1:48 Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender (outside, inside)

The Montex 1:48 Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender masking set

This is a set of self-adhesive masking templates for spraying the frames of the glazed cockpit in 1:48 scale. It is not a kit and not a finished model, but an accessory for a plastic model that the modeler obtains separately. The set deals with the glazing from the outside and from the inside, so the framing reads correctly even when looking into the cockpit.

The real subject

The Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender was an American experimental fighter of the Second World War period. It had an unconventional layout: a small horizontal surface at the front, a swept wing and a pusher propeller behind the pilot, driven by a liquid-cooled engine. Only a few prototypes were built and the type never reached series production. That is precisely why it is a rewarding subject for collectors of prototypes and dead-end development branches.

How to work with the masks

The individual masks are lifted off the sheet with tweezers and stuck onto a clean, degreased transparent part. Press the edges down with a wooden stick so that paint does not run under the film. It works well to spray the interior shade first, the outer finish shade once that has dried, and only then take the masks off. Apply the paint in several light coats; one heavy coat will build a pronounced step at the edge of a mask. Take the masks off while the finish is fresh, not after several days.

Who the set is for

• modelers who want sharp, regular cockpit frames without laborious brush work
• builders of prototypes and experimental types in 1:48 scale
• those who mask the inside of the glazing too, for the view into the cockpit
• beginners for whom masking the cockpit is the most demanding part of a build

The set is an accessory for a plastic kit. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package.