F-16CG / CJ
PACAF Wing Kings

1/48 scale

Afterburner Decals

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

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AD 48-014 is another new F-16 sheet from the guys at Afterburner Decals.  This time they concentrate on the Pacific Air Force and provide markings for jets flown by the commanders of the 8^th, 35^th and the 345^th Fighter Wings.

This sheet provides markings for five options in all in the standard Tactical Paint Scheme of overall Federal Standard 36270, with Federal Standard 36118 upper surfaces worn by the F-16. 

The individual options are:

• F-16CG (Block 40) 90-0703 of the 8^th Fighter Wing, flown by Colonel Jeffrey Lofgren from Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of Korea.   0703 wears a blue and yellow fin flash as well as a white shadowed WP unit designator.  The only other colour is provided by the blue with yellow shadowing of the ground crew and pilots names on the canopy rails.  Comprehensive lo-viz squadron, wing shields and emblems are also provided for this and all of the other options on the sheet.  The provided markings allow you to finish the machine in two different time periods – 2006 and 2007 – by applying different ground crew names.

• F-16CJ (Block 50 CCIP) 91-0357 of the 35^th Fighter Wing, assigned to Colonel Terrance O’Shaughnessy, at Misawa Air Base in Japan.  This option sports a red and yellow fin flash, its only colour as all of its other markings are in lo-viz grey bar the white shadowing to its unit designator code on the vertical stabiliser.  Its markings depict it as it appeared in 2007 when Colonel O’Shaughnessy was the wing’s commander.

• F-16CJ (Block 50) 92-3901.  Another 35^th Fighter Wing machine, this time the provided markings depict it from 2006 when the wing was commanded by Brigadier General Sam Angelella.  In the same markings as the previous 35^th Fighter Wing option but with an additional and full colour design featuring a flying eagle superimposed over a U.S. flag on the intake.  This decal is a two-part one with a white background over which the coloured one is applied.  The coloured one is provided by Archer Fine Transfers.

• F-16CG (Block 40) 90-0745, of the 354^th Fighter Wing out of Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.  The markings depict the machine from 2007 when it was flown by Brigadier General Dave Scott.  Colour is again confined to a tri-colour fin flash with title Iceman 1 in white across it (totally appropriate seeing as the unit is based in Alaska!) and white shadowing to the unit designator and, unusually, to the “last three” of the aircraft’s serial that is applied to the nose.  A note on the fin flashes here.  Oddly, only this one is provided on the sheet.  You will have to paint the ones for the other options yourself.

• F-16CG (Block 40) 90-0745.  The same machine as the previous option but this time the markings depict it from 2006.  The main difference is that the fin flash was then in blue and black

As with all of the Afterburner Decals that I have seen, the printing is first rate and the decals are very thin, in perfect register and have an absolute minimum of carrier film surrounding each design.  The Archer Fine Transfers decal for the 35^th Fighter Wing option may look a little pixallated in the accompanying image as I had to enlarge it for the review but it is perfectly normal on the sheet.  There are three sheets provided in all, one normal sized one and two smaller ones. 

Click the thumbnails below to view images full-sized:

The support material accompanying the decals is excellent. There are four A-4 sized sheets printed on glossy paper.  The first forms the “cover” for the sheet and shows three small right hand side profiles for each option on the “front” and a generic plan view and left hand side profile on the “rear” with colour keys matched to FS shades. The rear of the sheet shows large left and right side profiles for the 35^th Fighter Wing options.   

The second sheet shows large left and right hand side profiles for the 8th Fighter Wing option on the front as well as detailed instructions and illustrations to assist with the painting of the fin flashes including FS matches (Testors Model Masters paint matches) to the red, yellow and blue paint.  The rear of the sheet contains shows left and right hand side profiles for the 354^th Fighter Wing options. 

The front side of the final sheet contains large plan and profile views to assist with the placement of stencil data, whilst the rear carries information on the Pacific Air Forces, each of the three wings, notes on F-16 block numbers with explanations on what SEAD, HARM and CCIP mean and finally, modelling notes for 1/48 scale F-16s including the new Tamiya kits. 

The recommended kit is the brand new Tamiya one. 

The decals and support sheets come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag.

An excellent effort by Afterburner Decals as far as I am concerned.  It provides comprehensive well researched supporting information that gives you background data on what you are modelling with superbly printed decals

Recommended.

Review Copyright © 2007 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 13 August, 2007
Last updated 24 December, 2007

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