With the release of two new 1/48 kits of the ever-popular Skyhawk, it was inevitable that there would be some new sheets on the aircraft. Thankfully, Superscale has now joined in with a couple of new sheets of their own. As nice as the 'other' sheets are, I'm still a bit shy about forking out $8-10 for a decal sheet. That is a goodly percentage of the cost of the kit! Fortunately for us, Superscale has realized that you don't need a color instruction sheet to have a good decal sheet and is passing the savings of not going to color over to us. We should all be very grateful for that wise move on their part and give Superscale the support it deserves for having supported us since the late 1960s.

Well, enough editorializing, let's take a look at what is on this sheet.

Both aircraft are A-4Es but they don't both have the additional avionics hump. As you might notice from the dates, being newer doesn't mean that the mod has been done to the plane in question.

The first aircraft is from VA-212 on the USS Hancock circa 1971. As with the other aircraft, it is in light gull grey over white. Though painted in a gloss, the paint rapidly lost its sheen and became a semi-gloss. Thanks to reader Tom Brown, I can report that this particular Skyhawk was lost in a non-fatal accident on 27 June 1966. That means that the markings shown are not from 1971 as stated on the sheet, but from the November 1965- August 1966 Cruise. VA-212 did not survive the draw-down after the war.

Next is the aircraft with the avionics hump. This VA-94 scooter is named 'Sassy Sue' and operated from the USS Bon Homme Richard in 1969. They are currently flying F-18s as VFA-94 and were/are the last fleet squadron to fly the F-18A Hornet.

The decals are quite well done as are all of the new Superscale sheets I have seen. Because of the size of the markings, there are only enough data and insignia for one aircraft, however you can use the kit decals for the other scheme. A nice touch is the addition of the black anti-glare shield as a decal. Saves on having to paint it on!

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