This particular sheet is for P-40E Warhawks of the 49th Fighter Group. Probably one of the more interesting units in the USAAF during WWII. This is undoubtedly because it was involved in the early fighting in the Pacific. It seems that when a country is on the defensive, as the US was early in the war, that the machines of war were much more interestingly painted than when they had the upper hand. You can see this from late war Japanese and German aircraft. To most, these are the machines that have the most interesting markings and camouflage.

Well the US wasn't that different and these aircraft show it. The sheet offers the usual stencils for all five subjects. One thing that looks a bit odd to me are the national insignia. They look as if there is an additional blue ring around the normal marking. By that, I mean that the standard marking had the points of the white star right out to the edge of the insignia circle. This sheet doesn't have them like that at all. Frankly, I have seen no photographic evidence that this was ever done the way the sheet portrays them so will be using aftermarket insignia when I use this sheet. (Yes, I do plan on using nearly every decal sheet that I buy, though like models, that doesn't always happen and one becomes a decal sheet collector!)

On to the subjects on the sheet.

First off is a Field Green/Dark Earth over Neutral grey Warhawk named 'Typhoon McGoon'. It was the mount of Lt. C.V. Kinsley of the 7th FS. It has a white empennage and a medium blue spinner with a white band around it. Of course, it has a neat nose art of what appears to be a monkey in a flying helmet.

Next is 'Tarheel', Lt. G.E. Preddy's mount. This 9FS P-40E is in normal OD over neutral grey and is one of the more mundane-looking schemes.

'Dollye' of the 8th FS is the Warhawk of Lt. Eisenburg. It has a nice fuselage art and the rather unusual insignia that is only the white star on the fuselage. Wing insignia are normal. The instructions state that the upper surface color is Dark Earth and not Olive Drab.

Capt. G.E. Kiser's  P-40E is the only one with kill markings on it. It is also painted Field Green over Neutral Grey and sports a large lion as fuselage art.

Finally, another different paint job. This is Maj. S.S. Woods' 'Arizona' in Field Green/Sand over Neutral Grey. It has a very nice snake nose art and the name 'KIP' on the rudder.

So there you have it. Five aircraft and four different camouflage schemes. It is this type of sheet that I personally like and is enough to motivate one to break out the Hasegawa 1/72 P-40E kits!

Review copy courtesy of me and my wallet.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly by a site that has over 2,000 visits a day, please contact me or see other details in the Note to Contributors.