Scale 1/72

 Manufacturer

Print Scale

 ID

72-448

 Title

Print Scale 72-448 - Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star Part 2 - Commanding Officer Mounts - Korean War

 Types Featured

F-80C

 

DISCLAIMER: USAF SIG does not vouch for the accuracy or otherwise of any item - we review what we see so that you, the modeller, can make up your own mind! However, where we are aware of errors or omissions, we will note this in our review.

Print Scale 72-448 "Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star Part 2" provides markings for four individual aircraft flown by Commanding Officers during the Korean War. The aircraft featured are:

  • F-80C-10-LO 49-653 / FT-653 from the 8th FBG, flown by Colonel William T Samways and based at Itazuke AB, Japan in June 1950. This aircraft wore a medium blue nose and carried two medium blue bands on the extreme forward fuselage, a thick band on each wingtip fuel tank and a thick blue band on the fin. It carried "PANTHER QUEEN" in black outlined in red on the fuselage. it also carried a black "FT-653" buzz number on the forward fuselage; 
  • F-80C-10-LO 49-665 / FT-665 from the 51st FIG, flown by Colonel Irwin H Dregne and based at Tsuiki AB, Japan during July 1951. This wore a dark blue flash on the nose and forward fuselage and two horizontal red band on the fin. It carried smaller black "FT-665" buzz numbers on the fuselage and "THE DREGS" on the forward fuselage in black block script, together with red kill markings behind the canopy;
  • F-80C-10-LO 49-423 / FT-423 from the 8th FBG, flown by Colonel Levi R Chase and based at Suwon AB, South Korea in May 1952. This aircraft wore diagonal red/yellow blue bands on the rear fuselage and on the wing fuel tanks. The wing tanks also had medium blue fronts and rears. The fin wore diagonal red/yellow/blue bands and the aircraft carried smaller black "FT-423" buzz numbers on the fuselage;
  • F-80C-10-LO 49-580 / FT-580 from the 8th FBG, flown by Colonel Walter G Benz and based at Suwon AB, South Korea during October 1952. This aircraft was marked identically to 49-423 but the fuel tanks were not marked and the aircraft carried black "FT-580" buzz numbers outlined in red.  

Instructions are provided on a double-sided A4 sheet and provide a left side view of each aircraft, a four-view for stencilling and a small color photo of each aircraft.

The decal sheet is interesting as it is noticeably different to earlier Print Scale sheets, being glossy and slightly thicker. The register is good although the white of the stars'n'bars does not appear sufficiently opaque.

This does appears to be a useful sheet with some colorful options, so is recommended!  

Review by Chris St Clair