Afterburner Decals 1/48 A-10 Spang Hawgs Decal First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | February 2009 | Manufacturer | Afterburner Decals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | A-10 Spang Hawgs | Scale | 1/48 |
| Set Number | 48047 | Pros | Nice selection of commander and line aircraft from Spangledesh |
| Cons | Nothing noted | Skill Level | Novice |
| MSRP (USD) | Out of Production |
First Look
Afterburner Decals continues to turn out some impressive decal releases covering contemporary US subjects and this latest set is no exception. This set represents the aircraft of USAFE's only A-10 squadron, the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem AB (Spangledesh) Germany.
This decal set provides thirteen (13!) examples of the A-10A with the commander's (CC's) aircraft, one Operations Group (OG CC) aircraft, and numerous line aircraft, each with a different variation of the low-visibility markings used by the squadron.
The examples presented here include:
- A-10A, 80-281, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, CC's aircraft, 2005
- A-10A, 81-951, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, 2006
- A-10A, 81-962, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, 2006
- A-10A, 81-963, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, 2003
- A-10A, 81-966, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, 2006
- A-10A, 81-980, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, 2005
- A-10A, 81-985, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, 2008
- A-10A, 81-988, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, CC's aircraft, 2006
- A-10A, 81-991, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, 2006
- A-10A, 81-992, 52 OG/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, OG CC's aircraft, 2001
- A-10A, 82-649, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, 1999
- A-10A, 82-654, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, 2007
- A-10A, 82-655, 81 FS/52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, CC's aircraft, 1999 Operation Allied Force
This decal set provides you with the sufficient stencils and markings to replicate two of these aircraft. If you look over the decal sheets, you can see that the set provides national markings, stencils, chaff/flare dispensers, and formation (slime) lights.
With the nice variety of A-10 kits available on the market now, such as Monogram, Italeri, and Hobby Boss, these markings will give you some nice combat options USAFE style.
My sincere thanks to Afterburner Decals for this review sample!