1:48 P-47D Bubbletop TFace

Eduard 1:48 P-47D Bubbletop TFace — double-sided masking sets

It is not a kit of the aircraft but an accessory for one. The Czech manufacturer Eduard from Obrnice near Most cuts the masks from kabuki tape, that is a thin paper material with a mild adhesive, which takes the shape of curved glazing and after spraying can be lifted off without residue and without damaging the paint. The TFace designation means that the set deals with masking from both sides of the glazing: parts for the outer surface and matching parts from the inside. The cockpit frame can therefore be sprayed correctly from the inner side as well, and when you look inside, no transparent unpainted strip remains.

The real subject

The Republic P-47D Thunderbolt was an American fighter of the Second World War, one of the heaviest single-engined fighters of its time. An air-cooled Pratt & Whitney radial engine powered it, completed by a turbocharger whose ducting ran through the fuselage — hence the aircraft's massive silhouette. The Bubbletop designation belongs to the late batches with a bubble canopy and a lowered fuselage spine, which markedly improved the pilot's view to the rear compared with the older versions with a glazed spine. It is precisely on the bubble canopy, which is large and continuously curved, that double-sided masking tells the most.

Use and tips

• First stick the inner parts of the masks on, then polish the glazing and only at the end stick the outer masks on.
• Degrease the surface and press the edges of the masks down with a toothpick, so that no paint runs under them.
• Spray thin layers and let the paint dry between them.
• Take the masks off soon after the paint has dried, pulling along the surface, not straight up.
• Glue the bubble canopy to the fuselage with a cement for canopies; a thin liquid cement for plastic would cloud the material.

Who the set is for

For modelers who build the late Thunderbolt with the bubble cockpit in 1:48 scale and want the cockpit frame faithful from the inside as well. Eduard makes further kinds of accessory for Thunderbolt models with a similar name — pre-painted Zoom sets, full photo-etched sets, instrument panels or decal sets. They are separate products and the exact designation of the range tells them apart, so when buying, check that you are ordering masks and which kit they are cut for.

The set holds masking material only. The model, paints and glue are not included in the package.