EURO DECALS [ MORE REVIEWS ] [ NEW STORIES ]

First Look Review
132
Bubbletop Mustangs
Bubbletop Mustangs
  • move

by: Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]

Fantasy Printshop have released a 1:32 edition of their excellent "Bubbletop Mustangs" Euro Decals set which includes markings for P-51Ds in six attractive colour schemes for a variety of air forces.

The subjects are unaltered from the smaller scale editions reviewed HERE, featuring the following aircraft:

1. North American Mustang Mk.IV, KH673 GL-N, “Sweetpea”, 5 Sqn. SAAF, Italy, April 1945
2. North American F-51D Mustang, “K”, 1 Sqn., ROKAF, Chinhae Air Base, August 1950
3. North American Mustang Mk.IV, NZ2427, “27”, 3 Sqn. Territorial Air Force, RNZAF, late 1940s
4. North American P-51D Mustang, 44-11222, CV-I, “Jolie Hélène”, 368th FS, 359th FG, USAAF, 1945
5. North American J-26 Mustang, 26115, “K/4”, F.4, Frösön, Sweden, 1951
6. North American F-51D Mustang, A68-563, O-MP, RAAF, 1945

The subjects are all fitted with a tail fillet - which makes the set suitable for most of the P-51D kits available in this scale (sadly, not Revell's new-tool model yet - a late-mark boxing of which must surely be on the way soon)

Once again the printing quality is second to none, with pin-sharp registration on the thin, glossy items. Excess carrier film is kept to a minimum and the colours look excellent, with a clear distinction between the WWII and post-war Commonwealth roundels and a correctly deep Insignia Blue for the USAAF subject.

The decals are spread across two sheets this time, with the smaller sheet including separate centres for the SAAF and RNZAF roundels, along with white code letters for “Sweetpea”. The registration is so good on the main sheet, I have no doubt the separate roundel centres aren’t really necessary (you probably won’t be able to line them up by eye any better than Fantasy Printshop would have printed them), so it could simply be a case of logistics – i.e. there wasn’t room for the code letters on the main sheet, so it made sense to take the opportunity to supply separate centres if a second sheet was needed anyway.

The instructions are unchanged from the earlier releases, with clear 4-view colour illustrations of the featured aircraft in the A5 pamphlet. Colour call-outs are given for FS, Humbrol, Xtracolour, Xtracrylic and Lifecolor matches. The minor hiccup noted in the original review in reproducing special characters in the text is evident in the sample set, but this is only a momentary hindrance. Fantasy Printshop inform me that the cause has been identified, so we can expect it to be amended in future.

Conclusion
It's great to see this interesting selection of schemes offered to largescale modellers. As expected from Fantasy Printshop, the quality of the decals is superb and the sheet will be ideal for anyone looking for a scheme that's a bit unusual for a P-51D.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE
SUMMARY
Highs: Superb quality decals for a sextet of very attractive Mustangs.
Lows: A small formatting hiccup on the instruction sheet (more of a novelty than a hindrance).
Verdict: Fantasy Printshop justifiably rank among the best decal manufacturers for the quality of their products and it's great to see these alternative colour schemes in 1:32 as well as the smaller scales.
Percentage Rating
90%
  Scale: 1:32
  Mfg. ID: ED-32119
  Suggested Retail: £28.95
  PUBLISHED: Jan 14, 2019
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.37%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 92.14%

Our Thanks to Fantasy Printshop!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

View Vendor Homepage  |  More Reviews  

About Rowan Baylis (Merlin)
FROM: NO REGIONAL SELECTED, UNITED KINGDOM

I've been modelling for about 40 years, on and off. While I'm happy to build anything, my interests lie primarily in 1/48 scale aircraft. I mostly concentrate on WW2 subjects, although I'm also interested in WW1, Golden Age aviation and the early Jet Age - and have even been known to build the occas...

Copyright ©2021 text by Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



Comments

Nice review, Rowan, gives all the 'Stang kits from Tamiya and Revell options for other rides.
JAN 16, 2019 - 10:59 AM
   
ADVERTISEMENT


Photos
Click image to enlarge
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
ADVERTISEMENT