Albatros Modelworks Decal Releases

Reviewed by Michael Benolkin

Sexy Lancs (Set 48003/72003)

This first set provides the single best variety of Lancaster markings I've seen to date. Five aircraft are covered in this set:

Lancaster B.X, 428 Sqn, NA-S, K8864, "Sugar's Blues"

Lancaster B.I, 300 Sqn, BH-F, LL804, Lady In The Champagne Glass

Lancaster B.I, 424 Sqn, QB-P, NG374, 'Piccaldilly Circus'

Lancaster B.I, 150 Sqn, IQ-Q, P8817/G

Lancaster B.I, B-033, Argentine Air Force

......

The markings are spot-on in register and stenciling is provided for one aircraft. The instructions recommend the Tamiya Lancaster kit for 1/48, and the Airfix Lancaster kit for 1/72.

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The Thud Alley - F-105 Nose Art (Set 48004/72004)

This next sheet represents a short-lived period of nose art during the Vietnam airwar. Unlike the subjects of the British WW2 set described above, a few pilots in the F-105 community decided to take nose art to a new and interesting level. As soon as the commanders heard about it, however, the nose art was quickly stripped off the aircraft. Fortunately, not before a few of them were spotted and photographed.

F-105 noseart was somewhat standardized during the Vietnam airwar (and afterwards) - the aircraft name usually appeared on the sides of the intakes, and any graphic art was beneath the canopy or under the intake(s). Three variations of this 'standard' are included in this sheet and were certainly responsible for lighting up the PACAF command phone lines when they were discovered on the subject aircraft.

You see, these three variations shared a common approach, a bare lady laying atop the nose of the Thud, ahead of the windscreen and strategically placed in relation to the in-flight refueling receptacle. It no-doubt assisted the war-weary refueling boom operators in getting a rapid and accurate hook-up of these particular aircraft (and certainly caused a sudden evacuation of the KC-135's flight deck as the crew ran back to the boomer's pod to check out what the boomer was laughing at).

This decal sheet provides beautifully clear and spot-on in-register markings for seven (7!) F-105Ds:

As you can see in the photos, the 'nose art' was blurred to prevent any spontaneous anatomy lessons from our younger readers, but the decals are beautifully done. The instructions recommend the Monogram 1/72 F-105D kit or the Monogram 1/48 F-105D kit for this set. Given the current availability of the 1/48 example, as well as the recent release of the 'Rolling Thunder' weapons set from Cobra Company, I feel a few F-105D projects coming on.

These sheets will be welcome additions to your project shelf. You can order FCM decals from Hannants or Flightdecs. My sincere thanks to Albatros Modelworks for these review samples!