Lifelike Decals

1/48 & 1/72  Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVIe Pt. 2 decal sheet

Product # 48-007  # 72-007

Product Article by Steve Bamford on Dec 15  2003

 

 

 

Click here for Japanese translation of instruction sheets  

Lifelike Decals is a new Decal company out of Japan.  The owners have been involved in the researching of decal sheets for other companies for many years.  They have decided to create their own decal line.  Their seventh sheet features four different Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI's.  This is Part 2 of  a series dealing with the Spitfire Mk. XVI's.

The Spitfire is one of the most notable fighters to leave it's mark on the history books during WW2.  The Spitfire evolved throughout the war years and after, with the last versions of the Spitfire being quite different from the original Mk.1's that were used to defend the British Isles during the dark days of the summer of 1940.  The Polish pilots are well known for there efforts in the RAF Squadrons.  I'm pleased to see one of their planes included on this decal sheet as well as a Spitfire piloted by a New Zealander.

This decal sheet provides a good variety artwork and markings as you can see in the instruction sheets below.

Each plane is either a late war or post war Spitfire.

There is also a page of text describing the various colours and markings and references on these planes.  

The first plane is a Spitfire LF Mk.XVIe TD240 flown by Squadron Leader Boleslaw Kaczmarek of RAF No. 302 (Polish) Squadron, Varrelbusch/Germany, June-early August1945.  This aircraft has a variety of artowrk including a Bulldog wearing boxing gloves.  This plane is the standard RAF Dark Green/Ocean Gray/Medium Sea Gray paint scheme.  There is also the female name "Janetka" on the left side engine cowl and well as the squadron badge.

Click on images below to see larger images

The second plane is a Spitfire LF Mk.XVIe TB625 flown by W.O. Murray JC Lind of RAF No. 485 (NZ) Squadron, out of Fassburg/Germany in June-August 1945.  This aircraft  includes noseart of a Rooster head with the text "Winston Churchill" along with a bunch of kill markings from ground attack and air battles.  This plane is painted in RAF Dark Green/Ocean Grey/Medium Sea Grey with the NZ fern leaf emblem and his personal marking "Rongotea" below the windshield.  The prop spinner is red and Sky striped.

The Third plane is a Spitfire LF Mk.XVIe SL718 of R Aux AF, No. 612 Squadron in 1949 Cooper Air Race, Elmdon AB, July 1949,   This plane is painted in RAF Dark Green/Ocean Grey/Medium Sea Grey.  There is a unit badge below the exhaust pipes and the racing #6 on a fuselage band. The prop spinner is red.

The fourth plane is a Spitfire LF Mk.XVI RW396, of central Gunnery School at Leconfield 1946-1947.  This aircraft  is overall natural metal.  The prop spinner is red.

The quality of these decals is quite pleasing...they are printed by Mircoscale so that should give you a very accurate idea of their high quality.  The carrier film in nicely limited around the decals.  The decals themselves are clearly printed and in perfect register with fine clear tiny stencils.  The colour of the decals appears solid enough to prevent paint showing through the decals.  

Decal Sheets

You can purchase these decals either directly from Lifelike Decals at fax number is +81-3-5680-6733, and e-mail is lifelike@eos.ocn.ne.jp. or from HobbyLink Japan.  

Other shops that stock Life like Decals are *Hannants/UK, *Mister Kit/Italy, *Revi (publisher)/Czech Republic, *SkyGrid/Canada, *Roll Models/USA, *Great Models Webstore/USA, *FlightDecs/Canada, *Victory Models/USA
*M & Models/USA, *
Zed Hobbies/Australia, *AB &S Enterprise/Australia, *Desert Miniature/USA 

I highly recommend these decals to anyone interested in building a late mark late war or post war Spitfire.  

I would like to thank Lifelike Decals for providing me with this review sample.

Steve

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford