1:32 A5M2b CLAUDE

Claude and its low canopy

The Mitsubishi A5M was the first Japanese carrier monoplane of all-metal construction and in the second half of the 1930s it dominated the sky over China. The A5M2b version was given a stronger engine and, experimentally, an enclosed cockpit as well. Pilots did not like it, though, because it spoiled the view and kept them from hearing the engine, so on some of the machines it was removed again. The fuselage is very slim and the canopy sits low on it, almost recessed.

A small area, a sharp curvature

It is precisely that low build that makes the glazing an awkward job. The area that has to be covered is small, but the radius of curvature is short, and the shorter the radius, the harder it is to lay a flat material on it. Tape would have to be snipped into teeth and overlapped, which produces an uneven edge along the frame. A cut mask respects the shape and can be laid down in one piece.

The inner side and the insignia

The second half of the set is intended for the view inward. On Japanese machines the interior shade tends to be markedly different from the top coat, so an untreated frame shows at first glance. Two national insignia masks serve for spraying the discs on the fuselage and on the wings.

When to take the mask off

The best moment is shortly after the paint loses its gloss but is not yet fully hard. At that point the edge tears away cleanly and does not take a layer of finish from the neighboring field with it. It also helps to pull the tape back over itself at a sharp angle rather than vertically up from the surface of the part, because a pull square to the finish lifts it most at the edge.