1:32 Bf-109G6 (FINLAND)

An angular shape and a sharp internal corner

The Finnish Air Force received Bf 109G-6 aircraft in 1943 and operated them under its own fuselage codes of the MT series. They wore the Finnish national insignia, a blue geometric figure on a white disc, which had been in use in Finland since 1918 and has nothing to do with the German cross. What matters for a modeler is above all how such a shape behaves under a blade.

Where cutting by hand fails

A straight arm can still be cut. The trouble starts in the internal corner, where two edges meet at a right angle: the blade either stops short or overruns and nicks the surrounding film. The result tends to be a corner that is rounded or, on the contrary, cracked, and because the same corner repeats around the whole perimeter, the error multiplies. An industrially cut mask keeps every corner identical, because it is not a hand that makes them but a machine that has been set up.

A canopy that changed during production

The G-6 was built for a long time and its cockpit went through a change. Older aircraft carried a heavily framed cover with side braces, later ones received lightened glazing with a markedly cleaner view. Before the film goes on it therefore pays to lay it dry in place and confirm that the division of the frames matches the part you have on the bench.

Blue over white

A saturated blue needs a light base, otherwise it sinks into the shade of the camouflage below. So the white disc is sprayed first, left to dry through properly, and only then comes the inner figure. Between the two steps it pays to wait longer than for an ordinary overcoat, because white dries more slowly and a fresh layer tears easily when the film is lifted.

In the box

• Film for both faces of the canopy glazing
• Two insignia for spraying
• Paints and the model are not included