Another new decal company in the market is Empire City Decals out of New York City. Their initial products are ALPS printed, probably just to test the market, with a promise of water-slide decals to come later. ALPS printing means that the sheet is covered by a single carrier so one needs to cut out the markings one wants to use. These decals are also more fragile in terms of the care needed when handling them.

Their first choice is an excellent one as there are so many non WWII markings that one can apply to a P-51 Mustang. This sheet covers six of them, all from different countries. For kits most will choose the Tamiya 1/72 kit as it is probably the best on the market, though the general nature of these markings means that you can use any 1/72 P-51D that you might happen to have on hand.

Your editor finds it interesting that he did the first three about 20 years ago using markings from a myriad of sources, including making his own and applied them to the old Hasegawa 1/72 Mustang kit. All of these are still extant and have a semi-permanent home on my display shelves.

First is from the Bolivian Air Force who used both these and camouflaged Cavalier P-51Ds.

The Dominican Republic was operating P-51Ds as late as 1972 and this is their final color scheme.

Haiti also flew the P-51, though very sporadically as this cash-strapped nation was often unable to pay their pilots, much less keep their planes in good repair.

Italy flew a lot of Mustangs after WWII and this one is a plane flown by the Rome Communications Squadron in the late 1950s.

Switzerland also flew a considerable number of surplus P-51Ds, all in unpainted metal, though this is the first time I've seen a profile with the large red fuselage band.

Finally, an Israeli AF Mustang as flown with 101 Squadron in the late 1950s.

A really fine selection of markings and a good start. Perhaps when they get more established, we can see some ANG Mustangs.

My thanks to Empire City Decals for the review sample. You can get yours direct from the hyperlink.

February 2007