1:48 Gloster Meteor F.8 wheels and canopy paint mask outside only (for Airfix 09182 kit)

The Meteor F.8 at the peak of its service

In the first half of the 1950s the Gloster Meteor F.8 was the backbone of the RAF day fighter force. Against the previous version it received a fuselage lengthened by roughly seventy centimeters, more powerful Derwent 8 engines, a reworked vertical tail and an ejection seat. It served with dozens of squadrons, and in Korea the Australian No. 77 Squadron flew it against MiG-15 jets. Its silhouette with a short nose and engine nacelles built into the wing is among the most easily recognized shapes of postwar British equipment.

How the set works

The individual parts are cut from a thin pliable film which follows the framing of the canopy and the outline of the wheel hub. It is stuck to a finished surface free of grease, sprayed over with paint and peeled off once dry. The frames thereby get a sharp edge of the kind that practically cannot be done with a brush, and the tread of the tire stays clean without the lengthy spinning of the hub on a stick.

What to keep in mind during the build

The cut covers the outer surface of the glazing. The inner frames, which are clearly visible through the clear part on the Meteor, therefore have to be painted by hand. The film will seat even on a slightly bulged shape, but at sharper transitions it is worth pressing it down with a wooden stick and waiting a moment for it to suck down. The dimensions match the parts of one particular Airfix kit, and on a model of the same aircraft from another maker the shapes need not meet.

Store unused sheets flat and out of direct sunlight, because rippled or dried-out film is considerably harder to lay. If you are building the Meteor in a training finish with prominent bands, you will appreciate that the frame stays sharp once the mask is off and the bands run up to it without a visible step.