1994 D-Day Anniversary Schemes
Retro Series - Overlord 1944

On Target Decal Special

Air-Graphic Models, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Graham Carter

Presented in the familiar tight-fitting zip-lock clear sleeve the set consists of a 20-page A5 coloured instruction booklet and a quartet of decal sheets - two large, one medium and one small one.

All of the decals are beautifully printed with a gloss finish with excellent register and density and are thankfully printed on mid-blue backing so that the paler markings can be easily identified.

Air Graphic makes the point that this is a Retro series going back to significant events in the recent past, in this case the commemoration of the D-Day landings in June 1944. 

A useful recent addition to this company’s products is a Paint card which lists all of the relevant colours by FS number, name and then tin/jar number for the equivalent paint from Humbrol, Xtracolour, Hataka, Modelmaster, Gunze Sangyo, Tamiya and Lifecolor, a great idea I reckon. 

There are four pages scattered through the booklet containing a number of colour photos of the subjects which is a good idea and I am delighted to see that these are now printed in a size that makes them very useful - thank you Air-Graphics The final pages also include some  excellent guidelines for decal application, including a couple of warnings about the types of solvents to use. Another page lists all of the Air-Graphics accessories that could be used to enhance models of these aircraft.

The twelve subjects are as follows:

1. Grumman F-14B Tomcat VF-143 Pukin Dogs, USS George Washington 

2. Grumman A-6E Intruder VA-34 Blue Blasters wearing D-Day stripes, USS George Washington 

3. Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk HSL-42 Proud Warriors wearing D-Day Stripes, USS Normandy

4. Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk HSL-44 Swamp Foxes Det 5, wearing 'The Clowns' artwork, USS Thomas S. Gates

5. F-4E Phantom 338 Mira, Greek Air Force wearing Greek Flag on intake

6. F-111C Aardvark, 1 and 6 Squadron RAAF, wearing both Squadron markings on either side of the fin.

7. Boeing CF-18 Hornet 188723, 410 Squadron Canadian Armed Forces wearing 70th Anniversary tail markings

8. CF-18 Hornet 188781 of 441 Squadron Canadian Armed Forces wearing D-Day stripes

9. Bell CH-135 Twin Huey KH-T of 403 City of Calgary Squadron, Canadian Armed Forces, wearing D-Day stripes (Middle Wallop Air Show 1994)

10. Bell CH-136 Kiowa KH-E of 403 Squadron Canadian Armed Forces wearing D-Day stripes (Middle Wallop Air Show 1994)

11. Bell CH-136 Kiowa G9-M of 430 'City of Sudbury' Squadron, Canadian Air Force wearing D-Day stripes (Middle Wallop Air Show 1994)

12. Canadair CT-114 Tutor 114188 '1' of the Snowbirds Aerobatic Team, Canadian Armed Forces and wearing D-Day stripes.

Some of these are quite colourful and the black and white ID markings fill a full sheet and a bit of the second.

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Thumbnail panels:

The tiny squadron or unit markings are tiny but beautifully rendered, sometimes in overlays to maintain colour seperation..

Thanks to Air-Graphic Models for the sample.

Text Copyright © 2024 by Graham Carter
Images Copyright © 2024 by Brett Green
This Page Created on 30 May, 2024
Last updated 30 May, 2024

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