1:48 A5M1 / 2 Claude

The Dead Design 1:48 A5M1/A5M2 Claude mask set

It is a modeling accessory, not a kit. The package holds self-adhesive masks die-cut to the shape of the parts of a model in 1:48 scale. The masks are stuck on the clear and other bounded areas, the paint is sprayed over them and once dry the mask is taken off. The cockpit frames thus come out sprayed, with sharp edges and without hand painting with a brush, which with a model of this size is practically always noticeable.

The real subject

The Mitsubishi A5M, under the Allied code name Claude, was a carrier fighter monoplane of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from the second half of the 1930s. It had a low-mounted wing of elliptical plan, fixed landing gear with aerodynamic wheel covers and a radial engine. The A5M1 and A5M2 versions differed in their powerplant and in details of the airframe. The glazing of the cockpit is small on them but divided, so masking by hand with tape takes more time than the painting itself.

Use step by step

• Wash the clear part in lukewarm water with detergent and let it dry freely, so that the mask holds reliably.
• Peel the mask off the backing with the tip of a scalpel or with tweezers, lay it on the place and press it down with a soft stick.
• Press the edges down carefully, or the paint will run under and the transition will be blurred.
• Spray several thin coats instead of one heavy one; a heavy coat forms a step and tears when the mask is removed.
• First apply the interior paint and only then the exterior camouflage.
• Take the mask off shortly after the paint has dried, while it does not yet hold too firmly.

Who the set is for

• modelers who want clean cockpit frames without brush work
• builders of Japanese interwar and wartime equipment in 1:48 scale
• beginners for whom masking with tape takes the most time
• competition builds, where the sharpness of the transitions is judged

The package holds only the masks. Paints, glue and the kit itself are not included in it.