Afterburner Decals 1/32 F/A-18E/F East Coast Superbug CAGs Decal First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | May 2011 | Manufacturer | Afterburner Decals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | F/A-18E/F East Coast Superbug CAGs | Scale | 1/32 |
| Set Number | 32003 | Pros | Three distinctive CAG F/A-18E/Fs from the East Coast squadrons |
| Cons | None 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 definitely no exception. This release provides three Air Wing Commanders' (CAGs) aircraft from the East Coast Super Hornet squadrons. The CAG aircraft sport the most colorful schemes of contemporary Navy aircraft and this set provides a nice selection of F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets. These decals are sized for the recent Trumpeter 1/32 F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet kits.
The examples presented here include:
- F/A-18E, 166776, VFA-31/CVW-8, AJ/100, USS George HW Bush, Sep 2010, VFA-31 75th Anniversary Scheme
- F/A-18E, 166650, VFA-105/CVW-3, AC/100, USS Harry S Truman, Jun 2010
- F/A-18F, 166805, VFA-211/CVW-1, AB/200, USS Enterprise, Sep 2010
Take a close look at the decal sheet. The sheet is printed by Cartograf and the printing is very well done. What's more, none of these decals require the modeler to stack multiple layers of markings atop one another to recreate artwork. This trend by some other decal companies of producing multiple-layer decals is unfortunate as it puts the burden on you to do the work of what should have been done by the decal maker.
This set provides two complete sets of maintenance stencils and markings to replicate two aircraft, and what a nice selection to choose from! These decals are designed for the Trumpeter Super Hornets (which are the only options for Superbugs in this scale so far).
My sincere thanks to Afterburner Decals for this review sample!