Sky Decals

Combined 1/72 & 1/48 IAF C-47 Dakota sheet

product # 13

Review by Yoav Efrati on Feb 1 2008

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Sky Decal's reissued sheet no.13 is devoted to Israeli Air Force longest serving aircraft, the Douglas Dakota. The IAF initiated Dakota operations as early as the 1948 war. Using a single South African Airline registered Dakota to bomb Damascus in a reprisal raid to the bombing of Northern Israel settlements. Towards the end of the war of independence, the IAF received three B-17 bombers thus retiring the Dakota from the bombing role and utilizing it as a troop transport to free Negev desert settlements trapped behind the Egyptian lines. Between 1948 and 2003 the Dakota conducted daily operations in peace and in war, wearing colors and markings that evolved with IAF over its 55 years of operational service.

     Sky's Decals reissue of sheet no.13 has improved both in Microscale's latest decal printing quality and new full color instructions sheet. The sheet offers complete markings for one aircraft in 1/72 and another in 1/48. Options include Dakota markings from the 1956 Suez War to Dakota retirement in 2003. The two Suez vintage aircraft provided are first 4X-ADA painted brown over gray and wearing civilian Arkia airline markings; and the second 4X-FAA in brown and blue over gray colors. Post Suez brown and blue over gray options include seven aircraft including aircraft no.017, 042 and 044 that wore the vertical fin markings of the international transport squadron. 

 With the capture of the Sinai during the 1967 war, IAF aircraft received a lighter four color scheme consisting of f.s.33531 sand, f.s.34227 green and f.s.30219 brown on top with f.s.35622 light blue underneath. Markings for six post Six Day War camouflaged aircraft are provided including nose numbers: 003, 007, 008, 010, 016 and 040. At the turn of the century, the desert camouflage was changed to overall Haze Gray (~f.s.36280); I did not confirm the f.s.36251Gray quoted in the decal sheet instructions so I suggest you check your f.s. 595B color catalog. Markings for three Haze Gray Dakotas are provided, numbers 040, 042 and 044. The Dakota was retired from IAF service in 2003 and only one Haze Gray sample is on display at the IAF Museum in Beer Sheva. If you desire to make Academy's 1/144 scale kit of the Dakota in IAF colors, Sky's Decals has the same markings as offered on this sheet in 1/144 sheet number 14. Sky's Decal is the only decal sheet devoted to the Dakota in IAF service and is highly recommended the builders of the popular scales of 1/144, 1/72 and 1/48 scale.

 

      For additional photos of the Dakota in IAF service, I highly recommend you obtain issued no.88 and no.90 of Biaf – Israel Aviation and Space Magazine. Available directly through the editor Yehuda Borovik at e-mail address: biaf@aerospace.org.il . Sky's Decals latest decal release can be purchased directly from the owner, Sammy Dekel at e-mail address: skydecal@netvision.net.il or phone number 972-2-6454543.

I thank Sammy Dekel for providing me a sample of this sheet for review.

Yoav

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Photos and text © by Yoav Efrati