1:48 Dornier Do-335 wheel bay plugs (for Tamiya)

The real subject

The Dornier Do-335 was a German fighter from the end of the Second World War with an unusual powerplant arrangement: one propeller was in the nose, the other behind the tail surfaces. The machine stood on a nosewheel undercarriage and the main legs retracted into the wing, so the model has three prominent wheel bays into which you can see clearly from below.

What the inserts are for

The inserts match the shape of the wheel bays of the model and fill them during painting. They thus protect the inside of the bays from the spray of the outer shade and save laborious masking with tape, paper or modeling putty. The set is prepared for the Tamiya kit in 1:48 scale and need not fit models from other makers. The bays then stay in the shade you gave them, even after several coats of spraying.

How to work with them

Seat the inserts in the bays before spraying, that is, after the interiors have been painted and before the outer shade is applied. Make sure they seat all the way around and that no gap is left through which paint could pass. Once dry, take them out carefully and check the edges of the bays; a small color transition can be corrected with a brush. Do not glue the inserts anywhere; they hold by their shape and should come out of the bay without resistance.

Who they are for

Anyone who builds the Do-335 with an airbrush and does not want to spend an evening masking deep bays will appreciate them. They also suit cases where the outer shade is applied in several passes and the bays would have to be covered over and over again. The model, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.