THE DECAL:

This decal provides stencil data for all marks of the English Electric Lightning in all color schemes.  Black stencils are provided for the overall natural metal or the Dark Green/Dark Sea Gray camoflaged aircraft, and white stencils are provided for aircraft in the various air superiority gray color schemes.  If you're doing one of your Lightnings in gray, you'll have enough stencils left over for another aircraft in either the natural metal or Dark Green/Dark Sea Gray color schemes.  Stencils include both pre-and post-NATO standard symbols and the instructions advise checking your references for the aircraft you're building to see which ones are required. 

Instructions are very clear on placement of the stencils for both the early and late Lightnings.  All stencils are sharply printed and are readable, even the smallest stencils, and the sheet includes a number of stencils that Trumpeter completely missed.  Providing the dilectric panels for both types of fins on the decal is a nice touch also.

 CONCLUSIONS:

 As I mentioned in my preview of the Trumpeter EE Lightning F1A/F3, one of the issues with the kit was the often-muddy looking stencils provided with the kit decals.  This sheet completely solves that problem, and will make the completed model look that much better.

 Review sample provided by Hannant's.

  REFERENCES:

 Lake, Jon: "English Electric Lightning"; Wings of Fame Volume 7, 1997

 Aviation Picture Hangar website:  http://www.aviation-picture-hangar.co.uk/Lightning.html

Andrew Abshier

December 2009