Leading Edge 1/48
CF-18A RCAF 75th Anniversary Scheme

I'll confess that I have not heard of Leading Edge decals before, or if I had, mistakenly thought they were referring to another manufacturer with a similar name. Then I saw their work! If you've read my ravings over the great quality of Aztec's decals from Mexico, I'd rank Leading Edge of Canada in that league.

For my next confession, I'd have to rank modeling the FA-18 Hornet as not one of the top favorites because of the rather bland paint schemes that most of them carry. That may be true in the USA, but it seems Canada has been painting some interesting schemes on some of their aircraft.

Now this is a nice looking Hornet! Each year, 410 Sqn applies a stunning scheme to one of their aircraft, and this scheme celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the RCAF. Leading Edge produces this set in 1/72 (72.16) and 1/48 (48.16). Also included, in addition to the color reference above, are three pages of views illustrating the masking lines and recommended paints to replicate this scheme, as well as the normal decal placement. The decals come on two sheets as you can see here:

I am looking forward to building up a Hasegawa Hornet and doing this scheme. Did you know that every Hasegawa 1/48 FA-18 kit has the parts for the portside spotlight that is unique to the Canadian CF-18 and other export Hornets?

You can purchase Leading Edge Models' decals directly from their website at www.lemdecal.com or contact them at: