Fightertown Decals

1/48 VF-154 Black Knights Final Combat cruise decal sheet

product # FTD48007

$18.00 from Fightertown Decals

Review by Steve Bamford on Oct 10 2007

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This new decal sheet from Fightertown Decals includes markings for 5 different 1/48 F-14A's with VF-154 Black Knights on their last combat cruise for their Tomcats.  These decals are sized for the Hasegawa kit.  This decal sheet also includes landing gear, ejection seat, helmet and patches decals and formation lights.  

There is a long list of people that helped on this sheet including Mike Pister, LCDR Silva, and other members of VF-154, Tony Holmes, Takafumi Hiroe and Andy Mullen.  Well done Guys!!!    

The first aircraft is a F-14A "101" CO BuNo 161276 in 2003.  The paint scheme for this aircraft is lo-viz gray overall.  The rudders are dark grey with red diagonal stripes.  There is also a dark grey anti-glare panel in-front and behind the canopy.  The "101" numbers on the forward fuselage are black witha  red outline.  This Tomcat was carrier based with 45 total bombs dropped.

The second aircraft is a F-14A "104" Line Jet BuNo 158620 in 2003.  The paint scheme for this aircraft is lo-viz gray overall.  The rudders are dark grey with light grayl stripes.  There is also a dark grey anti-glare panel in-front and behind the canopy.  Markings on the fuselage are in black.  This Tomcat was shore based at Al Udeid with 18 total bombs dropped. 

 

The third aircraft is a F-14A "103" Line Jet BuNo 161293 in 2003.  The paint scheme for this aircraft is lo-viz gray overall.  The rudders are dark grey with light grayl stripes.  There is also a dark grey anti-glare panel in-front and behind the canopy.   Markings on the fuselage are in black.  This Tomcat was carrier based with the highest scorecard of the squadron with 51 total bombs dropped. 

The fourth aircraft is a F-14A "107" Line Jet BuNo 161296 in 2003.  The paint scheme for this aircraft is lo-viz gray overall.  The rudders are dark grey with light grayl stripes.  There is also a dark grey anti-glare panel in-front and behind the canopy.   Markings on the fuselage are in black.  This Tomcat was shore based at Al Udeid with 32 total bombs dropped and was the only VF-154 jet to fire its gun.  This jet crashed on Apr 1 2003 due to an engine and fuel transfer malfunction. 

The fifth aircraft is a F-14A "110" Line Jet BuNo 161288 in 2003.  The paint scheme for this aircraft is lo-viz gray overall.  The rudders are dark grey with light grayl stripes.  There is also a dark grey anti-glare panel in-front and behind the canopy.   Markings on the fuselage are in black.  This Tomcat was shore based at Al Udeid with 35 total bombs dropped.

Shortly before hostilities commenced, VF-154 sent 5 jets and 5 crews to al Udeid, Qatarto be a forward deployed close air support element and conduct missions with and in support of (but mot limited to) CTF-20, the special operations Task Force operating inside Iraq.  These missions are still classified, but what information is available is well documented in Tony Holmes "F-14 Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

The instructions are clear and include 4 views of each aircraft.  There is also weapons loadout information included in the instruction sheets.  The decals are beautifully printed on 2 decal sheets.  The quality of the decals is first rate. 

A very complete decal sheet of jets with active combat records including 4 jets with huge numbers of bomb mission markings.  This sheet will give you with plenty of extras to help you make your F-1A stand out at the next contest.

Steve

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

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford