1:48 B-26K Counter Invader one-sided express fit mask for ICM

One-sided masks for the B-26K Counter Invader in 1:48

This set from the express fit masking line of the Art Scale brand is cut for the clear parts of the twin-engine Counter Invader. The one-sided version covers the outer surface, that is the one you will see once it is closed and over which the upper finish will go. It is an accessory for painting; the model is sold separately. The cut is worked out for the ICM kit.

A lot of glass on one aircraft

The Invader does not have only the pilot's cockpit. Depending on the version, the glazing of the observer's station and further windows in the fuselage are added, so there are unusually many clear parts for a model of a twin-engine machine. Masking that many surfaces by hand takes more time than painting the airframe itself, and a mistake on any one window spoils the whole.

Tips that come in useful

• Sort the parts out beforehand and note where each belongs.
• Lay the masks on one window at a time, not all at once.
• Before the upper color, seal the edge with a thin coat of base.
• Spray large surfaces crosswise; a one-directional coat makes stripes.
• Polish the glass once it is uncovered, so that it stays clear.

The real subject

The B-26K Counter Invader came about by converting an older attack aircraft for counter-insurgency use in the 1960s. It received a strengthened wing, wingtip tanks and modified armament and flew above all over Southeast Asia, often in a dark scheme. The set is for modelers who want all the windows clean and the frames straight.