1:48 F-105 D Thunderchief - wheels and canopy frame paint mask

Masks for the wheels and cockpit frames of the F-105D Thunderchief

A set of masking stencils for a model of the F-105D Thunderchief in 1:48 scale. According to the name it covers two places at once: the landing gear wheels and the frames of the cockpit glazing.

The real subject

The F-105D is a single-seat American fighter-bomber of the Cold War era, built for a fast run in low over the ground with a bomb load. It was among the largest single-engine combat aircraft of its day, it had a bomb bay inside the fuselage and air intakes in the wing roots swept forward at an angle. Among the crews the nickname Thud took hold for it. On a model the two things most visible are also the two that are hard to paint by hand: the cockpit frame and the boundary between the hub and the tire.

What the masking solves

Outlining a hub with a brush by hand is difficult, the line tends to be ragged and off-center. A stencil keeps the boundary exactly circular. On the cockpit frames it does away with cutting tape directly on the clear part, where one slip of the blade is enough and the scratch never goes away.

• Masking stencils for the wheels and for the frames of the cockpit glazing
• 1:48 scale, shaped for two places on the model at once
• A sharp boundary between the hub and the tire
• No cutting of tape directly on the clear part
• Try the fit on the parts dry beforehand

Painting tips

First wash and degrease the parts. Apply the masks before spraying and press the edges down with a blunt tip, on the circles in small sections. Apply the paint square to the surface and in thin coats, so that it does not get under the edge. On the wheels it pays to spray the shade of the tire first and the hub only after masking, because a darker color shows through less. Take the masks off while the coat has not yet fully cured.

The package contains masking stencils. The kit, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.