1:72 HP Halifax Mk.II / Early – 2 Versions Camouflage Patterns

Painting masks for the Halifax Mk.II Early — two versions (1:72, AML)

A set of self-adhesive painting masks from the Czech manufacturer AML for spraying the camouflage onto a model of the four-engine Handley Page Halifax Mk.II bomber in the early form, in 1:72 scale. The sheet covers two versions of the camouflage, so before spraying you choose the particular treatment of the aircraft. On a model this large the masks save hours of work, as the broken boundary between the colors on the broad wing and the long fuselage would be very laborious to outline by hand.

The real subject

The Halifax was, alongside the Lancaster, one of the mainstays of the night operations of Bomber Command. The Mk.II version was powered by Merlin XX V12 engines; the early aircraft were marked out by the original nose with a turret and by other details that later production gradually dropped in favor of cleaner shapes. The upper surfaces carried a divided scheme of brown and green and the undersides night black, and it is exactly the long, broken boundaries between the two that make masks a practical help.

Working with the masks

• First spray the upper surfaces in the lighter shade and let them dry.
• Lay the masks out according to the version you have chosen, press the edges down and lay on the darker color.
• Deal with the boundary between the upper surfaces and the black undersides only after the camouflage masks have been lifted off.
• Transfer the large masks in sections so that they do not ripple.

Who it is for

For builders of British four-engine bombers who want the regulation pattern with no risk of asymmetry. On the large surface of a model the saving of time against drawing by hand is at its most striking.