AoA Decals | 32-004: Black Ponies & More Broncos

Reviewed by LSP_Paul

What's in the Package

This Excellent Sheet is designed to be used on the 1/32 Kitty Hawk OV-10A. This is the fourth sheet from AoA decals and just when you think you've seen the best from Steve at AoA, he takes it up yet another notch! The 18 subjects covered on this sheet are all very thoroughly researched and a comprehensive decal placement guide includes everything a modeler would have to normally search for hours though books or the internet to find for each aircraft. The Load out Chart for the VAL-4 aircraft is really helpful so you can hang what they actually used on the bottom of your scale bronco. The decals themselves are printed by Catograph and appear thin, in register with excellent color saturation and demarcations between colors.

This decal sheet predominately covers the unique and relatively short-lived Navy Light Attack Squadron 4 (VAL-4), Black Ponies, allowing the option to represent one of many possible VAL-4 Broncos throughout their entire Vietnam War service from 1969-72. This sheet also includes two other squadrons during the Vietnam period: Navy Air Anti-Submarine Squadron 41 (VS-41), Shamrocks, an S-2 Tracker squadron that was also responsible for the stateside training of VAL-4 crews and personnel throughout the war; and also covered is Marine Observation Squadron 6 (VMO-6), “Cherry Six” (Klondikers), who used the Bronco heavily in various combat roles in Vietnam from 1968-69.

21 Marking Options Included

1 option for VMO-6 “Cherry Six” at Quang Tri, South Vietnam (1969)
2 options (1 aircraft) for VS-41 Shamrocks at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, California USA (1969/1971)
18 options (11 aircraft) for VAL-4 Black Ponies at Vung Tau and Binh Thuy, South Vietnam (1969-72)

Decals also included for VAL-4 crew helmets and two styles of sharkmouth for fuel tank/gun pod. Helmet decals also included for VS-41.

Instructions also include VAL-4 ordnance loadout charts.

Full stencils are provided for one OV-10; however, the stencils provided are complete airframe stencils. The stencil sheet is also available to purchase separately (see 32-005).

Instructions Correction: VS-41 is incorrectly defined using the more recent terminology (Sea Control). However, at the time of the featured Broncos, VS was Air Anti-Submarine Squadron.

The Art/Placement Guides

18 pages of excellent full color artwork and placement guides make sure you get the most from this fantastic decal sheet.

Conclusion

If you're going to build a Navy or Marine OV-10A, this is your one stop decal sheet that can help you make the most realistically marked versions of this popular aircraft. Highly recommended for Serious OV-10 fans! Another outstanding product from AoA Decals.