TwoBobs Aviation Graphics

F-16C Cripes A'Mighty Viper (48-129/32-041) F-16C 60th Anniv. Green Mountain Boys (48-139)

Sheet Number: (48-129/32-041) and (48-139)

Reviewed by  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $11.50 each Thanks to TwoBobs Aviation Graphics for the review sheets. For those that model modern aircraft TwoBobs should be a familiar name. The company is known for its extensively researched, accurate and colorful decals. They continue to produce topical subjects and the two decal sets reviewed here expand the options for those who model ANG F-16 Vipers. Typical of TwoBob sets is an extensive amount of information crammed on to a two-sided, full color instruction sheet. In addition to the standard profiles with color callouts and decal placement, these sheets include photographs of the actual aircraft, including close-ups of the markings. In addition, Two Bobs lists recommended kits and detail sets for the modeler to replicate the aircraft in question. The decals are printed by Microscale. Some of the more complicated artwork is provided in multiple decals that the modeler will need to carefully align; this avoids the problem of out of register decals. F-16C Cripes A'Mighty Viper (48-129/32-041) The 149the FS of the 192nd FW of the Virginia Air National Guard (ANG) traces its lineage back to the "Blue Nose Bastards of Bodney" of the 352nd FG. To commemorate the last reunion of the group, the Virginia ANG applied a retro paint scheme that hearkened back to those blue-nosed P-51s and appropriately they picked Cripes A'Mighty flown by MAJ George Preddy, USAAF, the top Mustang ace of the war with 26.83 confirmed kills. The scheme depicts Preddy's 4th and last plane at the time of his death, a P-51D simply called "Cripes A'Mighty". The Viper painted with this special scheme is an early F-16C block 30 with the GE engine but the narrow style intake; later GE engine quipped Vipers would have wide-mouth intakes due to the increased airflow demands of this engine. Since this set only provides decals for one scheme of Virginia ANG F-16, TwoBobs has included decals for Vipers in both 1/48 and 1/32. By my scant references, the markings faithfully and completely replicate the markings of Cripes A'Mighty. While TwoBobs provides the red for the canopy names and the tail stripe for the Virginia ANG, the modeler will need to paint the blue areas: the nose, base of the tail and ventral strakes - a color callout is provided, but there is no model paint match and TwoBobs provides a recommended approximation. The modeler will also have to paint the rudder red and the black underside theater markings. Since the commemorative aircraft is devoid of any of the standard F-16 stenciling, TwoBobs has left them out of this decal sheet. My only criticism of the set is that the red looks too maroon and matching it for the rudder will be tricky. Still this scheme, with its throw-back markings, will turn heads on the model table - Highly recommended. As a footnote, the Virginia ANG is transitioning to the F-22A, the first ANG unit to do so, and has quit flying the F-16. The F-16s will transfer to the Iowa and Florida ANGs. Because of the 2005 Base Relocation and Closure Commission the 192 FW is consolidating to Langley AFB, and ANG operations at the Richmond International Airport will shut down and the facility transfer to the US Army. F-16C 60th Anniv. Green Mountain Boys (48-139) In 2006 the Vermont ANG celebrated its 60th anniversary and commemorated the event with a jet painted in an anniversary scheme. The unit is the 134th FS of the 158th FW and historically its mission was the air defense of the US. It started flying the F-16 in 1986. With the end of the Cold War the unit transitioned to a multi-mission role and it now operates newer Block 25 aircraft with the advanced model of the Pratt & Whitney 220E engine and the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. This TwoBob decal set depicts the two aircraft of the Vermont ANG in 2006 at the 60th anniversary. One aircraft is the more colorful anniversary aircraft with not only the green and yellow fin flash with the words Vermont in yellow, but also a the base of the tail and ventral strakes in the same bright colors with the words "158th Fighter Wing" and "60 years" respectively. It has the slogan "From Thunderbolts to Vipers" on the tail and a color Vermont ANG "Green Mountain Boys" logo. On the port intake is this the Vermont ANG 60th anniversary color logo. The other aircraft depicted is the standard scheme which is by no means dull for it too has the green and yellow Vermont fin flash with a subdued image outline of the state of Vermont containing a Green Mountain Boy and a 13-star jack. It has the words "Green Mountain Boys" on the base of the tail and a 9-11 "Lets Roll" logo on the port intake. The modeler will have to paint the green areas and apparently there is no FS match. TwoBobs claims that the shade of green matches that used by John Deere! Of note: The anniversary aircraft is a Common Configuration Implementation Program (CCIP) aircraft, distinguished by the bumps forward of the windscreen associated with the APX-133 air-to-air interrogator. CCIP aircraft can carry the Advanced FLIR POD as well as both the LANTIRN and Lightening pods. Both these schemes look good on the F-16. TwoBobs has faithfully duplicated and included all of the markings and stenciling for both aircraft and the printing is crisp and legible. Since the Vermont ANG deployed its Vipers to Iraq in July 2007 for 45 days you can really bomb-up your model in these schemes. Highly recommended.

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