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Dry Transfer Sheets
18 New Products

Archer Fine Transfers

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

Once again, Woody Vondracek was present at AMPS 99 both as a vendor and as a competitor, and has a number of nice sheets available for the modeler. Most of the sheets listed here were reviewed last spring after their first run was sold out at AMPS 98, and it is nice to see them continue in Woody's prolific line.

First up are four flag sets and a set of grommets for them and for use on canvas tarps and tents. The flags include the Union Jack in its post-1803 version, the Japanese national flag, the Japanese naval ensign ("Rising Sun" flag), and the Soviet national flag with "serp i malot" (sickle and hammer) and yellow star. All but the Soviet flag are universal, and in the case of the Soviet one it comes with left and right side presentations for the modeler who wants the flag flying. The grommets are in the now well-known raised style of Woody's Surface Details series and come in a good worn brass shade. These can be used on the flags or on canvas such as tarps, tents, or vehicle tops.

Next are five sets of US Ordnance Registration number sets for armored vehicles. These include the USA marking and the "S" for radio suppressed electrical systems in both 4" and 2" sizes. The colors are early-war blue drab, white, and yellow. Late war field applied or stencil type markings are also offered in two sizes, but only in the correct white or yellow. The research for these sheets was done by Belgian modelers Henri Closson and Jean Rondia, and is based on studies of AR 850-5 and AR 850-10 as well as intense study of photographic evidence.

Lastly are correct size star sets for US Army vehicles. The soft-skin set provides for the markings used on standard US Army motorcycles, cars, trucks, and trailers, and provides specific directions for eleven vehicles currently available in model kit form, ranging from the Harley-Davidson WLA 45 to the GMC CCKW 2 ½ ton truck. The directions do not cite specific placements, as each crew who placed them on the vehicles varied a bit in where they went, but the general directions from AR 850-5 are included and the sizes are marked on the sheet. 82 stars are provided in sizes from 4" to 36", which should mark from three to six vehicles correctly.

Next is a full set of Sherman stars, which completely covers two tanks as per AR 850-5 regulations. These sheets include the 60" star rarely found in kit sheets, as it was often either covered over or eliminated in the field. Note that the 20" stars go on the turret and the 25" stars go on the sides, but often the 25" stars were applied to the turret and the hull side ones dropped (they made too good a target, and shots of Shermans with 75mm and 88mm holes in the center of the stars attest to the one drawback of such markings). .

The last two sets cover most of the other major vehicle types used during WWII and Korea. Set 35023 covers the light tanks M3 and M5, M2 and M3 halftracks and their variants, and the M8 armored car. Set 35024 covers the self-propelled guns and gun carriages – M7, M8, M10, M12, and M36 -- and the amphibious Ford GPA and DUKW. Directions are provided for size and placement.

New for this year are three different styles of German Afrika Korps "swastika on a palm tree" emblem, all of which nearly need a jeweler's loop to see the fine detail present on them. The sheet provides 78 symbols (13 pairs of each style) so that should last Rommel's fans for a long time.

Also new is a sheet with Russian – actually Soviet – banners for vehicle markings. There are 32 symbols consisting of mirrored pairs of both the legendary "Guards" insignia, and the less common Order of the Red Banner with its well-known Russian inscription, "Workers of the World, Unite!" While most of the time these symbols are seen they are presented in their uniform badge form – flagstaff running from upper left to lower right, flag waving to the right – there are a number of cases where the markings were mirror imaged due to problems with understanding the order (flags forward, or copy the badge?) so having both choices is quite useful.

Finally, there are two sets -- white and a new blue drab -- of the US vehicle registration font style used during the late peacetime period (approximately late 1940 to early 1942) which the Roman style lettering. If you can't get accurate markings with the variety Woody now offers, you have to have a vehicle with hand-painted markings!

Woody turned out a great product last year, but he is always working to make it better, and the sheets are just a touch cleaner and a touch neater here and there. (Too bad the kit manufacturers don't do that!!)

Once again, thanks to Woody Vondracek for the review samples.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

Review Copyright © 1999 by Cookie Sewell
Page Created 01 May, 1999
Last updated 22 July, 2003

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