With the A-6E in 32nd scale FINALLY available
from Trumpeter we have now got a choice in alternate decals with AOA decals new
sheet providing seven choices in that scale for your TRAM aircraft. Today we
take a look at the sheet and try to find the aircraft IN the periods depicted
to see if both decals and research are good or bad - see what we thought about
them in our in-depth review.
“The Intruders’ Sandbox - USN/USMC
A-6E Intruders in Libyan Strikes & Desert Storm”
AOA Decals
Sheet #32-003
1/32nd scale
Price: $19 USD (incl. FREE shipping within US)
Two decal sheets and several pages of instructions & guidelines included
Printed by Cartograf
Available from AOA Decals Directly
AOA Decals
Sheet #32-003
1/32nd scale
Price: $19 USD (incl. FREE shipping within US)
Two decal sheets and several pages of instructions & guidelines included
Printed by Cartograf
Available from AOA Decals Directly
AOA decals have already released quite a few interesting
decal sheets that have quite comprehensive choices and information on those
schemes in decal sheets in 32nd, 48th and 72nd
scales. Today we have a 32nd scale decal sheet available that features the A-6E
Intruders that were made famous for their actions in both Libya and Iraq.
This decal sheet covers all three Intruder squadrons
involved in the strikes against Libya in March and April 1986 as part of
Operation Prairie Fire and Operation El Dorado Canyon respectively; and the
sheet also covers two squadrons in 1991 from Operation Desert Storm.
We had the chance to look at and to try out AOA decals
already in our review last month of the excellent sheet “32-004
- Black Ponies & More Broncos” on TMN. We thought it was pretty
darn good, and the research and total number of schemes was a credit to the
makers of the decals. We had high hopes for the next release we saw and being a
fan of the A-6 I was looking forward to seeing what was on offer here.
This sheet from AOA contains seven marking schemes of the 32nd
scale A-6E to match the recent Trumpeter kit (finally) released this year. All
of the aircraft pictured here are in the “low-viz” schemes of all over
grey/black/white but if you are after the A-6 in high-viz then take a look at
the earlier models in the AOA Decals sheets INTRUDERS FROM THE SEA or
the INTRUDERS FROM THE
BEACH set.
The kites seen on this particular sheet may well have been on the news
as the takes-offs were often seen on the nightly/ hourly coverage from the
image hungry news so they will be popular choices I would think.
Three of these aircraft became a bit of a fixture on the
coverage of the strikes over Libya in reprisals for the Berlin bombings. All
three squadrons from the Operation Prairie Fire (March 1986) and Operation El
Dorado Canyon (April 1986) missions in Libya are represented so the interest is
spread around a bit. The squadrons involved were VA-34 "Blue
Blasters" (from America) and VA-55 "Warhorses" (from Coral Sea).
These aircraft operated from the aircraft carriers USS America, USS Saratoga and
Coral Sea during the strikes.
A-6E Intruder from VA 55 (CVW13) embarked on USS Coral Sea (CV 43) off Libya in 1986
This sheet also has two aircraft each ( 4 in total) from the first Gulf war with
aircraft from the two squadrons from Desert Storm from Jan. to Feb. 1991. During
Operation Desert Storm in 1991, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps A-6s flew more
than 4,700 combat sorties, providing close air support, destroying enemy air defences,
attacking Iraqi naval units, and hitting strategic targets. They were also the
U.S. Navy's primary strike platform for delivering laser-guided bombs. The U.S.
Navy operated them from USS Saratoga, while U.S. Marine Corps A-6s operated
ashore, primarily from Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.
A-6E Intruder (VA-35 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Saratoga (CV 60) - damaged in battle during Desert Storm - 1991
The decals come in a zip-locked plastic bag and mine came with a hard card backing - they were safe when I opened them up.. The package houses eight A4 pages on coloured printing paper and two decal sheets.
The Instructions Provided : Just like the Bronco sheet from AOA we already have looked at the helpful instructions are again extensive. The four full colour A4 landscape sized paper
pages printed on both sides with not only aircraft profiles and information but also some other
details you would not expect.
Here we see a sheet that shows you a lot about making your own TRAM A-6E from the Trumpeter kit. The cockpit adjustments needed to correctly depict this aircraft are invaluable as are the notes on the notes on the aircraft antenna and fins, the airbrake notes (perforated or not) and the interesting tip about the armoured curtains. This info will no doubt stop some know it all from saying "The one problem with this is you have done...wrong..."
Below the profiles of the Libyan strike aircraft AOA have provided the top-down view of VA-35, VA-55 and VA-85 aircraft which is a great help to modellers without the reference on hand. There is also an addendum to these sheets with a minor correction to the VA-34 top view.
More top down views, also with details that are included on the decal sheet for the wing tips, TRAM turret & crew ladder markings as well as tip on the decals for your ejector seats. All very helpful in the search for authenticity and guided no doubt by the good help of the crew chiefs involved in these decals.
Now for the seven Marking Options Included on this sheet are in brief:
1 option for VA-34 Blue Blasters, USS America, Operations Prairie Fire & El Dorado Canyon (1986)
1 option for VA-55 Warhorses, USS Coral Sea, Operations Prairie Fire & El Dorado Canyon (1986)
1 option for VA-85 Black Falcons, USS Saratoga, Operations Prairie Fire & El Dorado Canyon (1986)
2 options for VA-35 Black Panthers, USS Saratoga, Operation Desert Storm (1991)
2 options for VMA(AW)-533 Hawks, Sheikh Isa Air Base (Bahrain), Operation Desert Storm (1991)
The featured aircraft in detail:
The first aircraft is
No# 152948 with the option for its service in VA-34 Blue Blasters, Attack
Squadron 34 (ATKRON 34) from USS America in both Operations Prairie Fire &
El Dorado Canyon (1986.) Crew helmet markings are provided on the decal sheet
also.
