Red Pegasus Decals

Air Race Markings

Reviewed by  Ed Kinney, IPMS# 2989

With the resurgence of interest in the civil unlimited racing aircraft kit releases, it seemed appropriate to let you know that these are just the tip of the iceberg. Accurate Miniatures' P-39 Cobras and Special Hobby with their long awaited F-2G Super Corsair are now available dressed up in the beautiful and colorful markings of the Thompson Trophy racers of the mid 40's. In point of fact, Keith Davidson, CEO of Red Pegasus has been contacted by the folks at Accurate Miniatures after he so generously supplied yours truly with a set of decals for the complex "Tulip" pattern on the nose of both Cobra I and II. (See review of the Accurate Miniatures P-39 racers on this site. We can only hope that more dialogue between them will follow. It seems likely that even more racer releases will be forthcoming. GREAT NEWS for racing buffs!!

The Company About Keith: He was an Air Force brat who spent his youth hanging out at Clark AFB in the Philippines, watching F-4s, C-130s and KC-135s launching and returning from Viet Nam. Not unlike myself, his early efforts involved the stick and tissue model aircraft, which we both pursued until we discovered girls, cars and beer … not necessarily in that order. After a 25 year layoff, he purchased a copy of "Reno Air Racing" by O'Leary in a half price book store, and the hook for racing aircraft had been set. (In my case, my father, as a Cleveland Police Officer, was involved in the security for the '46 through '49 Air Races at which point he put me in the cockpit of a P-51, wherein I contracted a terrible disease that NEVER went away!) In any event, both Keith and I developed an ongoing love affair with those beautiful unlimited racers. When Keith decided to enter the 21st Century with the purchase of a computer, his patient, understanding and supportive wife, Robin, (every modeler needs one of these!) approved the addition of an ALPS printer to the package and as they say, the rest is history.

The Product All Red Pegasus Decals are printed on extremely thin, clear decal paper from Tango Papa Decals (www.tangopapadecals.com) using the ALPS process. Images below show just a few of these available, but for a complete product listing and pricing information, visit his website (www.redpegasusdecals.com). On his instruction sheets, he recommends that these be clear coated before use for permanence. In my experience, these are absolutely the thinnest decals I have ever applied, so the clear coating makes them slightly easier to position without tearing them. I experimented with applying them using a paint brush dipped in some water with a couple of drops of dishwashing detergent in it, which makes them still easier to place. In that these sheets are ALPS printed, each marking must be cut from the carrier as closely as possible, although with the Micro Scale system of setting solutions, the backing all but disappears. After they dry, I usually will spray several coats of clear lacquer over them, with excellent results. The images show several examples of the finished product, but I must tell you that these markings are exquisite, and in my humble opinion, well worth the money. (Not to mention, you can't get them elsewhere!) Each sheet offered comes with a well researched instruction sheet with, in most cases, a 5 view drawing for placement. Take note that these are not limited to just the Thompson racers, but span the years to include many of the more popular and current day Reno Machines, but as they say "Wait! There's More…" In addition to these beautifully reproduced markings, Keith will also do custom work in all scales at most reasonable prices. He made up a special set for me of the N.A.S. Akron aircraft from the '50s that are beautifully done also. I can wholeheartedly recommend his work and can tell you that he stands behind every product sold … satisfaction guaranteed. It is my hope that he continues to deluge us with new sheets as the information surfaces on these truly magnificent machines. Most Highly Recommended!!

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