1:32 Fw 190 D-9 masks for crosses

Spray templates for the insignia of the Fw 190 D-9, 1:32 scale

This accessory replaces an ordinary sheet of decals. The marking is masked off and sprayed, so the result has no transparent carrier underneath it and does not shout with a glossy outline. According to the name the cut is tied specifically to the D-9 version, on which the size as well as the position of the insignia differ from the earlier radial-engined forms.

The Dora-9 at the close of the fighting

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9 reached the combat units in the autumn of 1944 and became the most widespread of the long-nosed versions. The Jumo 213A power plant gave it markedly better performance at greater altitudes than the radial-engined forms had offered so far. Some of the machines carried out the task of protecting jet fighters taking off and landing, and for that reason bore a conspicuously striped lower surface so that their own anti-aircraft defense would not mistake them for the enemy.

A procedure that is worth keeping to

First level the surface, so that the template lies flat even across riveting and panel engraving. Thin the paint more than usual and draw it from the edge of the cut-out inward; that limits creeping underneath to a minimum. After the template is lifted, the edges can be lightly polished over and the whole insignia sealed with a final clear coat.

Which modelers the set is intended for

• modelers who do not want to deal with the thickness of a decal in large scales
• builders of German fighters of the closing period
• anyone interested in realistic wear of the insignia on the fuselage and the wing
• more experienced builders used to working with an airbrush

The package covers only the masking of the insignia itself; obtain paints and the basic model separately.