MSRP: $9.50 USD Beginning with VF-17 during the Second World War, the United States Navy’s Jolly Rogers have plundered the skies
across the globe in pursuit of life, liberty, and those foolish enough to threaten it. The most recent squadron to be charged
with the care of ENS Jack Ernie and the long, proud heritage associated with “The Bones” is FITRON 103. In June of 2004, they
celebrated “60 Years of Jolly Rogers” with a variation on the familiar squadron colors flown, including the Low-Vis grey and Hi-Vis
“Showbird” schemes. Twobobs Aviation Graphics has released these schemes in a typically excellent decal package, which is the
focus of this review. Having played a very small part in the history of the Jolly Rogers, I am dually honored to review this
product. And, I must state that as with all of Twobobs decals, this offering is nothing short of excellent. Printed by
Microscale, the register of the decals is perfect. Carrier film, where noticeable, is kept to a minimum reducing the need for
virtually any trimming. The colors are bright, and opacity should not be an issue; however, as the “Bones” and ship ID code
for the Kennedy (AA) are in white, and are placed over a black field, it will be interesting to see if the color is affected here at
all. The single decal sheet includes markings for 3 aircraft, a “Hi-Vis” bird and two “Lo-Vis” paint schemes. Even in 1/72
scale, the stencils are readable, even down to the smallest one. To break it down, here is what is included in the very
reasonable price of $9.50:
- “What’s out there?” kit recommendations (Fujimii and Hasegawa F-14B kits)
- Decals for three aircraft
- Color markings and stenciling
- 12 “Walkaround” type photos of VF-103 F-14Bs in the featured colors
- 4 line drawings to assist with painting
- 4 color plates (port and starboard views) to assist with placement/painting
- Color callouts for Testor’s, Gunze Sangyo, Xtracolor, and Xtracrylics
“60 Years of Jolly Rogers” will add a current-force aircraft to your small-scale jet collection in a big way, and is highly
recommended to all. |