1:72 SAAF Fighters WW2 Collection Pt1

From a biplane over Abyssinia to a Mustang over Italy

The wartime path of the South African squadrons began in 1940 over equatorial Africa, where Fury and Gladiator biplanes were still in service, and ended five years later over northern Italy on modern Mustangs. The sheet captures that arc with nine machines, which differ from one another in shape, in armament and in the color of their desert finish.

Besides the equipment, the set also offers personal stories. There is the Gladiator of a captain nicknamed Piggy, the Kittyhawk of Major Hauptfleisch and machines named after local and classical subjects, among them Lady Godiva, Impi and Chaka. The last of these refers to the Zulu ruler and belonged to No. 5 Squadron in North Africa.

Sheet contents

• nine complete camouflage schemes with national insignia and personal codes
• the types Mohawk, Kittyhawk in three versions, Hurricane, Fury, Gladiator, Mustang and Spitfire
• theaters from East Africa through the Sahara to the Italian front
• 1:72 scale

Recommended procedure

Compare the color fields against a period photograph beforehand, because desert shades on South African machines faded quickly and individual examples differ from one another. Settle the decal onto a gloss base and draw the excess water off with the edge of a paper towel, so that no bubbles are held under the film. The kit is not included in the package. Once dry, go over the markings with a matte clear coat, otherwise the gloss base shows through even under a thin layer.