1:72 A-1H/J Skyraider Nat. Insignias

Dead Design 1:72 A-1H/J Skyraider - national insignia masks

This set does not concern the cabin. These are masks for the American national insignia for a model of the Skyraider in 1:72 scale. The insignia is sprayed, not stuck on, so the carrier film of a decal is not left on the surface and silvering cannot appear.

Why spray instead of sticking on

A decal is always an extra layer. On a flat or rough finish air is caught under it and the insignia turns gray at the edges, while on areas with engraved detail it breaks. A sprayed insignia cannot have any of these faults - it lies straight in the paint. On top of that it will take later weathering, the sanding of a flat coat and overspraying with a final clear coat without its outline being revealed.

The real subject

The Skyraider was a single-seat piston-engined attack aircraft used by the US Navy and the US Air Force alike. It served at a time when the American national insignia took the form of a white star in a blue circle with bars at the sides. The exact shape and placement of the insignia changed over the years, so before spraying it pays to compare them with the scheme of your kit.

How to use the masks

The surface has to be smooth and the paint under the mask perfectly cured, otherwise it will be torn off while being removed. First spray the base color of the insignia, then stick the mask on and overspray it with the top color. In 1:72 scale the individual parts of the mask are very small, so work with tweezers and do not try to slide them over the surface - after the first touch a mask already holds and shifting it will crease it. Hold the airbrush straight on and spray dry in thin coats.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who are bothered by the silvering of decals
• Builders of models in 1:72 scale who weather their models heavily
• Those who work with an airbrush and manage the layering of colors
• Advanced modelers who do not mind small parts and working with tweezers