1:48 Sea/Hurricane Mk.I National Insignias And Markings (Airfix)

Dead Design 1:48 Sea Hurricane Mk.I - national insignia masks

This set does not mask the cabin but the national insignia and the markings. Instead of a decal the roundel and the other markings are sprayed straight onto the surface of the model. The difference is visible at first glance: a sprayed insignia lies in the plane of the finish, has no glossy edge of a carrier film around it and cannot silver. On a model with a flat camouflage finish, where decals cause the greatest trouble, it is the cleanest way to the result.

The real subject

The Sea Hurricane was the naval adaptation of the fighter Hawker Hurricane for the Fleet Air Arm. Besides the machines intended for carrier-borne operation there were also versions launched by catapult from merchant ships. The markings were British in both cases, that is, circular roundels and supplementary markings on the fuselage and the wings.

How to use insignia masks

The procedure is the reverse of decals: first the base color of the insignia is sprayed, then the mask is stuck on and it is oversprayed with the top color. The model has to be smooth and perfectly dry in the place of the insignia, otherwise the paint runs under. Make the transitions between the colors in thin coats and hold the airbrush straight on, not at an angle - spraying at an angle pushes the paint under the edge of the mask. Take the mask off soon after it has dried and with a pull along the surface, not straight up. It pays to try the procedure first on an offcut of sprue.

Who the set is for

• Modelers whose decals silver on their models
• Builders of British naval fighters in 1:48 scale
• Those who weather a model heavily and whose decal would not survive the weathering
• Advanced builders who work with an airbrush and the layering of colors