Techmod have gained a well-deserved reputation for their quality and precise printing. The carrier film on their sheets is kept to a minimum and what there is is crystal clear. The decals are very thin and adhere very well - which means you do need to take a little extra care in applying them to float them into position without them turning over on themselves. Despite their thinness, I've always found Techmod decals to have excellent colour density. Saving the best 'till last - the printing is second to none - the registration is consistently spot on and even the smallest items are printed with absolute clarity - 1/72 scale stencils are clearly legible with the aid of a magnifying glass!

72129 - Gotha G.IV

The market is hardly flooded with decals for Roden's impressive Gotha, so Techmod's sheet should be warmly welcomed by WW1 enthusiasts. The sheet includes two sets of national markings and individual markings for six aircraft. Each machine is painted in Pale Blue overall:

Gotha G.IV - 601/16
Gotha G.IV - 602/16 - this a/c carries a striking green serpent on the fuselage.
Gotha G.IV - 603/16 - Kagohl 3. coded "MS" with areas of Dark Green on the fuselage (supplied as decals).
Gotha G.IV - 607/16
Gotha G.IV - 407/16 - Kagohl 3. coded "PS".
Gotha G.IV - 405/16 - Kagohl 3. with a Black & Yellow fuselage chevron.

The instructions are clearly illustrated in colour, with left and right profiles for each aircraft, plus a 4-view stencil and national insignia placement guide. An FS equivalent is provided for the Pale Blue and the sheet includes references to complete this useful package.

72042 Hawker Typhoon Mk 1B

Staying in 1/72 scale, the next sheet features a nice selection of car-door Typhoons. The sheet contains one set of national insignia and individual codes for four aircraft. Also included are a comprehensive set of stencils (all legible even in this scale) and black and yellow recognition stripes.

1. "FM-A" JP510, 257 Sqn., flown by Sqn. Leader R.H. Fokes, Warmwell, August 1943.
2. "B" R8925 in desert camouflage for tropical trials in Africa, early 1943.
3. "EL-C" DN421, 187 Sqn., Appledram, June 1943.
4. "SA-H" R8781, 486 Sqn., flown by Sgt. K.G. Taylor-Cannon, Tangmere, December 1942.

The colours look very good, with the roundels featuring a fairly dull red (not the Red Oxide sometimes seen, but well within the range of colours apparent in vintage WW2 colour photos) and a good rendition of Sky. The full colour instructions include 4-view drawings for every scheme and there's a separate sheet illustrating the stencil positions. The camouflage drawings are backed up with a chart giving FS equivalents for the RAF paints and, finally, Techmod supply a useful list of references.

32021 - Hawker Typhoon Mk 1B

Typhoons again - and anybody expecting a simple copy of the 1/72 scale sheet with a reduced selection is in for a shock! This phenomenal set includes two sheets (a small supplementary sheet contains some stencils that escaped the main sheet) with one set of national markings and stencils, plus codes and personal markings for no less than seven aircraft! The surprise continues when you realise that most of the subjects are different from the smaller sheet:

1. "JE-DT" EK273, 195 Sqn., flown by Sqn. Leader Don Taylor, Ludham, June 1943.
2. "SA-H" R8781, 486 Sqn., flown by Sgt. K.G. Taylor-Cannon, Tangmere, December 1942.
3. "PR-F" DN406, 609 Sqn., Manson, March 1943.
4. "HH-W" JP496, 175 Sqn., flown by Sqn. Leader R. T. P. Davidson, Lydd, August 1943.
5. "HH-N" EK139, 175 Sqn., Spring 1943.
6. "EL-X" EK270, 181 Sqn., flown by Sqn. Leader D. Crowley-Milling, Appledram, June 1943.
7. "B" R8925 in desert camouflage for tropical trials in Africa, early 1943.

The decal ink colours are identical to the smaller sheet and, as before, every aircraft is the subject of a 4-view colour illustration and the same stencil guide, FS chart and references are supplied.

24006 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB

Moving up to 1/24 scale, this impressive sheet contains one set of national markings and stencils and individual markings for two machines:

1. "WX-A" P8742, 302 Sqn., flown by Lt. Czesław Główczyński, December 1941.
2. "ZF-H" AB968, 308 Sqn., flown by Sgt. Tadeusz Schiele, October 1941, carrying a Polish marking and the "Big Dipper" constellation on the nose.

Both aircraft are painted in temperate camouflage and carry "A type" roundels. Again the colours colours look good with Dull Red and Blue roundels and a brighter Insignia Red for the Polish markings. The same colour is used for the fabric patches for the gun ports - which is probably a bit too neat and bright to match the hastily doped originals.

Conclusion

These look excellent quality decal sheets, combining interesting subjects with superb printing. From experience with their sheets supplied with kits, Techmod decals more than repay the little extra care needed in applying them. Highly recommended.

contact details.

The samples were very kindly supplied by Adalbertus, Techmod's sole export representative:

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