Brian P: Fightertown Decals

I love watching this thread and am continuously impressed by your skill and attention to detail. Having built a bunch of the Hasegawa Tomcats, and correcting a few things, I still can only think the way to improve the Hasegawa kit is to build the Tamiya! Hahahaha. Beian

I always was under the impression it simply had to do with the part contract manufacturer. Nothing more than the later made parts had straight and different number of vanes... Just like some of the main tires had tread in the center (5 lines of tread) of the tire, and some didn’t (4 lines of tread)... bris

Dark Green 34079. That's what it is and what we match to print. Note the stars had 36375 centers 😉

Wow - can't believe we did that. And many, many years ago and it was never caught. Actual plane was Dark Green FS34079. Personally I don't like that color in scale. I don't think it has enough green and is too dark. But that is what the actual jet was painted... Field Green 34097 would be a good option for the repaint that went to the museum, but it's too light for the actual jet. -brian

The little circle vent on the starboard (right side) of both ‘weekly’ doors is only on the A with PW engines. It does show a lot of streaking. I’d guess AMK added (like Tamiya did) for future versions. AMK seems to have added a lot of ‘extra’ wear and tear type stuff. Some panels that they molded are added on sheet metal repairs, visible on a specific airframe. I’d fill it in with putty or if you’re doing that exact specific airframe (or just like the look) cover it with bare metal foil or very thin plastic... Brian

Same time as the wheel change as well;) brian

Tail braces started by 1978. All aircraft were modified by the end of 1981. Brian

I always liked the immediate occurrence after the 1989 MiG-23 shootdown where they painted the Su-22 silhouette on the cockpit fuselage by mistake. I believe it was only on for a few hours at most...

The decals are for VF-2 Retro 1997 jet and CAG/line jet from 1995. I’m calling GWH out in public - GWH copied the names from my (FIGHTERTOWN DECALS 48086) 1997/98 profile for their decals. How do I know? I picked that jet because it was crewed by friends of mine at VF-24 who both went to VF-2 after 1996. GWH did the 1995 version but used my 1997/98 names (and a gear door name which I know of no reference for other than the picture I took on the flightline one day and have never published). No way they could magically have come up with the same names when they wouldn’t be at the squadron for at least another year. You can look up the cruisebooks from both cruises online btw. And for the 1995 CAG jet, they copied the 105 OIF names we did from 2003 - wtf?! To make it worse, they used the wrong fonts too... So to GWH - I know you stole and copied my work! How about a little credit. Or at the least next time, ask. I'm really open to and happy to help out.

While that’s true of the real thing, clear blue/green Transparent printed was the closest possible color. Yes, the look is darker but printing the correct lightness of transparency isn’t possible with current technology... still, I thought it was a cool decal to provide and we did it first back on 48082 for the Hasegawa Tomcat sheet. I know Furball made clear vinyl windscreen pieces and those are cool too. Alclad makes an Armored Glass. My personal favorite method is 2 drops clear blue, 1drop clear green and 90% clear. Nice to have options. And we sent them out out to all customers that ordered the sheets, and the distributors. Brian

These are the inserts for Fightertown Decals 48087 TAMIYA F-14 data and weapons set. They original sheet had solid printed windscreens by accident. I added clear cockpit screens, and metallic green lights and placards, accurately sized AIM-9 pieces (printer pulled the small ones from the previous Hasegawa sized sheet) and clear green HUD display. thanks brian

I’ve got a Kinetic boxing - has all A/B/C/D parts. Bkacknbox B cockpit with resin tails. Plus a spare set of tails. And a set of Legend NACES. But I’m in the Us and I know shipping is nuts... brian

Very nice. I got really excited to see you were going to show how to fit the windscreen seamlessly to the fuselage...;) brisb

Am looking for either of the 1/48 Hobby Boss A-6E kits. Don’t care about the box so we can break it up to make shipping smaller and cheaper;) Have plenty of Fightertown Decals current and old to trade - will make a good deal - or happy to buy. Thanks! Brian fightertowndecals@yahoo.com located CONUS

Because Tamiya has a kit? AMK is not in the market and the last kit was 10 years ago by hobby boss (I won’t comment on their issues with the kit) Obviously GWH thinks there’s room to bring out a new new. I say the more the merrier. Wasn’t there an HB and Italeri A-10 in recent years? 😉