AOA Decals 1/48 The Dogs of War Decal First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

AOA Decals is back with a new release that put a smile on my face. In this release, we have markings for the O-1/L-19 Bird Dog designed for the 1/48 ModelUSA kit and the Hasegawa reboxing of that kit. This set provides a really nice cross-section of Forward Air Controller (FAC) aircraft flown by the US Army, US Marine Corps, US Air Force, and Vietnamese Air Force.

The aircraft provided in this decal set include:

1. O-1G, 51-2665, 21 RAC, US Army, 1968
2. O-1G, 51-2740, 21 RAC, US Army, 1968
3. O-1G, 51-5022, 184 RAC, US Army, 1967
4. O-1G, 51-2469, 199 RAC, US Army
5. O-1G, 51-2227, 199 RAC, US Army, 1970
6. O-1G, 51-4971, 203 RAC, US Army, 1968
7. O-1G, 51-2002, 219 RAC, US Army, 1971
8. O-1G, 51-2785, 220 RAC, US Army, 1969
9. O-1G, 51-2258, 220 RAC, US Army, 1970
10. O-1G, 51-7310, 221 RAC, US Army
11. O-1, 41, VMO-6, USMC, 1968
12. O-1, 14, VMO-6, USMC, 1969
13. O-1A, 51-7379, USAF
14. O-1E, 56-2620, USAF
15. O-1E, 57-6026, USAF
16. O-1A, 51-4606, USAF
17. O-1E, 57-6273, USAF
18. O-1E, 56-2657, USAF
19. O-1A, 51-12224, VNAF
20. O-1A, 51-12236, VNAF
21. O-1A, 51-12829, VNAF
22. O-1A, 51-12382, VNAF
23. O-1A, 51-12704, VNAF

The decal set is very nicely done and provides a wealth of markings and stencils to make your Bird Dog stand out. While the Model USA kit is getting hard to find these days (long out of production), many of us have one or more on our shelves and this decal set will provide some nice subject alternatives to the old decal sheet in the box. I have a fondness for this aircraft as I had an opportunity to fly this bird a number of times and while it isn't fast, it could climb like a homesick angel and land (and stop) on the runway numbers.

For more information about this set and the other releases from AOA Decals, visit their website at www.aoadecals.com.

My sincere thanks to AOA Decals for this review sample!