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1/48 and 1/72 scales
#48.044 and #72.044 Decal Sheet
CAF CF-188 Hornet marking 20 years of service
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Oh Mama!!! Just when you think you've seen the most colourful, most complicated, most appealing Canadian Air Force decal set from Leading Edge Models....along comes something that tops all the former beauties. Dave at Leading Edge Models has reason to be quite proud of this latest offering....this decal sheet is a stunning beauty.
This decal sheet is for the 2002 Demo bird that the CAF did up for the 2002 airshow circuit. This has become a bit of a tradition the last few years with the CAF 410 Squadron coming up with ever more attractive paint schemes. The subject of this decal sheet is the Canadian Air Force CF-188 Hornet 20 Anniversary Hornet of the operational use of the F-18 Hornet.
Further below is a photo of the complete 1/48 decal set. This is one very complicated decal sheet. Then to consider all the colours and getting all those colours correct AND in register? Well the mind boggles at how this is possible. Then if you see these decals up close, it will leave you pleasantly stunned how crisp the printing is. Like me....you'll haul out the magnifying glass to try to look for printing flaws....to no avail I might add. Sheer perfection through and through.
So what is included in the paint scheme? This plane is a 410 Cougar Squadron plane so it has the usual Cougar head insignia on the vertical stabs. Below that on the outside of both vertical stabs are large "Hornets" in diving attack mode....with Maple Leafs on their wings. The back half of the airframe is striped like a red hot Hornet. The top side of the wings have sweeping light blue Maple Leafs fanning out across them from the centre fuselage. On both sides of the fuselage below the cockpit are Squadron badges for Hornet Squadrons. These squadron badges are a thing to behold on the decal sheet.....they are so small, yet so lovely at how clearly printed they are.
The 1/72 decal set has all the decals on one large decal sheet. The printing quality is also flawless and shows no signs of loss of crispness in this smaller scale.
Also included in this decal set are 4 pages of black and white instructions with tips on how to lay out the decals and do the painting needed for this decal sheet including some masking guides.
My only opinion of this sheet is.....if you enjoy these CAF Colour Birds...then this is a "MUST HAVE" with no second thoughts necessary. Just rush out and buy it.
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Below is a side view of this plane.
Special thanks to Dave at Leading Edge Models for the review samples.
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