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

B-26K Counter Invader 1:48 - double-sided masking

The double-sided variant of the Art Scale set of the express fit line adds to the outer shapes those for the back of the clear parts as well. On the twin-engine Invader that has a practical point: some of the windows are visible on the model from both sides and a frame that is left uncolored gives itself away at the first glance into the fuselage. The set is cut for the parts of the ICM kit; on a model from another maker the shapes may not agree.

Where the inner side tells

Most of all on the glazed nose and the side windows, where there is empty space behind the glass and light passes through it. When a frame is colored only from the outside, it looks from inside like a transparent strip and the whole part then seems a piece of clear plastic without any structure. Double-sided masking removes this effect.

How to proceed

• Start with the back and spray it in the shade of the fuselage interior.
• Let the paint cure thoroughly, otherwise it will print off when the part is turned.
• Seat the outer shapes by the scribed outline, not by eye.
• Under a dark upper finish, lay a covering base coat first.
• When you are finished, uncover from the largest part to the smallest.

The subject and what the set is for

The Counter Invader is a late conversion of a twin-engine attack aircraft for fighting guerrillas. Characteristic are the wingtip tanks, the strengthened wing and the dark coloring in which the machine flew over Southeast Asia. A model in 1:48 is fairly large and it is precisely those windows that make it a build where careful preparation pays off. The set will therefore be appreciated by a modeler who wants the glazing finished on both sides.