1:48 Bf 109G-6

Glazing with more frame than glass

The cockpit of the Bf 109 fighter is among the hardest to mask in the whole field. The fixed windscreen, the hinged center section and the fixed rear dome are divided by a dense network of metal frames, with small panes of vision left between them. On the G-6 version an armor plate behind the pilot's head is added to that. Anyone who outlines this with a brush will spend a whole evening on it and still will not get the edges straight.

Why it is masked from both sides

The set puts two sets of cut-outs on the canopy, one for the outside and the other for the inside. There is a quite practical reason for that: the frames show through into the cockpit, and looking through a clear pane you can tell whether their inner side is painted in the interior color or has stayed transparent. Inside masking is therefore the difference between a model that stands up to a close look and a model you would rather look at from the side.

Which cockpit configuration

The G-6 version was built for a long time and in large numbers, so two different solutions of the sliding section were used on it: the older framed one and the newer lightened one, with considerably fewer braces. The cut-outs in the set are cut for one of them, and it therefore pays to dry-fit the mask on the part before you reach for the glue. The difference in frame spacing is clearly visible even in 1:48 scale.

National insignia are included as well

Two masks serve for spraying the crosses and the other markings, so you do not have to deal with them by film. This particular item, on the other hand, does not contain a decal sheet, unlike some sister sets of the same brand for other types.

The practical minimum

The package contains neither paint nor the aircraft kit. Before applying the masks, degrease the clear parts, press the mask down with a finger along the whole length of the frame and apply the paint in two passes.