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Twobobs Aviation Graphics |
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F/A-18F VFA-102 Diamondbacks 50th Anniversary |
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Stock Number: 72-041 |
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Reviewed By Clarence Wentzel, #11478 |
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MSRP: $10.00 USD This decal sheet from Twobobs covers a special paint scheme applied to a VFA-102 “Diamondbacks” F/A-18F aircraft to commemorate their 50th anniversary. Fighter Squadron 102 was established in 1955 and first flew Banshees. Over the years, they have flown Skyrays, Phantoms, Tomcats and Hornets, in addition to the Super Hornet. They have participated in many of the major operations of the US Navy in the years since their establishment and have established a proud tradition. The special aircraft markings used to commemorate this anniversary were spectacular, with liberal use of red and white diamonds, a mean snake head on the rudders and a special “50” emblem on the nose. When I first saw photos of this scheme, I knew that I had to add it to my collection. As I expected, Twobobs Decals came to the rescue with this impressive sheet. Twobobs have produced the bands at the tips of the wings and horizontals in one piece while the fuselage diamonds and the rudder markings are applied over red painted areas. I used Testors Insignia Red to paint these areas and was pleased with the match. Twobobs use a three-layer decal to ensure that the nose marking is accurate and a two piece decal for the tail snakes. They allow the great detail of the markings to accurately show through. My only concern with the decals was that the instructions show the wing tip bands to extend to the trailing edges of the wings. The kit directions showed a different colored area along the trailing edges and the photos with the decals showed that the bands did not cover this area. The decals are designed correctly as the reference photos show. I can not say enough about the quality of these decals. They loosen from their backing with a 8 to 10 second dunking and they are flexible, opaque and feature fine detail. Their white areas are very white. This sheet provides details of the operation of VFA-102 along with fourteen photos of the actual aircraft for reference. This sheet and other great decals can be obtained directly from Twobobs at www.twobobs.net or from selected retailers. Well recommended. |
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