Single-Seat Hunters

AIRfile, 1/72 scale

Also available in 1/48

S u m m a r y :
Catalogue Number:	Fantasy Printshop AIRfile Decals Item No. FPAF 72-001 - Single-Seat Hunters and in 1/48 as FPAF 48-001
Scale:	1/72 (also available in 1/48)
Contents & Media	Decals for 34 subjects with colour-printed painting and markings guide.
Price:	Available online from Fantasy Printshop   1/72 scale £19.95   1/48 scale - £12 - £37 Click here for currency conversion.
Review Type:	First Look.
Advantages:	Excellent printing, colour and register quality , minimal carrier film and incredible choice of schemes backed up with good clear instructions.
Disadvantages:	None noted.
Conclusions:	An excellent diverse collection of schemes that should appeal to those modellers with an interest in these aircraft and their involvement in most RAF activities in the last half of the last century and would lend itself to a group purchase and as such come highly recommended.

Reviewed by Graham Carter

This massive collection appears to be the start of a new series from AIRfile and will be the answer to every Hunter-phile’s dreams. I can imagine how some modellers will be scrambling to get their hands on this sheet.

The choices are based on the AIRfile publications 2014 book Hawker Hunter Pt. 1 (RAF and UK Service) by Jon Freeman and Neil Robinson. There are 32 different aircraft ( although I counted 34) represented on the two sheets that come in the familiar zip-lock bag with ten A4 pages of port and starboard profiles, a title sheet and a sheet with the upper and lower schemes and decal placements. Schemes cover RAF operations at home, in West Germany and the Middle East.

The first sheet contains all of the colourful squadron and individual markings, along with enough roundels to complete two or three aircraft depending on the chosen examples - the balance will need to come from the kit or other sheets.

The second sheet has all of the individual serials for underwing in two styles and fuselage sides. Colour density looks to be very good. But it is the main colourful sheet that attracts attentions as the chosen aircraft are from that period when RAF squadrons adorned their mounts with all the colours of the pre-war time but in a more stylised but nonetheless attractive manner.The sheet itself is beautifully printed in a gloss finish with minuscule film and perfect register, and excellent depth of colour.

The subjects range across the first thirty-odd years of Hunter usage, but focus on the active deterrent years of the fifties and sixties. The modeller will need to dig around the stash or the second-hand market to find kits of the aircraft represented here. The FROG F1 was produced by Eastern Express but is a real rarity and is needed for both the F1 and F4 variants, while the ancient Airfix and Matchbox F6 versions will also require some searching. Even the delightful Revell F6 kit is hard to come by these days. In 1/48 scale the kits are more accessible as recent releases are still around.

There are far too many aircraft to list separately so I would commend going to the Fantasy Printshop website for more details. Sufficient to say that there are decals for :-

1. three F. Mk.1s, 

2. sixteen F. Mk.4s , which are externally distinguishable in kit form from the F Mk.1 by the shell-collectors under the nose,

3. four F. Mk.5s, ditto

4. seven F. Mk 6s, which had a different engine and exhaust 

5. two FGA. Mk 9s, which had parachute fairings over the exhausts, and

6. two FR.Mk.10s which were Mk. 9s with PR noses.

Some of the different variants are available as conversion sets, but again this will need to be searched for.

The vast majority of examples are in the standard RAF fighter scheme of Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey over High Speed Silver undersides, although the FR.10s and one of the F.6s had Light Aircraft Grey undersides, while one F.6 has wrap-around DG/DSG scheme, one F.5 and an F.4 have PRU Blue undersides, while one F.4 has buff Suez stripes on wings and fuselage and, finally,  one of the Mk. 6s is in the training scheme of white/red and Light Aircraft Grey.

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So there are plenty of choices. 

This sheet really does come highly recommended to the modeller who has a penchant for this very elegant jet fighter and who has the kits available. The vast number of choices suggests that this set would be a club or group purchase provided the participants can sort out which planes they each lust after!

Thanks to the Fantasy Printshop for this sample.

Text and Images Copyright © 2023 by Graham Carter
Page Created 16 June, 2023
Last updated 16 June, 2023

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