Starfighter Decals 1/500
Essex Class Decals 1958-1991

Reviewed by Sean Hert
November 2013

Starfighter Decals latest release is for the Revell re-issue of the venerable Renwal USS Shangri-La kit. This 1/500 scale kit, maybe be dated and in a box-scale, but is highly accurate and a great way to model one of the SCB-27C/125 refit Essex class  carriers. 

The markings included in this set cover all three of the SCB-27C/125 carriers;

  • USS Lexington CV/CVA/CVS/CVT/AVT-16
  • USS Bon Homm Richard CV/CVA-31
  • USS Shangri-La CV/CVA/CVS-38
The markings included in the kit span the 1955-1958 time frame; this set from Starfighter picks up in 1958 and covers through 1991. However, the decals do not only cover the standard deck and hull lines; this set also includes markings and insignia for not only the F9F Cougars (VFP-61 "Eyes of the Fleet"), A3D Skywarriors (VAH-2 "Royal Rampants") and embarked helicopters, but also the Regulus missiles included in the Revell\Renwal kit.

This sheet of Cartograf decals are well-registered, with good color and clean lines.

DECALS
INSTRUCTIONS

The two-sided page of full-color directions are included. These instructions not only aid in decal placement, but also offer insights into paint choices, references and aftermarket accessories.
CONCLUSIONS

It's great to see Starfighter offering decals like these to cater to every modeler's need. This set allows this kit to be full utilized in all the possible variants, and are a great deal! Highly Recommended! 

This is set #500-100 with a MSRP of $12.00 USD.

This is only one of the many decal sheets produced by Starfighter Decals See the whole line on their website. Thanks to Starfighter Decals for this review sample.


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