This sheet is typical of all of the ESCI sheets in my collection. They are old, yellowed and extremely brittle when you try to use them. ESCI also did not put a complete white background to those insignia that have white in them. The result is that you can easily see the demarcation line if the other colors are anything other than black.

Having given that less than sterling introduction, I will say that I've used some of these ancient sheets. First one has to apply several coats of decal film to prevent them from breaking apart when dipped in water. Next, one has to cut away all the yellowed carrier film, or at least as much as one can. I've tried the 'stick it in the sunlight' deal and it has never worked for me.

ESCI decal sheets always offered additional unit badges, something that I've used a great deal when doing my 'Luft 46' builds, so these are not totally useless!

This sheet has four Ju-87B/Rs and the Bf-110s seem to be C/E models, though this is never noted in the instructions. No upper wing information is provided in terms of painting. You'll notice that there are also no insignia. This is olde tyme modeling where one had to have references to make heads or tails out of things. Of course, there weren't a ton of kits out there in the early 1970s so I'll assume that those by Matchbox or Airfix were to be used. I think that Italierie was still concentrating on Italian planes and didn't have either of these on the market and I know that ESCI didn't.

The Ju-87s are from:

Stab III/StG 2 and the mount of Major Rudel in 1941
3./StG 3 in the western desert in 1942
4/StG 77 in France during 1940
II/StG 2 in North Africa during 1941

For Bf-110s we have:

I./NjG 1 in the western desert during 1943
7./JG 5 in Norway during 1940
9./ZG 26 no info given
I./NJG 1 in Holland during 1941.

If you can find one (which isn't as difficult as it seems), they are good for reference and if you are REALLY desperate.

Sheet courtesy of your editor's collection.

November 2006

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