1:48 TA-4J, TA-4, TA-4 Skyhawk BASIC kabuki masks

The real subject

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is an American light carrier-borne attack aircraft, a small and simple machine with a delta wing that stayed in service for whole decades. The two-seat training guise TA-4 came about by lengthening the nose for a second seat for an instructor, and you recognize it precisely by the long, heavily divided cabin. It is this cabin that gives the most work when building a model, because the frames that are meant to stay in the airframe color are twice as many on it as on a single-seat machine.

What the mask set contains

The templates are made of kabuki masking tape, that is, of thin paper tape with a mildly adhesive surface. It follows the curves of the glazing, adapts well to a rounded surface and as a rule leaves no residues of adhesive once lifted off. The set is carried as the basic one, that is, BASIC. Which parts of the model it covers and which kit it is cut for are given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Usage tips

The masks are stuck on before spraying, onto a clean, dry and degreased surface. Transfer the template with tweezers, seat it against the edge of the frame and press the edges down properly with a toothpick, so that no paint runs under them. Spray in several thin layers and at right angles to the surface. Take the mask off soon after the paint has dried, while the coat is still flexible, and pull it off sideways across itself, not straight up. In the meantime protect the glazing from fingerprints; they are harder to remove from it than from paint.

Terms of supply

A mask set is supplied. The kit, paints and varnishes are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.