Afterburner 1/48 F/A-18F VFA-211 Fighting Checkmates

Reviewed by Frank Anselmo

Afterburner Decals has released another 1/48 scale decal sheet, 48-013, in the markings of VFA-211 Fighting Checkmates. The sheet itself is designed for the Hasegawa kit, but with some trimming should work on the Revell kit as well. The printing of the sheet is absolutely superb with the registration spot on.

This sheet contains the markings for seven aircraft from VFA-211 during 2005 and 2006. There are are sufficient stencils on this sheet to complete two aircraft. From 2005 there are markings to build the CAG aircraft with full color markings, or a line jet with its more subdued markings. There is also a decal the goes on each rudder of these aircraft that commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Fighting Checkmates. For the 2006 timeframe there are markings for the CAG aircraft, the CO jet, and for three line jets. In 2006, on the CAG aircraft, the checkerboard had been enlarged and moved from the fin to the rudder. The CAG aircraft in 2006 also had black outlined in red painted in front of the canopy, as well as a black stripe outlined in red on the spine of the aircraft. The red is represented by a stripe on a decal sheet in this package.

This package contains four full color sheets which comprise the markings guide, as well as a full sheet that is a stencil guide, with opposite being a weapons and stores guide.

This “decal package” is highly recommended. It can be ordered directly from Afterburner Decals website at: afterburnerdecals.com. My thanks to Afterburner Decals and Scott Brown for this review sample.