| Scale | 1/72, 1/48 |
| Manufacturer | Two Bobs |
| Decal Sheet ID | N/A |
| Decal Sheet Title | 2013 IPMS National Convention - Minuteman History |
| Types Featured | F-80C, F-86F, F-16C, T-33A |
For each IPMS US National Convention, a special decal sheet is commissioned and given away free to attendees. Subjects vary, but the last couple of years have seen some very interesting sheets featuring USAF subjects. The 2013 Convention was sponsored (and printed) by TwoBobs and featured the history of the Minutemen acrobatic team in both 1/72 and 1/48.
The Minutemen were from the 120th FIS, 140th Fighter Group / Wing of the Colorado ANG and were the Air National Guard's official demonstration team from 1953 to 1959. They first formed as an unofficial display team during 1947 and flew the P-51D until 1950 when the team was disbanded due to the need for pilots during the Korean War. The team was "officially" formed in 1953 and equipped with the F-80C which they flew until 1958, at which time they converted to the F-86F Sabre. This was the team's mount until they disbanded in 1959 due to budgetary pressures. The squadron "hack" was a T-33A, painted identically to the team's aircraft.
The aircraft carried a simple but highly attractive scheme of Insignia Red (FS11136) over natural metal.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Minutemen, the Colorado ANG painted an F-16C in the Minutemen scheme during 2006 (this being 50 years since the team increased from 4 to 5 aircraft). The F-16C scheme was similar, except that the Insignia Red was painted over silver paint rather than natural metal.
The TwoBobs set comprises 2 full sheets of decals which cover the following airframes in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale:-
- F-80C-12-LO 45-8583 during 195);
- F-86F-2-NA 51-2884 during 1958;
- F-16C-30E 86-0368; and
- T-33A 55-6744 during 1958
As is usual with TwoBobs, the sheet is printed by Microscale and is in perfect register. Note that it only contains the main markings and does not include stencils (although stars and bars are included) - the Insignia Red will need to be masked and sprayed by hand.
Instructions comprise four sides of A4 with full colour 4 views of each aircraft and detailed painting information.
Whilst this sheet is not easily obtainable (as it was never "sold"), it is well worth picking up and would form the basis of a highly colorful display!
Review and images by Chris St Clair
