1:48 Phantom FG.1/FGR.2

Glazing masks Phantom FG.1 and FGR.2 1:48 (Dead Design)

A masking set for the glazing of the cabin, not a kit. The parts are stuck onto the clear molding in such a way that only the frames meant to be sprayed in the airframe color stay uncovered.

The real subject

The Phantom FG.1 and FGR.2 are the British versions of the two-seat Phantom II. The FG.1 arose for naval aviation and later passed to the Royal Air Force as well, while the FGR.2 served there in the fighter, attack and reconnaissance role. From the American machines the British versions differed mainly in their powerplant, because they received Rolls-Royce Spey engines. That called for a wider rear part of the fuselage and bulkier intake ducts, so against the American Phantoms they have a different silhouette.

Tip: a two-seat cabin means twice the frames

The Phantom has a tandem cabin made up of the windshield and two separate hinged canopies, with a fixed section between them. The masks for the front and the rear canopy are similar in shape, but they are not interchangeable, because they differ in the length and in the breaks of the frame. Before you start sticking them on, lay all the parts out beside the molding and match them up dry. It proves worthwhile to proceed from the biggest part to the smallest and always to finish the frames on one canopy before you set about the other, because skipping between them makes it easy to get lost. If you are building the cabin open, reckon with the fact that the inner side of the frames becomes visible, and consider the double-sided variant of the set.

Who the set is for

• Modelers building the British Phantoms in 1:48 scale
• Those who do not want to cut the frames of two canopies out by hand
• Builders who do not manage an even width of the frame on two-seat cabins
• Beginners for whom the cabin of the Phantom is the first big masking job