Spitfire Part 4

Lifelike Decals, 1/48 scale

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Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

48-026 Supermarine Spitfires Part 4 is amongst the flurry of new releases from the Japanese company Lifelike Decals.  It provides a diverse mix of markings for four different mark Spitfires, some of which have not been seen in decal format before as far as I know.

The individual options are:

• Air Chief Marshall Sir James Robb’s Mk XVI, SL721.  The markings depict this well known machine as it appeared between October 1948 and September 1951 when it was based at RAF Hendon.

• Wing Commander Douglas Bader’s Mk VA, W3185.  The supplied markings will allow you to model this aircraft when it was flown by Bader from the end of July 1941 until it collided with an Me 109 over France on 9 August 1941 resulting in Bader being taken into captivity and becoming a POW.

• Mk VB of the 4th Fighter Squadron 52nd Fighter Group (serial unknown).  This option allows you to model a reverse Lend Lease machine operated by the United States Army Air Force and flown by a Flight Officer James Montgomery from Corsica in early 1944.

• Mk XVI, TD248 operated by BAC Aviation, East Colne circa 1997.  A welcome inclusion indeed as it replicates this well known and strikingly marked machine that was spiritedly displayed at many air shows in the UK.

There is no indication as to who has printed the decals themselves but they are very nicely done indeed.  They are thin and have a minimum of carrier film surrounding even the tiniest stencil data item.  The colours appear to be faithful to the originals too with the red being offered for Bader’s Mk VA fin flash and roundels being the darker type used in WWII and the red for the other RAF options being the brighter red introduced post-war.  Speaking of RAF roundels, they have been supplied with separate red centres to avoid any register issues.  The USAAF national insignia is supplied with a dark blue surround and a faded blue background to the star.  This would be correct as the darker blue represents the markings as they would have appeared when the red surround was painted out.  The faded blue would be correct too as it would have faded considerably since being originally painted on over the original RAF roundels when the machine was transferred to the USAAF.  There is plenty of stencil data too including propeller blade stencils and maker’s logos so check your references before you apply them!

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Thumbnail panels:

The placement guide/information sheets are A-4 in size and provide colour illustrations of the left hand side of each option and applicable upper and lower plan views as well as a further generic four-view illustration to show stencil data placement.  Comprehensive notes are provided for each option and any ‘grey areas’ encountered in research for the sheet are clearly explained.  A list of the 16 references used to realise the sheet is included too.

The decal sheets (there are four of them in all – the main one containing the vast majority of markings, two smaller one carrying the black items such as stencil data and serials, and the other carrying the roundels for the Bader option, and an even smaller one that carries the nose art and its white backgrounds for the Bader and the USAAF options – and the placement guide/information sheets come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag.

This is an excellent sheet indeed.  It provides you with superbly printed decals and support material for some unusually marked Spitfires and I am sure that it will be welcomed by fans of Supermarine’s classic Spitfire.

Thanks to Keishiro Nagao of Lifelike Decals for the review sample.

Lifelike Decals are available by email at lifelike@eos.ocn.ne.jp or from

2-8-7-202, Kameari, Katsushika, Tokyo 125-0061, Japan
fax: +81-3-5680-6733