Seen with a black marking on the intake this i think is a slightly later picture of 152948
A much more period photograph of this aircraft showing low-viz markings all-round.
Aircraft 161676 - one option for VA-55
Warhorses, Attack Squadron 55 (ATKRON 55) aboard USS Coral Sea, Operations
Prairie Fire & El Dorado Canyon (1986)
This is the cover shot aircraft you see on the front of the decal packet – you can see the nose clearly and the lightning bolt on the Mk.20
Rockeye bombs which is of course included on the decal sheet. Also included are
the emblems for the crew helmets and VA-55 Fuel tank stencils.
A-6E BuNo 161676 is
seen here in a turn in formation. This aircraft is seen in many earlier pictures at an
airbase in the UK as “500” but at the time show in these decals it is as the
pictures here.
Aircraft# 161685
- the option for VA-85 Black Falcons, USS Saratoga, Attack Squadron 85 (ATKRON
85) - Operations Prairie Fire & El Dorado Canyon in 1986 is also included.
Again crew helmets are provided for on the decal sheet as well as solid grey
stencils for the pilot/navigator’s names as well as details for the nose gear
door and fuel tank stencils.
You can also see the two gunboat “kill” marks behind the
canopy in this shot of the aircraft after the strikes. This aircraft was later
lost in a practice exercise when it crashed on range during night attack.
A picture of the same aircraft before the gunboat kills were added.
This decal sheet
offers two options for VMA(AW)-533 Hawks, Sheikh Isa Air Base (Bahrain),
Operation Desert Storm (1991.) This squadron deployed to Bahrain in
December 1990 for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Following
participation in those hostilities, VMA(AW)-533 returned home after an “around
the world” deployment that lasted eleven and a half months.
The first is the aircraft (161689) from VMA(AW)-533 Hawks
ED-403 from Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
You can see from this picture I was able to find that the
A-6E here features a few things talked about in the history on the instructions
of this aircraft. See the armoured “blanket” inside the cockpit, the large bomb
on the nose with “31” on the nose and “Buck” on the cockpit sides.
Even though
you cannot quite see the FOD covers in this shot below some for this aircraft are provided
on the decal sheet.
The second is the aircraft (154158) from
VMA(AW)-533 Hawks ED-403 from Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Here is a picture taken of this very aircraft on April 1, in
1991 straight after Operation desert storm so the pictures is pretty relevant to
the decals. You can see the “Hawg” stencil on the cockpit sides which is
provided on the decal sheet and the close spacing on the tail numbers as hinted
on in the instructions.
In this picture taken
during operations you can see this TRAM A-6E without the “kill” markings
supplied before the nose markings were added after Desert Storm
There are also two
options from VA-35 “Black Panthers” Attack
Squadron 35 (ATKRON 35) from Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Deployed
aboard CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60)
One aircraft no# AA-501
(155661) VA-35 Black Panthers in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
A-6E Intruders (VA-35 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Saratoga (CV
60) – 1991 and you can see our A-6E in the centre of this line up. Unfortunately,
you cannot see much of this just the nose from this picture. You can however
make out the names of the aircrew on the left. Right names are also provided as
well in grey or black in case you have better evidence than me.
Another aircraft no#
AA-505 (152953) VA-35 Black Panthers in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
A-6E Intruder from
the VA-35 "Black Panthers", USS Saratoga, tail code "AA”. seen
here in side view, you can see here again the research featured on the
instructions.
Another picture of this aircraft after the conflict on its homecoming
after Desert Storm at NAS Oceana, Virginia – 1991 the tail is good reference of
what is already presented on the instruction sheet. 
The decals
There are two decals sheets included here that cover all of
the options we have looked at. These sheets are printed by Cartograf of Italy
which are some of the best contract decal makers around. We
took a look at how these decals performed with the OV-10A decal sheet when
we applied them to a bumpy surface to see how they clung to the aircraft
plastic. They performed flawlessly and the finish afterwards without even a
sealing coat were good. There is a minimal of carrier film but if you want to
for safety you can also trim this off with a sharp scalpel blade. It might
actually be better in this larger scale.
The decals settled tightly to the surface over the raised
surfaces and weld detail seams I made sure I put them over. I used some Mirco-Sol/
Set and as you see it is without any top gloss coat - so you can better see how
they performed. I like how they snuggled into the crevasses I found for this
test.
The larger sheet is 27cm x 19.5 cm in size and it covers the
Bu numbers, the NAVY and MARINES markings as well as tail codes and nose and
pilot details in decal form. There are also several different air intake decals
here so I could conceive doing several aircraft off one sheet if you were so
inclined. Or give them to your mates if you have any after not seeing them for
months because you are making this massive kit :-)
The smaller sheet is also dull of similar details, in fact
the only reason there are two sheets of decals I would think sis because they
would not fit on the one A4 size of the packet. Also included on this decal
sheet are the decals also included for crew helmets, fuel tanks, ejection
seats, VA-35 MERs, & VA-55 ordnance special markings.
Sooo there we have it. The subjects are a good selection of
historically important kites, the instructions and limited history on each one
is well researched (as we have proved by looking at the real things, and the decals
are excellent and perform well.
I am surely becoming a big fan of AOA’s offerings and if I had
more time to make stuff I would be using them on my own TRAM Intruder. I recommend
these for anyone interested in building this kit. It’s well conceived and
executed. Well done to AOA.
Adam Norenberg
These decals are available
with the others from this new decal maker at the AOA
Website and their distributors worldwide…
