Spada Decals
P-36, P-47, P-51, Bf 109

1/72, 1/48, 1/32 scales

Reviewed by Mick Evans

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Spada Decals produces a range of 1/32, 1/48 and 1/72 scale decals for P-47D Bubble canopy Thunderbolts, P-51D Mustangs Messerschmitt 109 G-10 and P-36 Hawk 75 Aircraft.

The decals are printed with good colour saturation and are printed on what looks to be Laser and ALPS printers. One of the issues with this sort of printing is that the decals are printed on a single sheet of clear decal sheet and each decal needs to be cut out individually before the decals are immersed in water. Also the laser printing process does not lend itself to printing the colour white. This area of the decal is usually left clear and the modeller usually either paint the area under the decal white or lays a white foundation decal from spare decal sheets or an aftermarket solid white sheet.

The carrier film is ultra thin and this means the decals need to be handled carefully and should snuggle down into the surface detail well. The carrier film then should almost totally disappear under a coat of clear.

Most of the data stencils are not provided so these will need to be supplied from the kit decal sheet.

The instruction sheet artwork is reasonable but is severely let down by the lack of instruction on how to use the code letter templates for white code lettering. Little detail is provided for colour schemes on some of the sheets.

The following sheets were supplied for review\

Curtiss P-36 Hawk 75 Cyclone Powered SD-LL-H75/0021

• Curtiss Mohawk Mk.IV ex-AR62B Sno 2527 of the South African Air Force 6 Squadron based at Swartkop, Pretoria, South Africa in April 1942.

• Curtiss Mohawk Mk.IV Sno BS796 of the Royal Air Force 5 Squadron based at Dinjan India in Summer 1942

• Curtiss Mohawk Mk.IV Coded XY-C Sno 482 Esquadrilha “Mohawk”of the Aeronautical Militar Portugal based at Ota Portugal Summer 1943.

Curtiss P-36 Hawk 75 in French Service SD-LL-H75/002

• Curtiss P-36 Hawk 75 code X-8+06 of FG1/5 1st Sq based at Reims in Summer 1939 flown by Lt Edmond Marin La Meslee.

• Curtiss P-36 Hawk 75 of 154 FGII/5 1st Sq based at Casablanca in 1942.

• Curtiss P-36 Hawk 75 Group de Marouche 2/62 Rabat (Maroc) in January 1943.

Croation Gustavs LL-109G/01

• Messerschmitt BF109G-10 “Black 4” flown by Josip Cekovic based at Zagreb in April 1945.

• Messerschmitt BF109G-14 “Black 10” 2nd Squadron of 1st Group based at Zagreb in April 1945.

• Messerschmitt BF109G-10/U4 “Black 2” 2nd Squadron of 1st Eichwelde in November 1945.

French Jugs Vol 1 Metal Bubbles SD-LL-P-47D-B/01

• Republic P-47D-30-RE Serial 44-21100 Flown by Commandant Sales of GC 3/10 at Dijon Longvic in 1953.

• Republic P-47D-30-RE Serial 44-20814 of GC 3/16 at Treves Niedermendig in 1946.

• Republic P-47D-30-RA Serial 44-89788 of GC 1/4 at Navare Thies in 1947.

• Republic P-47D-30-RE Serial 44-20925 of GC 1/2 at Gigones Coblence Andernach in 1948.

French Jugs Vol 2 Olive Bubbles SD-LL-P-47D-B/02

• Republic P-47D-28-RE Serial 44-19703 of GC 1/5 at Le Vallon in November 1944.

• Republic P-47D-30-RE Serial 44-20659 of EC 2/2 at Friedrichshafen in 1948.

• Republic P-47D-28-RE Serial 44-19703 of GC II/5 at Luxeeul-Les-Ba ins Janvier in 1945.

• Republic P-47D-30-RE Serial 44-20688 of GC II/3 at Colmar in 1945.

US Metal Jugs SD-LL-P-47D-B/03

• Republic P-47D-28-R? Serial Unknown of 85 Fs, 79 Fg, 12 AF based in Italy in 1945 Flown by Captain Ed Payne.

• Republic P-47D-27-RE Serial 42-27234 Lil Butch/Elsie of 507 Fs, 404 Fg, 9 AF flown by Major Clay Tice.

• Republic P-47D-30-RA Serial 44-33087 Bloombs Tomb of 514 Fs, 406Fg, 9 AF at Asch Belgium in 1945.

US Jugs Vol 2 SD-LL-P-47D-B/04

• Republic P-47D-28-RA Serial 42-29150 Dottie May of 509 Fs 405 Fg, 9 AF in 1944.

• Republic P-47D-25-RE Serial 42-26466 Anamosa III flown by Lt Russ Westfall of the 63 Fs.

• Republic P-47D-30-RE Serial 44-20545 of 309 Fs, 366Fg, based at Asch Belgium in 1945 flown by Lt Melvyn.R.Paisley.

P-51D Mustang 4th Fighter Group SD-LL-P-51D-B/01

• P-51D-20-NA Sn 44-64153 VF-B flown by Major Fred W. “Freddy” Glover of the 336 FS based at Debden in April 1945.

• P-51D-20-NA Sn 44-72308 WD-A “Ridge Runner “flown by Major Pierce w. McKennon based at Debden in April 1945.

• P-51D-5-NA Sn 44-13303 VF-B flown by Major James “Goody” Goodson of the 336 FS based at Debden in 1944.

• P-51D-20-NA Sn 44-72181 VF-S “Sunny VIII” flown by Col Everett W. Stewart based at Debden in April 1945.

Click thumbnails below to view larger images:

Thanks to Spada Decals for the review sample.

Review Copyright © 2007 by Mick Evans
This Page Created on 17 October, 2007
Last updated 24 December, 2007

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