1:32 F-4EJ Kai J.A.S.D.F. 3WG 50th Anniversary Paint Mask Set

The anniversary Phantom of the Japanese self-defense force, 1:32

A set of masks for the commemorative coloring of the F-4EJ Kai machine, which came about for the half-century anniversary of the 3rd Air Wing. It is cut from a thin masking tape and is conceived so that the extensive artwork can be sprayed in layers instead of applying large-area decals, which easily ripple on the intricate fuselage of the Phantom.

The Phantom that served in Japan for over forty years

Japan introduced the F-4E into service at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s and most of the examples were built under license by Mitsubishi. The epithet Kai belongs to the upgraded machines with a new radar, onboard electronics and the ability to carry antiship armament. It is precisely thanks to that rebuild that the Japanese Phantoms stayed in the front line long after a newer generation had replaced them elsewhere, and the farewell finishes of the individual squadrons became a feast for photographers and modelers alike.

The procedure with anniversary artwork

Registration of the layers is the key. Set your first mask by the panel lines and always relate the other parts to it, so that the artwork does not run away at the joint of the fuselage and the wing. Let the paint cure thoroughly between shades, as otherwise the lower layer will come away with the tape. Before the last shade look the whole thing over against the light; a thin tape gives away every raised edge.

Whom to recommend the set to

• fans of Japanese aviation and colorful anniversary schemes
• builders of large models, where a decal fails
• more experienced modelers with a mastered airbrush technique
• collectors of Phantoms across the whole range of versions