Reviews

Draw Decal mainly produce airliner decals but they have also produced a number of sheets for USAF subjects, including a range for the F-102 Delta Dagger. This first sheet, 72s-F102-1 covers four Air National Guard units from the Southern USA and includes the following airframes:-

• F-102A 57-0775 from the 151^st FIS, 134^th Wing of the Tennessee ANG. This airframe carries ‘FC-775’ buzz numbers on the rear fuselage and had black wing fences. Tail markings comprise an ANG crest on the fin together with ‘TENNESSEE’ lettering;
• F-102A 56-1409 from the 159^th FIS, 125^th Wing of the Florida ANG. This airframe does not carry buzz numbers and has a blue fin flash containing a white lightning bolt on the fin, together with the ANG crest and ‘FLA’ lettering. Draw Decal provide alternative fuselage markings, with ‘FLA. AIR GUARD’ instead of the standard ‘U.S. AIR FORCE’ lettering;
• F-102A 56-1310 from the 122^nd FIS, 159^th Wing of the Louisiana ANG. This had red wing fences and carried a blue and white striped fin flash, standard ANG crest and ‘LOUISIANA’ on the fin. This aircraft also carried a green upper section to the airbrake. Again, Draw Decal provide alternative fuselage markings for the same airframe when it carried ‘LA. AIR GUARD’;
• F-102A 57-0831 from the 157^th FIS, 169^th Wing of the South Carolina ANG. This airframe had a red outlined blue fin flash containing the ANG crest, ‘SOUTH CAROLINA’ lettering on the fiin, red wing fences and intake splitter stripe and a yellow upper section to the airbrake.

In addition to the above markings, Draw Decal provide a set of numbers to enable a wide range of additional airframes to be depicted.

Draw Decal are unusual in using Silk Screening for the decals. This makes them thicker than normal transfers but they are beautifully detailed and in perfect register. The artwork for this sheet was designed by Mike Egan, a well-known figure in modelling circles, and this shows.

A single set of National Insignia are provided, together with black anti-glare panels for the nose and intakes - as this type of decal is not as flexible as normal water-slide, it is recommended to use the kit decals or even resort to masking and spraying.

Instructions comprise side views of the above airframes and top and bottom views, but Draw Decal go one stage further by listing all known aircraft which flew with the above units.

Note that airframes up to 56-1317 had the Case X wing, with 'upturned' wingtips, whilst those from 56-1318 onwards had the Case XX wing with 'downturned' wingtips. Not all of the aircraft on this sheet have the earlier Case X wing so choosing carefully is a must!

Review by Chris St Clair