Authentic Decals 1/48 F-5N/F Tiger II Decal First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | May 2010 | Manufacturer | Authentic Decals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | F-5N/F Tiger II | Scale | 1/48 |
| Set Number | 4833 | Pros | Six aircraft options |
| Cons | Nothing noted | Skill Level | Basic |
| MSRP (USD) | $13.50 |
First Look
Authentic Decals is a nicely produced line from Olimp Models from Odessa, Ukraine. These markings were initially oriented around contemporary Soviet-era and current Russian/Ukrainian subjects, but they've expanded into a much wider range of coverage as this release shows. This set covers the adversaries of VFC-111 who turned in their Tomcats for F-5E Tiger IIs. One of the main differences between USAF and USN F-5Es was the deletion of the radar from the Navy examples.
This set provides markings for six distinctive examples:
- F-5F, Red 100, VFC-111, 840456, CAG's aircraft
- F-5N, Red 101, VFC-111, 761548, Skipper's aircraft
- F-5N, Red 106, VFC-111, 761557
- F-5N, Red 116, VFC-111, 761532
- F-5N, Red 120, VFC-111, 761591
- F-5N, Red 121, VFC-111, 761550
The printing is is nicely done and the markings are finely printed and in register. The set also includes an extensive set of maintenance stencils, so your adversary will pop with lots of visual detail when completed.
This set is definitely recommended!
One interesting note is that Vagabond Decals has started importing this decal line into the US, so you'll be seeing more of these around your favorite hobby retailer, but if not, you can get these nice decals directly from the Vagabond Decals website.
My sincere thanks to Vagabond Decals for this review sample!