1:72 U.S. Insignia

The star with bars, 1943 to 1947

American aircraft carried a white star in a blue disc from the middle of 1942. Experience from the Pacific showed, however, that a round marking could be mistaken in an instant for the Japanese one, so in June 1943 white bars were added at its sides. The short episode with a red outline ended after a few weeks and blue replaced it. It is exactly this form, used from July 1943 to January 1947, that this sheet covers.

What it suits

The range of dates fits the great majority of machines from the last two years of the war and aircraft of the first postwar seasons. It comes into its own on Thunderbolts, Mustangs, Hellcats, Liberators and transport Dakotas, that is everywhere the original decals in an older box have yellowed or fallen apart. Uniform markings also help to pull a whole collection of models from one period together.

Applying it in a small scale

• Markings for 1:72 call for tweezers with a fine tip
• Before laying one down, check that the area is smooth and free of dust
• The position can be adjusted while there is still a little water under the film
• The final varnish joins the edge of the film with the finish

Where the markings belonged on an aircraft

From the middle of the war the star was placed on the left upper half of the wing, on the right underside and on both sides of the fuselage, and the size differed by the type of aircraft and by the plant that built it. Before applying them it is therefore worth comparing the size of the marking with a period photograph of the particular machine.

The package contains only the sheet of markings. The model you stick it on you choose yourself.