Afterburner Decals

Red Flag Tigers 64th and 65th Aggressor Squadrons, F-5E Tiger II's

Sheet Number: 48-062

Reviewed by  Steve Zajac, IPMS# 34937

MSRP: $20.00 Website: www.afterburnerdecals.com Afterburner Decals has just issued a comprehensive USAF Aggressors sheet for F-5E Tiger II aircraft in 1/48th scale, long awaited since the subject was last covered by out of production Microscale sheets. This large, Cartograph-printed supersheet covers the 64th and 65th Aggressor Squadrons in the late 1970's through the 1980's based in Nellis NV AFB. The decals are in excellent register and color, clear and thin. With a good set of eyes, you can read the stencils. Intended for the new AFV F-5E release, the sheet can also be used for the legacy Revell - Monogram kit as well. I knew the folks at Afterburner were right on target when I saw the "Special Thanks" to Mr. Bert Kinsey, whose book Colors & Markings of USAF Adversary Squadrons (TAB Books 1988, co-authored with Ray Leader), is the bible for this subject. The decal sheet contains: Stencils and USAF markings to complete 4 aircraft. Soviet style "Bort" ID #'s and tail serial #'s for 23 actual aircraft. An additional 10 sets of "Bort" #'s, 5 in red for the 64th squadron and 5 in blue for the 65th squadron. The camo schemes for the 23 actual aircraft are printed on 4 full color 8.5" x 11" pages in side views: New Blue (4 aircraft), Old Blue (2), VNAF (1), Sand (1), and Frog (1), Grape (1), Flogger (4), Old Lizard (3), New Lizard (1), New Ghost (1), Pumpkin (1), All Silver (2), and All Gray (1). Another 7 pages provide 14 of the best known Aggressor pattern schemes with FS colors, each in 4 views. I checked the schemes and FS colors, and they match up with my sources. There are slight variations in the use of the colors in the Grape, Sand and New Blue patterns. In the real world, color usage and schemes did vary from plane to plane and painters took "artistic license". Check your references closely. (Note: for a 2nd New Ghost scheme go to the Kinsey/Leader book, or to the excellent JPS Modell website link: http://www.jpsmodell.de/dc/main_e.htm. Also search http://www.airliners.net/ for aircraft pictures.) Finally, the last page provides the stencil guide. Highly recommended, I look forward to using the sheet for my current USAF F-5E Aggressor model project! Thanks to Afterburner Decals, IPMS/USA and John Noack for the opportunity to review this superb decal sheet!