For those of us who have been in this hobby for a while, it is hard to realize the passing of time, but this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the fine folks at Dutch Decal. They have marked this momentous occasion (as momentous it is for how many decal makers have lasted this long) by re-issuing some of the very first and now hugely difficult to find sheets along with an upgrade or two.

This sheet is for 1/48 fans and includes no fewer than at dozen of each of the main subjects; the T/F-104G and the early F-16 Falcons. These dozen aircraft cover every unit that has flown the Starfighter and Falcon in the Dutch Air Force.

In terms of the Starfighter, you are somewhat limited to the dozen options shown as the planes had the serial under the unit badges and this is superbly represented by Dutch Decal. There are enough insignia and dat6a markings for one aircraft, but that doesn't mean you can't do more. There are many optional numbers provided for a range of nose numbers. For the F-104, the Hasegawa kit is the one that is recommended, though if you want to use the Monogram or ESCI kit, I'm sure these would fit.

The other set of options is for the F-16A Falcon. The majority of the schemes here are for the older, pre-MLU aircraft without the additional fin extension. However, there are a few that include this option. Even the earliest planes have the later horizontal stabilizer as I don't think any MLu planes had the early block 5 and block 10 stabs, but check your references. Again, all the various tail bands and unit badges are provides along with a selection of serial numbers for the aft fuselage. You'll need to rely on the kit for stencils and data markings. Many of these are listed as being at Goose Bay in 1988 and 1989, which means they stopped over at Keflavik to refuel and it also means that I've got photos of them somewhere in the archives as I managed to photograph these planes during their short stay. The Hasegawa and Kinetic kits are recommended for this one, though again, just about any 1/48 early F-16A would be appropriate.

In all it is an excellent sheet that is superbly printed. The instruction sheet is large and in full color with not only a markings guide, but a photo or two of these planes to help out. This one is sure to sell out rather quickly so get yours as soon as you can.

Thanks to www.dutchdecal.nl  for the review sheet. You can get yours at your favorite shop.

June 2011

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