1:48 Sepecat Jaguar RGR.1/GR.1A EXPERT cabuki masks for Airfix 11010 kit

Jaguar GR.1 and GR.1A masks in the Expert level

A set of cut painting masks of kabuki tape for a model of the SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft in the GR.1 and GR.1A versions, 1:48 scale. According to the name it is cut for the Airfix kit carried under the number 11010 and it is offered in the level designated Expert. It is an accessory to a kit, not a kit itself.

What the masks solve

Trimming tape by hand directly on a model is tedious and the edge that comes out of it is seldom straight. A cut element is laid on, pressed down and you spray straight away; the boundary of the paint is then crisp even on a curved surface. Kabuki tape moreover holds firmly enough for paint not to creep under it, and yet on removal it does not tear the dried varnish away.

The real subject

The Jaguar came out of a joint British and French program as a twin-engine machine for attacks at low altitude. British examples carried a matte camouflage scheme with intricate boundaries between the areas, so on a model the masking does a large part of the work.

Usage tips

• Degrease the surface before sticking the masks on, otherwise the edge will lift.
• Transfer the elements with tweezers and lay them on dry, without stretching them.
• Spray the paint in thin coats so that no ridge forms at the edge.
• Take the masks off shortly after the paint has dried, with a pull across the edge of the element.

Which areas the elements cover is given by the instructions to the set; the same aircraft is also carried in another level of range. The package contains masks only. The model, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.