As you have read in my previous review regarding the B-24, Southwest Pacific units have not been well represented with decal sheets. This particular sheet is for a couple of 380 BG B-24 Liberators. The 380th was quite active in the theater, being widely used to bomb Japanese installations as they moved from Darwin, Australia through New Guinea, to the Philippines and finally to Okinawa in the closing months of the war. 

The aircraft on this sheet are of the unit's aircraft as they appeared in the last months of the war. By that time, camouflage was long gone from Allied Army aircraft so these planes are in natural metal with silver doped control surfaces. Both of these 528 BS aircraft have an insignia red panel in the rudder and a lion marking on the fin. There are two different styles of lion provided. One thing that you may notice is that the ball turret has been removed from these aircraft and replaced by twin .50s on a scarff ring. Because these planes did not operate at high altitudes for most of their missions, the ball turret was not deemed needed.

What really makes these decal sheets stand out are the superb graphics for the nose art. These are done by Archer Transfers and are on a separate sheet from the rest of the decals. Because they are slightly transparent, white backgrounds are given on which to place the decals on the kit.

There are two planes on this sheet. The first is 'Flak Fled Flapper'. As with the other aircraft on the sheet, the nose art is on the right side of the aircraft with the unit badge on the left. This is opposite from what you see most fighter nose art, but was quite common on Pacific based 5th AF units.

The other aircraft is 'Net Results'. This particular plane was a Raven ECM bird so has some additional modifications that need to be done; mostly the installation of additional antennas.

Both of these schemes require some modification to the recommended kits. White Dog provides a listing of what is needed as well as a full reference section.

These sheets are only available by mail from White Dog and quantities are very limited. You can contact them at:

Don Fenton
11629 James Grant Dr.
El Paso, TX  79936

You can e-mail Don at dpfenton@earthlink.net for more information.

Review copy courtesy of White Dog Decals. Thanks for your support. 

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