1:32 T-33 Shooting Star - Canopy/Wheel Masks (for Special Hobby 32066 kit)

The two-seat T-33 and its long glazed spine

At the turn of the 1940s a trainer came out of the single-seat fighter that was so successful it outlived its predecessor by half a century. The fuselage received an inserted section into which a second seat fitted, and the glazing was stretched into a conspicuously long shape. Over five thousand were built and further hundreds were made under license in Canada and in Japan.

The machine served with dozens of air arms from Europe through Latin America to Asia, and in some countries training on it went on even after the year 2000. Besides training it was used for towing targets, calibrating radars and light reconnaissance tasks, so it can be met in a varied palette of liveries from bare metal to bright signal orange areas.

A two-seat cockpit has almost twice as many frames as a single-seat one and hand masking on it is therefore twice as time-consuming. The parts from this sheet follow the outline of every frame individually, follow the curve of the glazing and hold even in places where the surface breaks. The wheel parts cover the rubber part of the tire so that the center can be sprayed separately.

The dimensions of the parts come from the kit that Special Hobby offers for this type at 1:32. Before gluing it is a good idea to degrease the glazing, otherwise the adhesive will not hold along the whole length of the frame.

With a machine in bare metal a smooth glossy base is applied first and the metal shade only on top of it, which brings out every unevenness. Film holds better on a smooth surface than on a rough matte one, so it pays to think the order of work out in advance. The prominent signal areas on the wingtips are masked separately.