1:48 F4F-4 Wildcat (Eduard)

Glazing masks F4F-4 Wildcat 1:48 from Dead Design

A set of self-adhesive masks follows the frame of the cabin of the carrier-borne fighter F4F-4 Wildcat in 1:48 scale. The masks are stuck onto the clear part, cover the windows and leave only the frame uncovered. That is sprayed with an airbrush together with the airframe, and when you take the masks off after drying, the windows stay clean and the edges of the frame sharp. The most unpleasant part of a build is thereby done away with, that is, the cutting of dozens of strips of masking tape by hand. The target kit is Eduard.

The real subject

The Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat was a carrier-borne fighter of the US Navy. Against the older F4F-3 version it received folding wings, thanks to which more machines fitted onto the deck of an aircraft carrier, and armament of six 12.7 mm machine guns. The canopy of the cabin on the Wildcat is angular and densely framed, so it is precisely with this type that the difference between tape cut by hand and an accurate template is noticed at first glance.

Preparing the part is half the result

A mask holds only on a perfectly clean and dry surface. First wash the clear part, therefore, in lukewarm water with a drop of dish soap, rinse it and let it dry freely, so that no grease from the mold nor any fingerprints are left on it. From then on handle it by the edges or in a glove. If you want to polish the glazing or dip it in gloss clear, do it before masking, never afterwards. Before you start spraying, press the mask down around the whole perimeter and look the part over against the light to see whether it stands away anywhere.

Who the set is for

• modelers who are building the Wildcat in 1:48 scale and want a cleanly separated frame of the cabin
• beginners who are not yet managing to cut tape
• experienced builders who want to save time on routine work
• everyone who builds models with an airbrush and deals with paint flowing under tape