1:35 M113 ACAV Tamiya 35135

Pmask 1:35 M113 ACAV, road wheel masks

A set of die-cut self-adhesive masks from the Polish maker Pmask for painting the wheels of a model of the M113 armored personnel carrier in the ACAV form in 1:35 scale. The rings cover the metal part of the wheel and the rubber tire then only has to be oversprayed with an airbrush. The result is a sharp boundary that looks the same on every wheel, something that is hard to achieve by outlining with a brush. The film has a gentle adhesive and it does not harm the dried finish when removed.

The real subject

The M113 ACAV is a combat conversion of the M113 armored personnel carrier from the time of the Vietnam War. The vehicle received armor shields for the commander's machine gun and for the side machine gun positions, so that the crew could fire under cover. The chassis has road wheels with rubber tires, which are set off in color from the hull on a model.

Use and tips

• Spray the wheels with the base color of the vehicle and let them cure completely.
• Stick the ring onto the hub and press the edge down with a blunt tool.
• Overspray the tire in a very dark gray with a hint of brown.
• Take the mask off while the paint is only tacky.
• Finally work dust and mud in with pigments, which softens the edge further.

Who the set is for

• For modelers who want clean, uniform wheels without brush work.
• For builds with an exposed running gear, where the detail is visible.
• For those who want to save time on a series of road wheels.

The package contains masking film only. The paints and the kit are not part of it.