1:48 Bf 109G-6

Quick cockpit masking in 1:48 scale

Masking glazing is a job few people enjoy. The frames are narrow, the glass is easily scratched, and a strip that overhangs by a tenth of a millimeter is enough to leave the finished model with a frame of uneven width. In 1:48 scale that applies to the cockpit of a Messerschmitt too, whose framing is prominent but curved in both directions.

A pre-cut mask removes that problem. The individual segments already have the shape of every pane of glass, so you only peel them off, lay them on and press them with a fingernail or a wooden stick so that they seat into the edge.

Inside and out: this set covers both sides of the glazing. From the inside the cockpit frames are painted in the interior color, from the outside in camouflage, and only a mask on both sides makes it possible to spray both cleanly. Anyone who masks the cockpit from the outside only has to fill the inner frames in with a brush, and it tends to show.

In practice the sequence is to spray the interior first, then apply the inner masks, close the canopy and put the outer pieces on. Camouflage and varnish follow. The masks are lifted off with tweezers at a shallow angle rather than straight up, so that the edge of the finish does not crack.

The cut matches the parts of one particular kit, which has to be bought separately. Adhesive residue on the glass is reliably removed by cotton dipped in clean water, or by a mild polishing product for glazing.

Anyone building several machines of the same type will appreciate that a pre-cut shape gives the same result every time, regardless of how steady the hand is on the day.