1:32 P-47D Razorback

How large the insignia on the wing should be

The size of the national markings was never a matter of taste. American regulations tied the diameter of the star to the wing chord at the point where the insignia sits, and they also prescribed the distance from the leading edge and from the wingtip. That is why the same insignia has a different diameter on the Thunderbolt with its massive wing than on the slender fighter wing of another type, and that is also why the diameter on the fuselage and on the wing commonly differs. A cut mask carries this geometry within it: the size and the shape are fixed and the modeler does not have to work out whether a decal from the box matches the very version being built.

The difference from a decal

A decal is always a thin film above the surface. On a large model a glossy outline betrays it against the light, and on riveted sheet it gathers into fine wrinkles. A sprayed area has no outline at all, it will take polishing and weathering and it needs no gloss base. A stencil also holds its position: the outline of the insignia sits exactly where you place it in relation to the panel lines and does not slide during settling. The box holds masking of the canopy from the outside and the inside plus three insignia masks.

Recommended procedure

• Spray the insignia only onto dry camouflage, so that the mask does not pull fresh paint away.
• Apply the white base in thin coats; a heavy layer creates a step under the mask.
• Lift the film while the paint has only just dried; removing it later leaves a sharper edge.
• Any remaining adhesive comes off with cotton and a mild mineral spirit, not with alcohol.

This is an accessory for painting; neither the aircraft kit nor paints are part of the delivery.