Afterburner Decals 1/48 F/A-18F VFA-154 Black Knights 2004-2006 Decal First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Afterburner Decals has turned out some impressive decal releases covering contemporary US subjects and this one is no exception. This new set covers the Super Hornets of the Black Knights of VFA-154.

You'll recall that VF-154 previously flew the F-14 Tomcat out of NAS Atsugi as part of Carrier Air Wing 5 and sailed aboard the USS Independence and later the USS Kitty Hawk. The Black Knights were always in the mix when problems were brewing in the world as their forward deployment in Japan allowed their carrier to get into the action quickly.

When the F-14s were phased out in favor of the Super Hornet, VF-154 returned to the US in 2003 to become VFA-154 and carry on their proud tradition in the new F/A-18F as part of CVW-9.

This decal set represents the look of the new Super Hornet's markings over the first three years of their post-transition operations. The aircraft covered in this set are:

• F/A-18F, 165910, NG/100, VFA-154, CAG Aircraft, 2006
• F/A-18F, 165933, NG/112, VFA-154, Line Aircraft, 2006
• F/A-18F, 165910, NG/100, VFA-154, CAG Aircraft, 2005
• F/A-18F, 165934, NG/101, VFA-154, Sqn Cdr's Aircraft, 2004

This two-sheet decal set provides you with the sufficient markings for one colorful 'boss bird' and one line aircraft, though there are maintenance stencils only for one aircraft. If you look over the decal sheets, you can see that this set is complete with the names of the flight crews and maintainers. Someone has done their homework!

If you're looking for a nice subject for your next Super Hornet project, this is the right set to get you there. If you're a fan of this squadron as I am, you'll already have the kits and markings for the Black Knights in their F-4J, F-4S, F-4N, and F-14A operations.

My sincere thanks to Afterburner Decals for this review sample!