Print Scale 1/72 Douglas F3D Skyknight Decals
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Overview
The Douglas F3D was an important player in US Navy night fighter development, but for the longest time it was avoided by kit manufacturers. A while back, Matchbox released a kit of the plane in 1/72, and only recently have we seen a new-tool 1/72 Skyknight show up from Sword. Now we're starting to see aftermarket decals, and this sheet from Print Scale offers markings for several colorful options.
The Decals
The decal sheet comes with four options split between US Navy and US Marines, as well as overall sea blue and gray/white camouflage. Starting with the Marines option first, this one is finished in gull gray and white, and is an EF-10B from VMCJ-1. It has RM tail codes, a red and green flash on the tail, and interesting Russian Cyrillic on the sides of the drop tank. The second gull gray/white option is an F3D-2 from VFAW-3, flown by Cdr Eugene Valencia during a trip to Canada. This plane has a couple of colorful zaps applied to it. First up is the RCAF flag on the tail. More prominently is the 460th FIS emblem that covers the vertical fin. This was applied to the aircraft during a layover at Portland Oregon.
For the sea blue options, first up is an F3D-2 from VF-11 out of NAS Key West. This plane features red trim around the nose, engine intakes, and fin cap. The second option is also an F3D-2, this time from the Tophatters, complete with yellow wingtips, tail fin, and nose swoosh. Included with the individual marking decals are stenciling decals that will allow you to fully detail up one plane.
Conclusion
While a small sheet, the marking options presented on this aftermarket set are colorful and interesting, and should be quite fun to apply to the new Sword kit. My thanks to Print Scale for the review sample.