1:48 Air strike to Osirak.

Air strike to Osirak (1:48, DP Casper)

A decal set, not an airplane model. A sheet of wet (water-slide) decals in 1:48 scale from the Czech manufacturer DP Casper. This is the version for larger models: it differs from the version for the smaller scale precisely in size, so the markings fit 1:48 kits. The subject is the aircraft tied to the strikes on the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor; the set offers markings for the Israeli F-16A and the escorting F-15A, and for the F-4E and RF-4E Phantoms among others.

What the Osirak raid was

The Osirak reactor (Tammuz 1) near Baghdad was a target twice. On September 30, 1980, at the start of the Iran-Iraq War, it was attacked by Iranian F-4E Phantoms in Operation Scorch Sword. The decisive strike came on June 7, 1981: the Israeli Operation Opera sent eight F-16A fighters covered by F-15As, which destroyed the reactor shortly before it was due to go critical. It was among the first deliberate strikes on a nuclear facility at all.

Use

• Coat the area under the decal with gloss varnish so the edges do not silver.
• Dip the decal briefly, slide it off the backing paper and settle it on the model.
• Apply a decal softener so that the decal beds into the engraving and onto curved surfaces.
• Once dry, seal it with matte or semi-gloss varnish according to the scheme.

Who the set is for

For modelers building the aircraft of the Osirak raid in the larger 1:48 scale, where the fine printing of the markings comes into its own.

These are decals, not a model. The kit, paints and varnishes are not included in the package.