1:48 Fairey Gannet AS.1/AS.4 mask BASIC kabuki masks

New Ware masking set for the Fairey Gannet AS.1/AS.4 in 1:48 scale, BASIC level

This is not a model of the aircraft but a set of masking stencils for a model of the British carrier-borne antisubmarine aircraft Fairey Gannet in the AS.1 and AS.4 versions. According to the name the masks are cut from kabuki paper, that is from Japanese masking tape, which modelers value for its firm edge and clean removal. This item is the basic BASIC level; for the same aircraft the maker also runs the ADVANCED and EXPERT levels, which cover masking to a wider extent.

The real subject

The Fairey Gannet came about as a carrier aircraft for searching out submarines and fighting them. It was powered by the unusual Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba coupled turboprop turning two contra-rotating propellers. One of the two sections could be shut down in flight and the aircraft could patrol far more economically, which gave the type great endurance. Machines of the AS.1 and AS.4 versions served with the British Fleet Air Arm from the fifties and differed in details of the powerplant and the equipment.

Use

• Lift the stencil off the backing film with tweezers and set it exactly in place.
• Press from the center toward the edges, so that paint does not run under the edge.
• Spray several thin coats rather than one heavy one.
• Take the stencil off once the paint has flashed off, not after it has cured completely.
• The extent of masking at a particular level is given in the instructions included.

Who the set is for

For builders of British carrier aircraft who do not fancy cutting out glazing frames and other demanding shapes by hand. The BASIC level suits cases where a basic extent of masking is enough and the modeler fills the rest in with tape of their own.