1:48 RAF ROUNDELS TYPE C

Narrower bands from the second half of the war

In the middle of the war the British roundel went through its last big change of proportions. The new standard narrowed both the white and the red ring in favor of the blue area, so the insignia stayed the same size but from a distance merged with its surroundings far more readily than its prewar predecessor. The Type C roundel appeared on the sides of the fuselage of combat machines from the middle of 1942 and in this form the war in Europe and most of the postwar service of propeller aircraft was flown out. For modelers that poses a practical task: the same type of aircraft looks different in 1940 and in 1944 precisely because of the markings, and swapping the two variants is among the commonest mistakes on otherwise precisely built models.

Patience between spraying and unmasking

Lifting a stencil too early is as much a mistake as leaving it on the surface for whole days. While the paint is wet it is drawn after the film being peeled away and smears into the area just uncovered, so all that is left of a sharp circle is a streak. Wait until the surface stops being tacky to the touch but has not yet reached its final hardness, and then pull the film off slowly, at a flat angle and back over itself, not square upward. Use the tip of a scalpel only to lift a corner while doing so.

• Three Type C roundel stencils on one sheet
• A narrower white and red ring to the later standard
• Suitable for machines from the middle of the war onward
• Without glazing masks; the contents are markings only