AOA Decals | 32-027/32-028: VA-75 Sunday Punchers USN A-6 Intruders Part 1 & Part 2

Reviewed by Brian Leitch

This is AOA Decals' brand new release of markings for the 1/32nd Trumpeter A-6 kit.

The history of the Intruder has been covered extensively so I won't go over the long and storied history of the A-6. I will instead, concentrate on the AOA decals themselves.

What You Get

The first sheet we will go over is 32-027 :USN A-6A/A-6E Intruders in the Vietnam War & the Cold War Part 1. This AOA decal sheet covers 4 A-6A/A-6E schemes with a set of stencils to cover one complete airframe.

This sheet covers 4 airframes, two A-6As one CAG and one standard, and two A-6Es, also one CAG, and one standard.

AOA have Included a high viz stencil sheet with this Part 1 decal release (32-06) that can also be purchased separately. A very nice touch, as all the stencils, like the main decals sheet are very nicely printed by Cartograf, and are in perfect register.

The AOA decal set contains enough data/stencil markings provided for one complete airframe.

The decals themselves are extremely colorful, and include massive amount of stencil data and fully complete and detailed instructions on placement.

This 1/32nd decal sheet includes 4 marking options for two A-6As and two A-6Es, all flying off of the USS Saratoga 1972 - 1976:

I won't show everything you get with this set, as it is quite extensive, and I don't want to spoil the fun of getting the set yourself and seeing all the wonderful detail in the markings and instructions.

AOA provides enough data/stencil markings for one complete aircraft along with a stencil placement guide. AOA even include a placement and detail guide for the A-6 speed brakes and arresting hook:

The Decals

The decals are printed by Cartograf in Italy, are very opaque yet thin, the artwork is very clearly legible under magnification and the printing is all in perfect register and bright. The decals themselves are extremely colorful and provide 4 very attractive schemes. The very complete stencils and stencil placement guide provided by AOA is also very welcome, and goes into great depth about placement, as some schemes differ slightly in this area. The carrier film is so thin as to be almost imperceptible, and significant effort is needed to even see it on the sheet.

What You Get

The next sheet we will go over is 32-028: 32-028 - VA-75 SUNDAY PUNCHERS - USN A-6E TRAM Intruders in the Cold War & Desert Storm - Part 2.

This part 2 sheet covers the low visibility period with coverage of the late 1980s into Operation Desert Storm in 1991. This AOA decal sheet covers 2 A-6E TRAM Intruder schemes with a set of stencils to cover one complete airframe.

This sheet covers 2 airframes, two A-6Es 1989 - 1991 flying off of the USS John F Kennedy:

AOA have Included some low viz stencil sheet with this Part 2 decal release. All the stencils, like the main decals sheet are very nicely printed by MicroScale, and are in perfect register.

The AOA decal set contains enough data/stencil markings provided for one complete airframe.

This decal sheet also includes low-viz stencils for fuel tanks, tail-hooks, ejection seats, ladder wells, landing gear, and speed brake interiors:

The low-viz decals themselves are very nice looking, and include stencil data and fully complete and detailed instructions on placement. The stencils, like the main decals are in perfect register, very thin and with minimal carrier.

This 1/32nd decal sheet includes 2 marking options for two A-6E TRAM Intruders, both flying off of the USS John F. Kennedy 1989 - 1991:

The Decals

The decals for Part 2 are also very nicely printed by Cartograf in Italy, are very opaque yet thin, and exceptionally professional looking. Just like Part 1, The carrier film is so thin as to be almost imperceptible, and significant effort is needed to even see it on the sheet.

The Part 2 low-viz decals and stencils all come on the same sheet, with no separate stencil sheet:

Conclusion

If you are planning on building one of Trumpeters 1/32nd A-6 kits there are enough colorful and well documented schemes in these two sets that most any modeler who loves the A-6 can find something that appeals to them.

These AOA sheets are a step above the decals provided in the kit, and are well worth the price. There are a wide variety of color and configuration combinations in these decal sets, from brightly colored to low key/low viz, and all come with complete documentation and instructions for application. The instructions and documentation alone make this one of best ways to upgrade/personalize your 1/32nd A-6 kit.

These A-6 decal sets from AOA are everything you look for in after market decals; clear, precise, opaque and in perfect register with full documentation and stencil placement to go with it. HIGHLY recommended!

Estimated price:

32-027 - VA-75 SUNDAY PUNCHERS (Part 1) - $22.00 (FREE shipping within US)

32-028 - VA-75 SUNDAY PUNCHERS (Part 2) - $13.00 (FREE shipping within US)

Thank you to Steve at AOA Decals for the review sample.

© Brian Leitch 2018

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This review was published on Tuesday, November 06 2018; Last modified on Thursday, November 08 2018