1:48 F-35 A Lightning II - wheels and canopy frame paint mask (outside only)

Wheels and the cockpit frame in one set

Stencils for a model of the F-35A Lightning II fighter in 1:48 scale. Besides the outer canopy frame the set also contains pieces for the wheels, that is for the boundary between the tire and the hub. That circle is practically impossible to trace evenly by hand, and on a model everyone who looks closely at the landing gear sees it.

The A version and how it differs

The F-35A is the land-based form for conventional runways. It has neither the lift fan behind the cockpit of the short-takeoff version nor the enlarged folding wing and strengthened landing gear of the carrier version. It is the only one of the three variants to carry a built-in four-barrel 25 mm cannon, housed in a bulge above the left wing root. Fuel is taken on through a fixed receptacle on the spine, not through an extending probe. The aircraft carries its weapons in two internal bays so as to keep its radar signature low.

Masking the tires step by step

First spray the whole wheel in the shade of the hub and let it cure thoroughly. Then fit the circular stencil, press it down all round and apply the dark shade of the rubber. The reverse order would mean spraying a light color over a dark one, which calls for more coats. Lift the stencil off with a pull along the circumference, not straight away from the surface.

Who it suits

• Builders of modern combat aircraft with a sharp division of colors
• Those who build a model with the landing gear extended
• Modelers who do not want to trace circles by hand
• Those interested in current aircraft in the largest collector scale