The Little World

Little of my aero collection so far shows schemes of the Vietnam War period, but gradually this will change.

Many of the kits now seem to have decals for the period and If I can overcome my aversion to both stencil decals and three-colour camouflage schemes, I can go right ahead.

The call-out for this Academy kit seems to be a specific aircraft flown by a known pilot. The scheme is basic tan/light green/dark green and the markings are the hi-vis of the period…but I was puzzling a lot about the noticeable strips on the mid-dorsal area of the plane.

I do not dispute the superior knowledge of the Academy researchers, but it is surprising to see this much colour on an area that also tries to hide through camouflage. However, I quite like the squadron flash badges that the RAF used to put down the sides of some of their fighters, so I decided to apply this one SOOTB.

Here again the discreet use of Gauzy varnish to gloss up the paint before decals went on seemed to help a lot. Even the shark’s mouths over a complex curve went well . Pity the registration was a bit off on the wing insignia, but that is down to Academy.

An old friend who served in the Australian Army during the Vietnam War said that when his landing craft was under attack on the Mekong, they could call up air support from loitering Phantoms and it the sound of them arriving and leaving was the most comforting thing he had ever heard.