1:48 B-26F Marauder BASIC kabuki masks

The version that repaired the Marauder's reputation

The Martin B-26 entered service with a short wing, a high landing speed and a nickname no machine would wish for. On the F version the designers resorted to an inconspicuous but fundamental change: they increased the wing incidence by three and a half degrees. The aircraft thereby gained lift at precisely the moment of takeoff and landing, the takeoff run shortened and the accident rate in training fell. The machine served with the Ninth Air Force in Europe and the British operated it under the designation Marauder Mk.III.

Why masks pay off twice over on a bomber

The Marauder has a glazed navigator's nose, an extensive pilot's canopy, a dorsal turret and the side windows of the gunners. The number of panes runs into the dozens and each has framing of its own. Anyone masking them by hand will spend longer on it than on building the whole airframe, and even then will usually get at least one of them wrong. The scope of the set matches that: it is markedly larger than masks for single-seat fighters, because there are incomparably more areas.

What the entry scope means

This is the entry scope in the brand's line. The exact list of parts is not stated here.

Working with large glazing

Work in sections and do not try to fit everything at once; paper holds worse on a part that has not been degreased, and after an hour of handling the edges start to lift. Before the paint, always spray a thin layer of the inner cockpit shade, so that any bleed merges with its surroundings.

Laying the work out

With glazing this extensive it proves useful to divide the model into three sections and to finish each one completely before starting on the next. Tick the fitted masks off as you go, because a forgotten pane on the side of the fuselage appears only after spraying and repairing it means sanding the surroundings back.