1:72 A-17/DB-8 MASK

Masking set for the A-17 and DB-8 in 1:72 scale

The set contains pre-cut self-adhesive masking templates from the Special Mask brand for a model of the single-engine A-17 attack aircraft and its export variant the DB-8 in 1:72 scale. It is not a kit and not a part you would glue onto a model. You stick the templates onto a finished but not yet painted model, spray over them and take them off once dry.

The real subject

The A-17 is a single-engine all-metal low-wing aircraft with a long glazed cabin for a crew of two, brought into service in the second half of the 1930s. The DB-8 designation was carried by export versions of the same airframe delivered abroad. It is precisely the long greenhouse canopy with its many frames that makes masking this subject one of the most laborious parts of the build.

Why a pre-cut mask

In 1:72 scale the frames of the greenhouse canopy are only a few tenths of a millimeter wide. Cutting them by hand from tape directly on the model is tedious and the knife easily slips on the curved glazing. Pre-cut templates solve that: the parts only have to be peeled off the backing, laid in place and their edges pressed down carefully. The result is straight frames that a brush cannot reach.

How to work with the masks

• Degrease the glazing and let it dry completely.
• Pick the small parts up with tweezers, so the adhesive side does not get greasy.
• Paint in thin coats, so the paint does not creep under the edge of the mask.
• Remove them while the paint has flashed off, pulling at an angle back over themselves.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who build the A-17 or the DB-8 in 1:72 scale.
• Those who do not want to cut dozens of small frames by hand.
• Modelers who paint with an airbrush and need sharp edges.

The set does not contain a kit, paints or glue. Before buying, check that the masks correspond to the kit you are building.