1:48 Fairey Gannet AS.1/AS.4

The Fairey Gannet mask set in 1:48 scale

This item is not a kit but a mask set for a model of the Fairey Gannet in the AS.1 and AS.4 versions in 1:48 scale from the Czech firm Eduard. The shapes correspond to the frames of the glazing, so masking out by hand falls away. It is the variant for masking the outer side; for the same type the manufacturer also makes a set with the marking TFace, which deals with the inner side of the canopy in addition. The Gannet has its glazing divided into three separate parts, so the saving of time is more noticeable here than on a single-seat fighter.

The real subject

The Fairey Gannet was a British carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm. It first flew at the close of the 1940s and entered service in the middle of the 1950s. It was powered by the Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba turboprop unit, a pair of engines coupled into one installation, which turned contra-rotating propellers. The crew could shut one half of the powerplant down in flight and so stay over a patrol area considerably longer. A search radar radome extended below the fuselage, three members of the crew sat in separate compartments one behind the other, and the wing folded twice over for stowage on deck. The AS.1 was the first production version, and the AS.4 was given a more powerful powerplant.

How the mask set is used

The masks are placed on the glazing before the paint is sprayed, on a clean and degreased surface. Press the edges down carefully so that no paint runs under them, and lift them best of all soon after drying, while the layer is still flexible.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who want to manage the broken-up glazing of the Gannet quickly and cleanly.
• Builders of British carrier equipment of the 1950s in 1:48 scale.
• Anyone whom masking frames out by hand puts off painting.