Moving over to the Wildcat, this new Starfighter Decals sheet provides markings for six planes in three different camouflage schemes.  The recommended kit is the Hasegawa version with the Quickboost replacement wings and cowling that allow the F4F-4 kit to be backdated to an F4F-3. Might as well go all out and include the very nice cockpit and wheel well resin set from True Details.

The first two options are 'Yellow Wings' era aircraft but with a difference. One has a Willow Green tail but the wings themselves are unpainted metal (or aluminum lacquer). No unit given and taken from a Life magazine photo from 1940. The second is from V-41 aboard the USS Ranger. This has a blue fuselage band, wing chevrons, and forward cowling, but the Willow Green is limited to the flight control surfaces.

In the overall Light Grey scheme are planes from VF-5 and from VF-71. Both of these options have the very small fuselage insignia.

Finally, in the Blue-Grey over Light Grey scheme are planes from VF-3 aboard the USS Saratoga in late 1941 and VF-72 from the same general time period.

The instructions are well done and in full color, providing references for the schemes. There are wing walk areas enough for two planes, prop stripes for one and insignia for at least two, depending on how your go about using them. Of course, you can use the kit insignia and aftermarket ones to enable more to be done from this sheet. As with the other sheets, it is beautifully done by Cartograf.

Thanks to www.starfighter-decals.com for the review sample

December 2008

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