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In-Box Review
135
US Vehicle Registration Codes
Archer Fine Transfers US Vehicle Registration Codes
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by: Randy L Harvey [ HARV ]

The transfers:

The United States military developed a letter and number registration code system in order to ease the process of keeping track of their vehicles. These registration codes were placed on the vehicles in specific locations. Archer Fine Transfers has released a set of registration codes that come in two different sizes for various United States military trailers, workshops, passenger cars, motorcycles, armored cars, wheeled tractors, and tracked trailers.

The set comes packaged in a clear plastic bag with a paper identification label stapled at the top of the bag. The bag contains one sheet of transfers, one sheet of backing paper, an information sheet and a heavy blue paper insert to protect the sheet of transfers. The set provides enough transfers for several vehicles. The set does not come with an application instruction sheet. Instructions need to be obtained from the Archer Fine Transfers web site.

The transfers come on a 4 3/8" wide by 3 1/2" high carrier sheet. The transfers are nice and crisp and have no flaws or blemishes. I measured the transfers and the dimensions for each are as follows:

Large registration codes – 1/8" high by 1 5/16" up to 1 1/2" long

Small registration codes – 1/32" high by 5/8" up to 3/4" long

The registration codes come in pairs of two. The set comes with 14 different large sized registration codes for a total of 28 and 12 smaller registration codes for a total of 24.

The transfers provide markings which look very realistic when applied. Once applied they do not leave any silvering which can happen with water slide decals and they can be scratched and chipped if desired to provide a weathered look.The transfers come off of the carrier sheet very nicely and once applied the transfers look very realistic. I have provided a photograph of one of the large and one of the small registration codes that I transferred onto a piece of sheet styrene, that I painted olive drab, to show you the end result. The Archer Fine Transfers web site provides application instructions for their products. One detail I would like to see Archer Fine Transfers provide would be a product handling guide on their packaging warning not to touch the transfers with bare fingers. As a first time user it would be easy for a modeler to have the transfers stick to their fingers when handling them. When I researched a previous set, the first time I was exposed to dry transfers, I had some of the transfers stick to my fingers so I speak of this from personal experience.

Archer Fine Transfers owner Woody Vondracek informed me that later this summer he plans to have video tutorials on line on his web site.

Conclusion:

All in all this is a very nice set of dry transfers. Archer Fine Transfers continues to provide excellent products and this is just one of the many nice sets that are available. I am very impressed with this set and I would have no hesitation to recommend it to others or to obtain more sets for myself.

References:

Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles 1940-1965
Thomas Bernt
Krause Publications
ISBN: 0-87341-223-0

U.S. Armor Camouflage and Markings World War II
Jim Mesko
Squadron Signal Publications

Archer Fine Transfers
SUMMARY
Highs: Nice crisp and well defined transfers with no flaws or blemishes. Nice information sheet
Lows: No application instruction sheet, lack of proper handling instructions
Verdict: This is a very nice set of transfers.
Percentage Rating
91%
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: AR35057W
  Suggested Retail: $6.95
  PUBLISHED: Jun 13, 2011
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 91.62%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 91.53%

Our Thanks to Archer Fine Transfers!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Randy L Harvey (HARV)
FROM: WYOMING, UNITED STATES

I have been in the modeling hobby off and on since my youth. I build mostly 1/35 scale. However I work in other scales for aircraft, ships and the occasional civilian car kit. I also kit bash and scratch-build when the mood strikes. I mainly model WWI and WWII figures, armor, vehic...

Copyright ©2021 text by Randy L Harvey [ HARV ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

I would like to see these in 1/48 as well.
JUN 13, 2011 - 05:05 AM
They have them, the set is slightly different in that you have to assemble them but they are basically the same. http://www.archertransfers.com/AR48020W.html
JUN 13, 2011 - 06:42 AM
Thank you for the information Ken. Thanks, Randy
JUL 23, 2011 - 06:07 AM
   
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