1:48 RAF CODE LETTERS 22

Code letters sprayed through a mask

The Royal Air Force marked its machines with a pair of letters for the squadron and one letter for the individual aircraft. This set gives the modeler masks for spraying those letters in 1:48 scale. You put the combination together yourself according to the subject you are building, so one sheet covers more variants than ready-made markings for a single machine would offer.

Why a mask instead of a decal

Sprayed letters have no carrier film. There is therefore nothing on the surface to catch the light, to gather at the edge or to yellow over the years, and the marking merges with the rest of the finish, because it is made of the same paint. That is an advantage above all on the large areas of a fuselage and in places where a decal would have to cross rivets, panel lines or a pronounced curve. The number in the name tells the individual sheets within the line apart, so choose according to your subject.

How to use the masks

• let the area dry completely and only then stick the mask on
• press the edges of the letters down carefully, so that no paint runs under them
• spray thinly, at right angles to the surface and preferably in several passes
• lift the mask off soon after the paint is touch-dry, not days later
• touch up small flaws at the edge with a fine brush
• unify the finished spray with a varnish of the same sheen as the rest of the model

Terms of supply

What is supplied are the masks, that is an accessory for the build. The model, paints and varnishes are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.