This sheet was Microscale (now Superscale)'s 100th sheet. They started their aircraft aftermarket sheets in 1/72 and it wasn't for many after that there was any sort of market for 1/48 kits, just the opposite of what it seems to be today.

For me, personally, this may well have been the first aftermarket sheet I bought back in the early 1970s. I do recall using the SAAF markings, for at the time I was trying to get one model from every country and insignia option that I could. It is what fuelled my modeling passions back then and it was thanks to Frog as much as anyone else that I was able to get quite a collection before that petered out. Anyway, I used them on the really horrid Hasegawa 1/72 F-86F the only one out at the time and the kit recommended on the sheet. This kit, in addition to being a long winged -40 version had a nose that was nothing any Sabre has ever had. If you can find it, avoid it unless you want to rob the wings, landing gear and stabilizers.

This sheet has four options on it, all from the Korean war.

First is 'Paper Tiger', the aircraft of Harold Fischer of the 39 FS/51 FW with his 10 kills.

Next is 'Mig Mad Marine' of John Glenn with three kills. This set of markings is now on many kit decals.

The third is the unnamed plane of Capt. Manuel Fernandez of the 334 FS/4 FW and carries 14 1/2 kills.

The final option is the SAAF plane from 2 Sq, named 'Ruth I'.

The sheet provided data for three, tail markings for all but the 4th FW plane and no insignia. No stripes either, so I guess the modeler is supposed to paint on the yellow and black ID bands, not an un-difficult job in any scale.

December 2006