1:32 Panavia Tornado GR.4

Panavia Tornado GR.4 1:32 - masking set (Eduard)

A masking set from the Czech manufacturer Eduard for a model of the Tornado GR.4 combat aircraft in the large 1:32 scale. The stencils are pre-cut from kabuki tape and are stuck onto the glazing and the other surfaces that are meant to stay free of paint after spraying. Neither a model of the aircraft nor paints are part of the package.

The real subject

The Tornado is a twin-engine two-seat aircraft with a variable-geometry wing. The GR.4 version was intended for attacks on ground targets and served with the Royal Air Force. Its cockpit is a tandem one, that is with two seats one behind the other, which means a long canopy with several separate segments of glazing.

What a large scale means for masking

In 1:32 a model is considerably larger than the usual 1:48 scale, and the glazed areas grow with it. That has two consequences. The pleasant one: the stencils are larger, they are easier to hold with tweezers and easier to position accurately. The less pleasant one: every inaccuracy shows in the result at a corresponding magnification, so a frame a millimeter out of place is no longer a detail but a mistake. At the same time, in a large scale it pays far more to mask and spray with a gun than to paint with a brush, because the frames are wide enough for brush strokes to show on them.

Usage tips

Lay the stencil down dry, check its position and only then press it down with a toothpick along the whole length of the edge. On long straight frames start pressing from the middle outward, so that the tape does not ripple. Spray thin coats and take the mask off shortly after the varnish has set.

Who the set is for

• modelers building the Tornado GR.4 in 1:32
• those who work with an airbrush and want crisp frames
• builders of large scales, where the quality of an edge is most in view
• modelers for whom cutting masks by hand is a delay

The package contains masking stencils only. The kit, paints and glue are not part of it.