1:72 Aichi D3A1 Val Control Surfaces

Control surface masks for the Aichi D3A1 Val in 1:72 scale (Dead Design)

A set of cut self-adhesive masks for the control surfaces of a model of the Japanese Aichi D3A1 carrier dive bomber in 1:72 scale. A shade is sprayed over the masks to suggest the ribbed frame under the fabric covering on the ailerons and the rudder. It is not a kit and not a decal sheet.

The real subject

The D3A1 was a single-engine two-seat carrier dive bomber with a radial engine, fixed landing gear in fairings and an elliptical wing, with a long stabilizing fin on the fuselage. In 1:72 scale the model stays fairly small, so surface detail is hard to make up for by engraving and the paint scheme matters all the more.

How much contrast is right

The ribbing effect should read at first glance as a change of surface, not as drawing. A good guide is the rule that the difference between the base color and the emphasizing shade should be barely noticeable close up and apparent only from half a meter away. You achieve that by adding only a small proportion of white, or of a darker variant of the same shade, to the base color and spraying it in several passes. Once the masks are lifted you can tone the effect down further with a light pass of the base color from a distance, which softens the transitions.

Who the set is for

• Modelers building Japanese aircraft in 1:72 scale.
• Builders who tune shades and are not afraid of mixing paint.
• Airbrush users with a feel for a light pass.
• Those who want to raise the sense of scale without touching the plastic.

The package holds masking material only. The model, paints and glue are not part of it, unless stated otherwise.