DXM 1/72 JASDF F-15J/DJ Aggressor Decals
By Matt Bittner
DXM has released a pair of 1/72 F-15 decal sheets, this one (#01-7101) has five different F-15J/DJs- F-15DJ #82-8091 (FS36375, 36320, 35526, Phtalo Blue)
- F-15DJ #52-8088 (FS36375, 36320, 34092, Black)
- F-15DJ #32-8081 (FS36375, 36320, White, Black)
- F-15J #92-8912 (FS36375, 36320,White, Black)
- F-15J #92-8906 (FS36375, 36320, Earth, Green, Tan)
Decals appear in register and look really great. There are enough stencils provided to finish actually two models. In addition to the paper instructions, this release comes with a DVD-ROM. The files on that DVD are "HTML-powered", which means once you load the DVD it looks just like a web page. It's broken into three sections: Instructions, Decals and Video. The instructions are just that – a larger picture of each F-15 showing the layout of the colors. The instructions are a little more advanced. What you're first presented with is an image of the large decal sheet. Each decal is numbered, and when you click on that number it takes you to the section of the instructions that show where that decal is placed. Nice! So, there's no question where each decal – each stencil, especially – is applied on the model.
The video is also helpful. It's 33 minutes long, and it starts off with showing a finished F-15 model for each of the schemes provided. It then takes you into the painting of each scheme, with the beginning starting off showing the painting of the exhaust area, followed by painting an F-15 in the "standard" scheme (in fact, you do want to paint your model in the standard two-tone grey scheme prior to applying the special colors, since that's how they were applied on the real aircraft). Once the "standard" scheme is finished painting, then the "videographer" shows spraying each of the four schemes. The final section of the video shows applying some of the decals. Although there is no sound, there is text explaining each phase. My only complaint about the video is the lighting during filming could have been better.All in all this is a great package, if you're looking to finish a 1/72 F-15 model into one of these JASDF Aggressor schemes. It will take a while to finish the model because of all the painting and decaling, but once there you will have a stunning model that everyone will talk about.
Many, many thanks to DXM for sending this decal "package" in to review.