| Scale | 1/72 |
| Manufacturer | Caracal Models |
| Decal Sheet ID | CD72035 |
| Decal Sheet Title | C-54 Skymaster Part 1 |
| Types Featured | C-54 |
To coincide with the release of the new Revell kit, Caracal Models sheet CD72035 provides markings for three C-54 Skymasters. The aircraft featured are:-
- R5D-3 Skymaster BuNo 50868 of the Blue Angels US Navy Demonstration Team during 1963. This carried the Blue Angels scheme, comprising a white upper fuselage, blue lower fuselage, fin and rudder and wings, and a thick yellow cheatline on the fuselage and nose. The aircraft carried a stylised "8" on the fin;
- C-54D Skymaster BoNo 91996 of the Blue Angels US Navy Demonstration Team during 1965. This was almost identical to 50868 although the "8" on the fin was a slightly different design;
- C-54B Skymaster 44-9002 from the 320th TCS based at Tinian Island during 1945. This airctaft was part of the 509th Composite Group - the more famous aircraft being B-29 "Enola Gay" which dropped the first atomic bomb. The aircraft was overall natural metal with a dark green cheatline across the windows. It carried a large green winged logo on the nose and a smaller winged "1" on the fin and USAAF stars'n'bars (i.e. without the red bar);
- C-54G Skymaster 45-628. This aircraft flew the last "Operation Vittles" flight into West Berlin as part of the Berlin Airlift on September 30, 1949. It was overall natural metal with "UNITED STATES AIR FORCE" on the fuselage and "LAST VITTLES FLIGHT" on the forward fuselage, with a large black "7" on the rudder.
As usual with Caracal, the decals are printed by Cartograf in perfect register and come on two sheets. One contains "generic" stars'n'bars and "USAF" markings and the other the individual markings for the aircraft on this sheet. Interestingly, none of the aircraft featured use the "USAF" markings so these can be saved for another project!
Instructions are in full color and comprise side views for each aircraft plus upper and lower color schemes. No stencils are provided and these will need to come from the Revell decal sheet.
All in all, an interesting sheet with some great subjects!
Review and images by Chris St Clair
