Afterburner Decals

1/48 Aussie Hornets - Part One

Sheet Number: 48-033

Reviewed by  Dave Morrissette, IPMS# 33653

MSRP: $20.00 Web Site: www.afterburnerdecals.com I love decals! It is always the decaling that brings a scheme alive on a plane. New to Afterburner Decals is their sheet 48-033 Aussie Hornets which is made for 1/48 F/A-18A/B Hornets with the Royal Australian Air Force. Included are six schemes - three very colorful schemes and three more operational: · No. 3 Squadron RAAF 90th Anniversary 2006 · No. 3 Squadron RAAF Line · No. 3 Squadron 2006 F/A-18B Two Seater · No. 75 Squadron CO Jet 2007 · No. 77 Squadron CO Jet 2007 · No. 77 Squadron Line · No. 77 Squadron Operation Falconer Qatar All schemes have full color side views printed very cleanly on semi-gloss paper. There are notes about each plane including paint differences (one plane has a tail plane replaced upside down and has the colors reversed!), modeling notes including any needed changes (tail stiffeners and a new nose in some cases) and who sells them.

The decals are superbly printed by Cartograph with excellent register and color. There are two sheets - one for the markings and one for the stencils. There are two different types of stencils so you could do two planes from this set easily. One thing to mention, this package and sheets are double the normal size. The set comes in an 8-1/2 x 11 sleeve and the decal sheet is twice as large as normal and that's not including the stencils.

Last, there are two other sheets included. The first has the different station loadings by weapon and different configurations and specifics for Operation Falconer in either close air support or defensive counter air modes. The back of this sheet contains the door number placement guides for the decals. The second sheet is two sided and contains stenciling guides for all airframes.

These sheets are beautiful and colorful and large. The instructions are thorough and very complete. This set is highly recommended to all modelers and should liven up those gray color schemes. My thanks to Scott at Afterburner Decals for the chance to review these decals. Go buy 'em!

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