1:48 KAI FA-50, TA-50

Peewit 1:48 KAI FA-50, TA-50 - painting masks

This is a set of painting masks from the manufacturer Peewit in 1:48, not a kit of the aircraft. According to the name the set is meant for two related versions at once, the FA-50 and the TA-50, which share the same airframe and the same glazing. The masks serve to cover the areas that are to stay clear, so that the frames of the two-seat cockpit come out straight and sharp. It is exactly the long tandem canopy that is among the most demanding places to paint on this type.

The real subject

The FA-50 and TA-50 aircraft come from the South Korean maker Korea Aerospace Industries and are derived from the supersonic T-50 Golden Eagle trainer. The TA-50 is an armed training version meant for preparing pilots before they move on to combat types, while the FA-50 is a light combat aircraft able to carry out attack tasks as well. The T-50 family became one of the few successful Asian jet export programs and serves outside Korea with other users too. The layout with a tandem cockpit and side air intakes makes the type a rewarding subject that is still fairly rare in the modeling range.

How to use the masks

Wash and degrease the glazing first, so that the edge of the mask seats along its whole length. Move the pieces with fine-tipped tweezers and press the edges down carefully with a toothpick. Spray the paint in thin coats and rather from a greater distance; a heavy coat is forced under the edge most of all. Take the mask off shortly after the paint is touch dry, before it cures completely, and do it with a slanting pull rather than straight up.

Who the set is for

• builders of modern jets
• modelers who want clean frames on a long tandem cockpit
• anyone interested in present-day Asian air forces
• collectors of aircraft models in 1:48