Tony P Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Hi everyone, I'm posting this here as I am posting these on my Facebook group and may be of interest. “Unveiling the mystery of the RAAF OS2U-3 Kingfisher” are the words that greet you on the cover of Ronin Decals 1/32 Royal Australian Air Force Kingfisher limited edition decal sheet. I must confess the kingfisher in Australian service is a mystery to me and its service is not widely known. The aircraft were originally destined for the Dutch East Indies in 1942 but after the Japanese invasion, the order was transferred to Australia. Eighteen aircraft were assembled and flown out of Flying boat base Rathmines, approx a 90 minute drive north of Sydney. Given the RAAF prefix A48, the aircraft served from 1942 to 1946 and mainly used in the anti-submarine role. Designed for the newly released Kitty Hawk kit, the decals provide markings for all 18 aircraft in 10 different schemes. From the original US Navy Atlantic scheme as delivered to the fetching bright yellow example used in the Antarctic flights of the late 1940s with various camouflaged and natural metal finishes in between. The decals themselves are silk screen printed and glossy. Three A5 sheets are provided with a small sheet providing four squadron shields which appear to be inkjet printed due to their complexity. White backgrounds are provided for these shields on one of the A5 sheets. One sheet provides all the A numbers and letter codes in black and grey. The second provides all the various roundels and fin flashes worn over the years with coloured prop tips also included. The last A5 sheet provides yellow stripes and light grey lettering. The decals look crisp and sharp on the sheet with no obvious flaws in the printing and colours in register. There also appears to be enough decals to make one of each scheme without the need to buy another set. Included with the decals are ten A4 sized colour placement diagrams dealing with each of the major schemes worn. There is also a key to advise as to which paint is required. Finally there is one A4 page with an explanation into some of the mysteries in relation to the colour schemes. The folks at Ronin decals appear to have done their homework but some conjecture remains as to what exactly was worn. This is probably due to the fact there is not a lot of decent material out there and trying to decipher colours from black and white pictures is not an exact art. This sheet comes highly recommended for those who like large flying boat aircraft of something different in their collection. The sheet can be ordered online at their ebay store which is located at: http://stores.ebay.com.au/roningraphicsaus?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Two ex-RAAF OS2Us recently arrived in New Zealand for restoration to fly - closer to completion I may have to get one of these sheets! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tony P Posted February 28, 2016 Author Share Posted February 28, 2016 That sounds interesting Zac. I didn't know that. Apparently more are up on Ebay if you missed out on the first round. Cheers Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 That sounds interesting Zac. I didn't know that. Always happy to share good news! Info on the airframes can be found at the restorer's website at http://www.pioneeraero.co.nz/project/vought-os2u-kingfisher/ and http://www.pioneeraero.co.nz/project/vought-os2u-kingfisher-2/ Very early days for the Kingfishers (and the Ki61s which aren't on the site) but still very exciting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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