Afterburner Decals

1/48 Ferris Phantoms F-4S Phantom II's, Free State Hogs A-10A/C 1998-2009, and VFA-2 Bounty Hunters F/A-18

Sheet Number: 48-051, 48-052 & 48-053

Reviewed by  Andrew Stanicek, IPMS# 43237

MSRP: $15.00 to $20.00 Website: www.afterburnerdecals.com First off, let me tell you that I have a bit of an addiction when it comes to decals. I LOVE them. You can use them to add surface textures and details too fine, too intricate, or too time consuming to paint. When done correctly, an aftermarket set of decals can really take your project into the "next level" at competition, setting your entry apart from so many other models of similar subjects on the table. I was provided these three sets of decals due to the fact that I have all three aircraft models in various stages of completion in my workroom. For these projects, I will be using the Monogram A-10 Thunderbolt II kit (recently re-released in updated Revell boxing; an Italeri F/A-18F Two-seater Super Hornet kit; and an AMT F-4 C/D model. Our club's resident Phantom expert and pilot, Steve, informed me of several variances between the C/D Army version of the F-4 (Ertl kit) and the updated Navy F-4S which these decals are meant to go on. (See, I already learned something on this project!) Unfortunately, due to time constraints, and kit availability, I don't have access to a true F-4S, so I moved forward with the Ertl Kit. And honestly, the decals went on with zero problems as far as fit or proportion goes, they look great! The F-4 Phantom is one of my top five favorite aircraft of all time. One, it's BIG. Two, it's armed to the teeth (except for machine guns), and Three, the back-end of that thing with the down swept elevators drooping over those dual jet exhausts is just MEAN looking! Keith Ferris is a military artist who had no small part in influencing the US armed forces to start moving away from the bold camouflage patterns and brightly colored squadron logos and insignia of the past to a more subdued "low-visibility" camouflage pattern that we are familiar with today. While I'm not a big fan of "gray" models filling my display shelves, The wild diagonal lines and multi-tonal paint scheme of the Heater-Ferris camouflage pattern, combined with these very detailed, accurately colored, and beautifully printed decals make for a striking display. The Afterburner decals come with very well documented directions providing some great drawings showing the various versions of the aircraft that can be represented with this set. There is a second small sheet which also includes a decal of the famous false canopy for the underside of the 1983 #203 Phantom. One thing that is NOT included in this set were some of the more generic stencils. The "No Step" and "No Push" (which there are a LOT of on this plane) and several of the Caution/Warning labels that would go around the air intakes, on the landing gear doors, etc. So, don't throw away your kit decals, you're going to need them! This set is meant to augment your kit decals, not replace them. The Warthog has been one of my absolute favorite aircraft since childhood. I have built several models in various scales and configurations. When I found out that Afterburner was releasing a super detailing set for the A-10, in markings for my home state's Maryland Air National Guard 104th, I knew I had to do something special with these! Afterburner does an incredible job of researching their subjects. Everything from paint variations and changes over time, to warning and ID stencils are thoughtfully and diligently reproduced in exceptionally fine printing from Cartograf. The twelve pages of instructions include diagrams for application of the decals on your choice of 34 aircraft including the 104th's representatives from Sentry Independence 1989; '91 Gunsmoke, where the unit received recognition as "World Champions" outperforming the newer F-15E's and F-16's in air to ground support roles; and the current low-visibility paint schemes and markings used in Operation Iraqi Freedom and through the present. Also included is a weapons stores chart so you can accurately arm your model for a variety of typical missions. Included in the set is one complete set of the stencil markings that you would expect in a good quality kit, a ton of warning labels and ID stencils - including one for the ejection seat and all of the individual ID numbers, nose art, ladder door art, personalized markings and even decals for the intake covers - to build one complete and super detailed model. Some of the Caution labels look to be printed in approximately 2pt. type, but they are clearly legible under a magnifying glass. If you're planning on building a whole squadron, you'll need to come up with some more of the generic markings, but the inclusion of so many markings for different aircraft really gives you some choices and flexibility as to which particular plane you want to build. I just wish they were available in 1:32 scale for my big Trumpeter kit. These look Stunning in 1:48th! The F/A-18 has quickly become the workhorse of the U.S. Military, replacing the aging F-14 Tomcats as the backbone of the Navy's fighter aircraft fleet, as well as being used by our Airforce and Marines. The latest incarnation of the Super Hornet is a significantly larger, twin seat multi-role weapons platform equipped with the latest avionics, computer systems, and "Smart" Weapons capabilities. And it looks pretty darn cool too! These decals include all of the markings for the VFA-2 Bounty Hunters operating from the USS Abraham Lincoln. Again thoroughly researched and documented, the sheets and instructions provide you with the older, more colorful red, white, and blue squadron markings, as well as the monochromatic low-vis gray markings presently used by our armed forces. As with many of the other offerings from Afterburner, these include very finely detailed stencils and warning labels, as well as the unit markings to complete a very highly detailed replica. These decals are absolutely BEAUTIFUL once applied. They are thin, without being so thin that you tear them every time you look at them (as I've experienced with some "other" aftermarket sets) and they react very well to Micro-Sol and Testor's decal setting solutions. These snuggled down easily over the curved surfaces of the plane, and into the recessed panel lines, providing a very realistic finish to the project. I did see a small amount of silvering on a couple of the applied clear decals, but this was probably more a fault with my clear coat over the base painting than a problem with the decal film. Overall, I would highly recomend these sets, or any set from Afterburner if you want to add a little extra "Wow" to your next modern war plane model! Thank you to Scott Brown and the gang at Afterburner Decals for providing the review samples, and following up with some great customer service when I managed to lose one of the placement guides for the Phantom; and to Steve Jones for his expertise and help with the F-4 project!