Air Forces of The World
Part 5 - Update Set

Air-Graphic Models, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Graham Carter

This three-sheet set allows modellers to produce replicas of ten modern aeroplanes from a diversity of Air Forces across the planet.

The three sheets that make up this set are beautifully produced in gloss finish with perfect register, great colour density and very little carrier film, except for the second sheet of tail fin markings for the Turkish AF Phantom which has a single overall film - curious!

Best of all, in my humble opinion, they are on blue paper so that the white bits, and there are a few, don’t disappear against the background and so test my ageing eyesight!

Thanks Air Graphics!

Some schemes will require a few layer of decals to achieve the finished item. For example the Aeronavale Rafale’s starboard tail marking is made up of four layers of decal! I would be inclined to spray the white undercoat rather than use the decal provided. 

The instructions are in a full-colour sixteen-page A5 booklet with four views of each subject and a few colour images, although I must say some of these are a wee bit small (but I think that producing these to a greater size would make the instructions too expensive).

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Each scheme has clear colour and decal placement drawings and notes and indicate which decals are to come from the donor kit. A list of suitable kits is mentioned, along with a list of suitable accessories produced by Air Graphics themselves.

The aircraft covered are:

1. NHIndustries NH90NFH ‘N233’, 860 Sqn, Netherlands Naval Aviation Service, 2018 in overall FS26640 Light Grey - the circular badge is unmarked on the second sheet and will need careful cutting to as it is completely covered in film, for the Revell kit,

2. NHIndustries NH90NFH Caiman, ‘4’ of Force maritime de l’aéronautique navale, France, 2019 in light Compass Grey with Dark Compass Grey patches, for the Revell kit,

3. Eurcopter AS565 Panther ,’505’ of Force maritime de l’aéronautique navale, France , 2016 also in light Compass Grey with Dark Compass Grey patches, for the Dream Models kit + conversion,

4. Dassault Rafale M ’37’ of French Aeronavale , France, 2019, in overall Dark Gull Grey with dark blue port tail and an amazing ‘100ans’ logo on the starboard side, for the Revell, Hobbyboss or Italeri kit,

5. McDonnell Douglas F-4 2020 T Terminator, 70296, of the Turkish AF in 2018 in Gunship Grey uppers with Light Compass Grey under, wing tips, and nose forward of the engine inlets, with a complex ’60 years’ decal on the tail, for the Fujimi, Hasegawa or ECSI kit,

6. McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Hornet M45-01 of 18 Sqn, Malaysian AF, 2017 in overall Ocean Grey with black sections on tail, fuel tank and spine for the Academy, Fuji or Hasegawa kit,

7. General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon ‘40317’ Royal Thai AF in 2016, in Gunship Grey over Light Compass Grey with a black tail embellished with a snazzy cobra decoration for the Revell, Hasegawa, Academy or Italeri kit with a few Air Graphics accessories,

8. Pilatus PC-21, A54-045 of 4 Sqn., RAAF, 2020 in overall Light Compass Grey, for the 3D Blitz kit with some corrections from Air-Graphics and HPM,

9. Westland Seaking Mk.43B ‘073’ Royal Norwegian AF , Norway, 2014, in overall white with Gloss Fluorescent Red-Orange fuselage stripes and patches on nose and tail, for the Airfix or Revell kit with suitable accessories, and

10. Kaman SH-2G(I) Seasprite, NZ3603 of 6 Sqn, Royal NZAF in 2019, in overall Light Grey with a mass of low-vis stencils, for the Airfix or ClearProp Models kit.

All-in-all an interesting set of schemes and aircraft that will appeal to the aircraft modeller looking for something a bit different and some are colourful. The sheet also mentions a few accessories made by Air Graphics that will enhance these models.

Included is a very useful colour cross reference card that lists all the colours used on these aircraft and the model paint company numbers for each. Manufacturers covered are Humbrol, Xtracolour, Hataka, Modelmaster, Gunze Sangyo, Tamiya and Lifecolor. Humbrol, Gunze Sangyo , ModelMaster and Xtracolour produce nearly all of them.

I would recommend this sheet to the modeller who wishes to add these types of aircraft and air forces to his or her collection.

Thanks to Air-Graphic Models for the sample.

Text Copyright © 2021 by Graham Carter
Images Copyright © 2021 by Brett Green
This Page Created on 5 November, 2021
Last updated 5 November, 2021

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