Iliad Design have found some very interesting subjects for their latest Stars In The Sky sheet. If you’ve not come across the series before, it takes a refreshing approach by depicting the aircraft of pilots and crew members who went on to become celebrities in different fields, for instance sport, music or acting.

So, we have something to suit all tastes in this latest quartet, with aircraft from WW2, the Korean War and the ANG:

1. First up is the Lancaster Mk.II, “Lady Be Good”, s/n LL722, EQ-N, flown by the actor Robert Clothier.
2. The AU-1 Corsair s/n 1291358 was flown by the baseball player Jerry Coleman during his service with VMA-323 in Korea.
3. Tragically, musician and actor Dean Paul Martin died in the next aircraft - F-4C Phantom II, s/n 64-0923 of the Californian Air National Guard, which crashed in bad weather in 1987.
4. Hollywood actor Tim Holt was awarded the DFC when serving as bomb aimer during WW2 in the B-29 “City Of Monroe”, s/n 44-70018 of the 62nd BS, 39th BG.

The decals themselves look lovely and thin, and the registration is pin-sharp on the sample sheet. Excess carrier film on the glossy items is minimal. The colours look very good, with a dull brownish red for the WW2 RAF roundels, and a properly dark Insignia Blue for the USAAF national markings.

The instruction sheet features high quality colour profiles on the front, with simpler colour plan views on the reverse, accompanied by concise and helpful notes. A nice touch is the inclusion of the four stars in their service days to contrast with their publicity shots on the front.

Conclusion

I really like the idea of a themed decal sets such as this. Not only do they provide a unique take on unusual subjects which might otherwise be overlooked, but they allow us to see celebrities in a different light and serve as a timely reminder of the debt we owe to many household names for the way in which they served their countries.

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