If you are about to build the 1/350 USS Enterprise out of the respectable Tamiya kit, you will notice that the provided airplanes are made out of injected molded styrene in grey color. Thinking ahead of the build process the modeler will recognize that painting the canopy of each airplane will be a tedious task to accomplish.
This is where Gold Medal Models comes to help out. For this, let us have a short view what kind of help is provided.
The Packaging…
The decal set comes in a white sturdy envelope. The front reads 1/350 Navy Jet Canopy Decals.
… And what is inside? …
The Content…
The modeler receives one sheet of decals giving you the canopy details.
This set covers the following:
1. A-6 (6 parts)
2. E-2C (6 parts)
3. EA-6B (8 parts)
4. A-7 (4 parts)
5. H3 (14 parts)
6. F-14 (5 parts)
7. F-4 (5 parts)
8. F-18 (2 parts)
9. S-3 (4 parts)
These are over all additional 226 parts to work with. The print of the decals is without any error in forms of color shift or misprint. No instructions are provided but to be honest, what more instruction do we need other than telling which decal set is for which aircraft. This is accomplished on the decal sheet itself.
Result and Conclusion…
This decal set saves the modeler a lot of time and effort. That is, for the airplanes covered by this set. If you do not care to have a full and correct air wing on the enterprise, one set should suffice to overcome the painting obstacles.
If you decide to build the enterprise or any other post war US carrier then you will have to sort your references and figure how many of those sets you will need. If you stick to the Tamiya line of 1/350 aircraft, I can see no easier and more convincing way to show the canopy for each of them.
SUMMARY
Highs: Clear print and ready to use decals.Lows: The mixture of aircraft covered limits the usefulness of this set e.g. only 4 F-18 canopy decals. Verdict: A very nice and highly recommended set no matter the modeler’s skill level.
About Dariush (Dr_Who2) FROM: NORDRHEIN-WESTFALEN, GERMANY
... being father of two lovely children brought me back what was a hobby of mine in my own childhood. I guess everyone with at least one child in the household can figure what I am talking about. Despite what I have built in my younger years (most of them blew up or sank in a pond) I learned to lov...
