Supermarine Spitfires Over Malta

Euro Decals, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Graham Carter

A new name to me but with links to Fantasy Printshop according to the instruction sheet. This is a 200x140mm sheet that comes in the usual ziplock bag with a ten-page A4 instruction booklet. The decals are printed in a high gloss with minimal carrier film and great colour density and thankfully, owing to the number of white letters and numbers, printed on a mid-blue sheet to make it easy to identify the items needed. 

The campaign for the defence of Malta has long interested historians and modellers alike and a great deal of research has been conducted into the schemes worn by the RAF defenders of the island.

There are nine subjects in a wide variety of schemes that offers a lot of choice to the modeller. Some of these are in the unusual locally-applied colours that make this campaign so interesting to modellers. Largely the represented aircraft are fighters with tropical chin noses, and one without.  Each scheme is shown in a colour four-view drawing on a full A4 page with clearly marked decal positions. Colour details are given in Humbrol, Xtracolour, Extracrylix, Mr Color Aqueous , MRP and Vallejo Model Air tin numbers. No decal application tips are given.

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Thumbnail panels:

The subjects are :

1. Mk. Vb Trop, BR586 ’T-M’ of 249 Sqn in 1943  in Identification Blue over Azure Blue,

2. Mk.Vc Trop, BR124, ‘U-2’ , 20/04/1942, in Dark Mediterranean Blue over Sky Blue,

3. Mk.Vc Trop, BR126, ‘GL-E’ Gibraltar, June 1942 in Dark Mediterranean Blue over Sky Blue,

4. Mk.Vc Trop, Br344, ‘3-M’, April 1942, in Deck Blue/ Non-specular Intermediate Blue over Azure Blue,

5. Mk.Vc Trop, JK715, ‘SN-A’ of 243 Sqn in 1942, in Dark Mediterranean Blue over Azure Blue,

6. Mk.Vc Trop, BR190, ‘A-2’ of 603 Sqn, April-May 1942 in standard Temperate Sea Scheme,

7. Mk.Vc Trop, EP691, ‘X-A’ of 229 Sqn in 1943 in Deep Sky/Dark Slate Grey over Light Mediterranean Blue, 

8. Mk Ixc EN479 ’N’ of 126 Sqn , June 1943 in Deep Sky/Dark Slate Grey over Medium Sea Grey, and

9. Mk.Vb Trop, EP200, ‘GL-N’ of 185 Sqn , July 1942, in Deep Sky/Dark Slate Grey overSky Blue with a Light Mediterranean rear fuselage.
   

This is a great range of markings that will add some interesting variations to a collection of Spitfires. The Malta Campaign was a fascinating story of courage and perseverance in the face of enemy action and one characterised by ‘make do with what’s on hand’ camouflage schemes and this sheet will enable modellers to replicate some of these interesting variations. As such it is highly recommended to modellers with an interest in this period of WWII.

Thanks to Fantasy Printshop for the sample.

Text and Images Copyright 2024 by Graham Carter
Page Created 27 June, 2024
Last updated 27 June, 2024

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