1:72 Mask MiG-25RB BASIC (ICM 72173)

New Ware 1:72 Mask MiG-25RB BASIC

A set of pre-cut self-adhesive masks for a model in 1:72 scale. With New Ware the BASIC designation is information about scope, not about quality: it is the smallest variant, which deals with the main masking job during painting, while the extended levels of the same range add further elements. If you are building a model without the ambition of masking every detail, the basic level is the logical choice and a direct route to sharp sprayed edges.

The real subject

The MiG-25RB is the reconnaissance-bomber version of the twin-engine supersonic MiG-25, a machine designed to fly at great altitude and high speed. The design, with its pair of fins, side air intakes and bulky fuselage, has fairly simple but sharply divided cockpit glazing, which in a small scale is harder to mask than it looks; the frames are thin and a hand-cut strip of tape easily covers them over.

Why a mask instead of tape

Cutting masking tape by hand in 1:72 scale means strips about half a millimeter wide, and keeping them straight and of equal width along the whole length of a frame is difficult, with a wavy result. A pre-cut mask has its shape determined exactly by the shape of the part, so the sprayed edge is straight and the frame stays the same width along its whole length.

Procedure and tips

• Degrease the glazing before applying; a mask will not hold on a greasy surface
• Lay each mask with tweezers and press it down with a cotton swab across its whole face
• Spray thin coats; a heavy coat builds a ridge at the edge
• Remove shortly after drying, at a shallow angle
• Store the rest of the sheet in its original wrapping, out of the light

This is a mask set, not a model. Paints, glue and the plastic kit are not included in the package.