1:72 B-26K Counter Invader - Canopy Mask for Italeri

The Counter Invader: a piston attack aircraft called into the jungle

The B-26K came about through a radical rebuild of the piston-engined A-26 Invader attack aircraft from the end of the Second World War. The airframes went through the hands of the On Mark Engineering company, which strengthened the wing and added tip tanks and armament pylons. The resulting machine had an endurance in the air and a load capacity that the jet types of the day could not offer over confused terrain. The model the stencils are cut for stands in the name of the item.

Night hunting over the trail

The deployment took place mainly in Southeast Asia, where the machines operated from the Thai base at Nakhon Phanom and in the night hours attacked supply columns on the roads leading into Vietnam. Because of agreements about the presence of bombers on Thai territory, the type received the A-26A designation in its place of operation. The crews valued the type for its range and for the firepower concentrated in the nose.

The procedure on a glazed cockpit

The cockpit of the Invader is formed by a windscreen and a fitted cover with flat panes and wide frames, so it is easy to get lost in it. It pays to lay the pieces on the large areas first and to add the smaller ones gradually, one frame at a time. Before painting, check with your fingers whether a corner is standing up anywhere; a fine spraying in several coats is then enough. Uncover only after it has dried, otherwise fresh paint tears away along with the edge.

Who the set is for

• for builders of aircraft deployed in Southeast Asia
• for modelers who want clean frames without cutting by hand
• for collectors of piston equipment in service in the jet era
• for anyone bothered by a colored inner side of the glazing