I normally don't do group reviews of decal sheets, as I feel that the subject gets better coverage being spread out. However, I was asked  by the owner of Meteor Productions to do these sheets in this way and as it is a reasonable request, so it is being done.

These sheets are all fitted for the newish Trumpeter 1/32 F-100D Super Sabre, a kit that many have anxiously been awaiting. For the most part, it is a fine kit and makes into an equally fine model. Probably takes two bottles of aluminum paint to do as small it is not.

Anyway, the F-100 has been blessed with some of the most colorful markings put on a USAF fighter and these sheets cover many of those as well as war-time planes in SEA camouflage. Each sheet has a second sheet that covers insignia and some other common markings, as shown at the right. For those who may ask, the USAF and US Air Force decals do appear to be done in Insignia Blue as they should. So without further ado, let's get to them.

32087 covers the famous 'Triple Zilch' aircraft of wing commander Ray Toliver when with the 20th TFW in the UK during 1957. It carries the badges of all three of the squadron's wings on the fuselage flash.

32088 is another wing commander's plane from the 20th TFW. This time it is a bit of a later design (or is it earlier) with a more separated color band on the nose and the fuselage flash in the colors of all three squadrons so assigned. This and the previous sheet have the plane done in the appropriate aluminum paint. Only the area around the afterburner is in bare titanium.

32089 moves us to the Vietnam War. There are two planes in part 3. The first is 'Sizzlin Suzie', a camouflaged plane from the 352 TFS/35 TFW when based at Pan Rang in 1970, near the end of the F-100s war ops. It is in standard SEA colors with a yellow fin tip. It also seems to have a camera or ESM antenna under the nose and what seems like a UHF antenna on the top. The other aircraft is an overall aluminum painted plane from the 481st TFS/27th TFW at TanSon Nhut during June of 1965. This is the famous 'Pretty Penny' aircraft with the nicely drawn nose art.

32090 is Part 4 of the group and carries markings for three aircraft. Again, these are all Vietnam War aircraft. First up is Joe Vincent's F-100D 'Coleen' when with the 309TFS/31 TFW at Tuy Hoa in early 1970. SEA camo on this one. Next is an overall aluminum lacquered 416 TFS/27 TFW plane as flown by Harold Comstock in July 1966 from Bien Hoa. There is an additional sheet that includes the quite large tail markings for this plane. Third option on this sheet is Don Schmenk's 308 TFS/31 TFW plane 'Mary Jane/Carol Ann', also in SEA and as flown from Tuy Hoa in late 1969. A second set of serial prefixes is provided as these were changed during the life of the plane. This aircraft carries the same antenna suite as mentioned in the camo plane for 32089.

So, there you have it. Four really great sheets for the Trumpeter F-100D. If you want something different, now you have it available to you. Like all Cutting Edge decal sheets, they are superbly printed.

Get yours either direct from Meteor Productions at the link below or ask your hobby shop to order them for you.

November 2007

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