1:72 Mitsubishi A6M2b m.21 Reisen Control Surfaces

The real subject

The Mitsubishi A6M, called Reisen at home and known elsewhere as the Zero, was a carrier-based fighter of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Model 21 is the version with the long wing whose tips could be folded, so that the aircraft would pass through the hangar of an aircraft carrier and fit onto the elevator. It is precisely this version that appears in most of the photographs from the first year of the war in the Pacific.

What the set contains

This is a set of painting masks defined for the control surfaces, that is for the area of the ailerons and the elevator and the rudder. The extent of the masks and the kit they are cut for are stated in the manufacturer's instructions. It pays to check that beforehand: there is a whole range of kits of this aircraft in 1:72 scale and the shape of the surfaces differs between them.

How to work with the masks

Masking decides how the finish will look at the edges. A few principles hold regardless of which paint you use and which kit you are building.

• The surface under the mask must be clean, dry and degreased.
• Transfer the mask with tweezers and press it down all the way around, so that no paint runs under the edge.
• They are stuck on before spraying, not onto a finished coat of paint.
• Apply the paint in thin layers; a heavy layer will create a step at the edge of the mask.
• Peel the mask off as soon as the paint is dry to the touch, slowly and at a shallow angle to the surface.

Terms of supply

The set contains painting masks. The paints, the glue and the kit of the model are usually not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.