1:48 McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger - USAF Camouflage Kabuki Masks (for Modelcollect and Rocket Models Kits)

A pattern that is sprayed, not painted

Camouflage masks serve a different purpose from masks for glazing. They are stuck straight onto the finished base coat and set the exact boundaries of the individual fields of the pattern. The modeler then lays on the further shades one after another, taking the individual pieces of the mask off as he goes, and the result is a sharply bounded design that can only be sprayed freehand with great difficulty. On a large-area tailless airframe the advantage is all the greater because there is nothing here to hide behind a panel line or a leading edge.

A machine from an alternative history

The attack aircraft the pattern belongs to never reached squadron service; its development ended with the cancellation of the program. A model in air force service is therefore a subject on the border between fact and modeling imagination. The maker of the kit released it that way deliberately and offers it alongside the naval form as a separate box, so it is a considered subject, not a mistake.

Advice on use

Let the base shade harden thoroughly, ideally overnight, otherwise it will peel away with the mask. Spray the paint in really thin layers and at right angles, so that it does not run under the edge. Remove the individual pieces in the order given in the instructions, not all at once. Washi paper leaves no glue residue, but a scuff mark can appear on fresh paint, so handle the model over a soft pad.

When the set really comes into its own

It makes the most sense where the pattern has regular, repeating shapes, because that is where covering by hand would take the longest and where inaccuracy would show the most. With softly sprayed transitions, by contrast, a mask does not help as much. Before sticking them on, try laying the individual pieces in dry and check that they join up; it will save you some nerves in the middle of painting.