1:72 B5N1/2 Kate

The real subject

The B5N is a Japanese carrier torpedo aircraft of the time of the Second World War, carried by the Allies under the name Kate. It carried a crew of three and a radial engine, and the wings folded so that the machine would fit into the hangar below the deck of an aircraft carrier. The B5N1 version was the first production pattern, and the later B5N2 received a more powerful engine and became the most widespread. The machine could carry a torpedo under the fuselage as well as bombs, and in the first years of the war it was among the most effective aircraft of its kind.

What the masks are for

The frames of the glazing are one of the few things on a finished model that even someone who does not build models will notice. Cutting them out of tape by hand means hours of work and the result tends to be irregular. The masks, by contrast, are cut to shape, so they are simply laid on the surface and sprayed over; the edge then comes out sharp and the same on both sides of the fuselage. What exactly the set covers is given in the manufacturer's instructions.

How to work with the masks

• wash the clear part before masking and let it dry out perfectly, as a mask does not hold on grease
• lift the mask out with the point of a scalpel or with tweezers and lay it on according to the shape of the frame
• press the edges down with a toothpick, so that the paint cannot get under them
• stick the masks on before spraying, not onto a dried coat
• take them off carefully and rather before the coat has fully cured, so that the edge does not go with them

Terms of supply

The aircraft kit, paints, varnish and glue are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.