Here's
a quick review of Eagle Strike's "Tomcats Part IX" sheet.
This
sheet covers two F-14B Tomcats of VF-103, the infamous "Jolly Rogers".
The sheet covers two aircraft from the squadron from the 2002-3 time frame, when
the squadron was deployed aboard the USS George Washington. Included are
the CAG bird, modex # 103, and one line bird, modex #101. Unlike the
previous 'extreme-lo-viz' scheme that VF-103 wore for a short period of time
(The Bones on gray tails with no victory stripes), these markings represented a
welcome reversion to the more ominous schemes worn by Jolly Rogers Tomcats in
the past. In particular, the CAG aircraft's scheme is a throwback to the
old days of colorful VF-84 F-14A Tomcats. Of course, this change was not
only preferable to the squadron, but was welcomed by modelers as well.
My sample was printed in
perfect register, and the colors used on the sheet were, for the most
part, a very good match for VF-103 aircraft of the time period. One
minor flaw that I observed is that the tail markings for the 101 bird
should actually be Light Ghost Gray instead of White. However, this
does not detract from the markings in a major way, and they can be toned
down with pastels or a light overspray of gray. On the plus side, an
interesting addition to the markings is the chipped paint on the starboard
fin cap of the 103 bird. This is evident on several photos of
the aircraft, including one which is featured on the front of the
instruction sheet. You can opt to use this decal or not, but it is
definitely a nice touch. Brian Marbrey was instrumental in the
research for this sheet, providing both research assistance and
photographs. Brian is very knowledgeable about VF-103's aircraft,
and this is evident when viewing the sheet's markings.
The full color instruction sheet includes placement instructions, color
guides, weathering recommendations, and three-view color illustrations of
both aircraft.
In addition to the squadron markings for the two aircraft, the sheet also
features crew names and stencil data, but does not include slime lights.
You'll need to harvest these from the decal sheet of whatever kit you
happen to be building.
The sheet retails for $9.50,
and is available
from Eagle
Strike Productions website and online vendors.
This review courtesy of my wallet, as I picked this sheet up at the Eagle
Strike booth at the Atlanta Nationals.
Steve
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