Afterburner Decals 1/48 F-2B 21 Hikotai Decal First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | July 2010 | Manufacturer | Afterburner Decals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | F-2B 21 Hikotai | Scale | 1/48 |
| Set Number | 48065 | Pros | Six aircraft options |
| Cons | Nothing noted | Skill Level | Basic |
| MSRP (USD) | Out of Production |
First Look
Afterburner Decals has released another 'super set' of decals, this time focused on the Mitsubishi F-2B of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The F-2B is essentially a Block 40 F-16D built to the Agile Falcon configuration with larger wings and tail surfaces. While there are some colorful Vipers flying in NATO, few are more colorful than the Japanese Vipers.
This decal set comes on one large sheet and provides markings for six aircraft:
- F-2B, 43-8126, 21 Hikotai, 30th Anniversary Scheme, Matsushima AB, Oct 2007
- F-2B, 33-8119, 21 Hikotai, 50th Anniversary Scheme, Matsushima AB
- F-2B, 33-8119, 21 Hikotai, Commemorative Scheme, Matsushima AB, 2005
- F-2B, 23-8114, 21 Hikotai, Matsushima AB, 2004
- F-2B, 23-8112, 21 Hikotai, Matsushima AB, 2006
- F-2B, 33-8120, 21 Hikotai, Matsushima AB, 2006
The set comes with sufficient stenciling for one aircraft and if you have kit stenciling you can recycle, you can replicate nearly every tail number here. The set also comes with a set of vinyl stencils that solve the edge color of the numbers that straddle the dark blue edge. These allow you to paint the medium blue, lay the masks down, paint the dark blue, then set the numbers into a perfect blend. These markings were sized for the Hasegawa 1/48 F-2B kit.
Take a close look at this decal sheet. All of these decals are in perfect register and none require you to stack multiple layers of decals to recreate what you see here. Don't settle for substandard decal artwork, get your Viper markings right here!
My sincere thanks to Afterburner Decals for this review sample!