from ordinary.
Aviaeology’s decals have the most thorough and informative colours and markings guides that I can recall (and I get to see a lot of decals). Moreover, their customers get to download the highly detailed guide as full colour PDF, where the illustrations can be enlarged by several thousand percent whilst maintaining full clarity. More on this later, but first I shall background the brand as this goes some way to explaining the thorough research involved.

The Aviaeology the house-brand of SkyGrid Studio, who undertake research and create illustrations, model decal sets, full-sized markings replicas, and publications for a diverse community of aviation history enthusiasts. Their worldwide clientele includes scale model builders, R/C model builders, vintage aircraft restorers, museums, specialty publishers, model / hobby manufacturers, and historians (both “armchair” and professional.) Whereas SkyGrid Studio provides these services for clients on a contract basis, the Aviaeology imprint is their exclusive in-house product range. Currently this encompasses a growing line of books, model decals, and profile prints.

The Colours & Markings Guide

I cannot help but mention some aspects related to the colours & markings guide. You get the simple monochrome copy I mentioned earlier with the decal pack. But a far superior colour copy is sent via e-mail to purchasers as a printable colour PDF. The documentation includes decal placement and painting instructions for all subject aircraft variations, reference photographs, extracts from period service manuals, and so on.

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The guide is almost worth the package price without the decals, so replete is it with interesting and useful information. In fact, the review sample’s guide and those of several sets can be purchased as a document only without the decals. The guide does not confine itself to aspects of individual aircraft histories as you might expect, but gives much more information concerning RCAF Venturas in general. Just a few examples are provided below:

• Almost “mini-articles” covering Factory applied PV-1 finish and Western Air Command (WAC) modifications, and the Home War Establishment WAC late scheme applied to Ventura GR.V’s.

• A discussion on the possibility that the red used on the national insignia roundels applied in North America was different in hue to the usual red applied to British-built aircraft. The decal sheet provides both the more traditionally accepted dull red as well as the brighter colour that research seems to indicate was used.

• A detail sketch and extract form a service manual illustrating the marker range aerial rig fitted to late-service RCAF Venturas.

• Attention is drawn to dents and marks on the nose of some aircraft caused by the props discarding ice etc at high speed.

• An extract from Lockheed Service Bulletin 79 covers how the plexiglass nose caps were reinforced with clear-doped fabric to resist cracking when the nose guns were fired.

• Small details like underwing radio altimeters are identified.

• The retention of USN camo-patterns and colours on the underwing drop-tanks.

• Differences in the style of the ventral flare chute applicable to some aircraft.

• A table of modellers notes covering each subject.

The Decals

So finally on to the markings - The decals enable any one of eight different aircraft to be modelled. There are enough national insignia for at least two complete models.Obviously, the remainder of the sheet’s codes and serial numbers can be used if you have spare national insignia decals from elsewhere.

The subjects covered are all Ventura GR.V’s:

• 2117 H, 8 (BR) Sqn, February-March 1945.

• 2185 M, 149 (BR) Sqn, March 1944, 8(BR) Sqn, mid-late 1944.

• 2189 Q, 8 (BR) Sqn, February-March 1945.

• 2192 A, 8 (BR) Sqn Met Flt, summer 1945?

• 2194 B, 149 (BR) Sqn, March 1944, 8(BR) Sqn, mid-late 1944.

• 2227 M, 115 (BR) Sqn, May 1944.

• 2444 D, 8 (BR) Sqn Met Flt, summer 1945?

• 2265 S, RCAF Station Patrica Bay, stored reserve.

The decals are printed on a single sheet and appear superb in terms of registration and opacity.

Distribution Channels

Aviaeology decals are available through three sources; these being the e-shop at Aviaeology’s website, Aviaeology’s ebay store, and retail stockists. The e-shop is undergoing an extensive overhaul at the time of writing, so the ebay store is more up to date regarding stockholdings etc; particularly in the case of recent releases.

Purchasing from either of Aviaeology’s own outlets automatically updates their customer database and emails a copy of the colours & markings guide to the buyer. Purchases from a third party stockist include a chit in the decal bag advising the buyer to email Aviaeology to be added to their database and receive their emailed guide.   

Aviaeology are in a class of their own when it comes to the wealth of information provided by their colours and markings guides. Added to this are superb quality drawings that can be enlarged almost limitlessly without any loss of fidelity.  Superbly well printed decals complete the package.

I highly recommend this set of decals, and encourage readers to check out other three sets in this Venturas in Canada series.

Thanks to Aviaeology for this sample

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2015 by Mark Davies
This Page Created on 6 May, 2015
Last updated 6 May, 2015

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