1:72 Dewoitine D.520

1:72 Dewoitine D.520 — an Eduard masking set

This item belongs to the masking line of Eduard. It differs from the other accessory lines of the same manufacturer in that it adds nothing to the model: a full photo-etched set adds metal parts, the pre-painted Zoom finished color patches, the Brassin resin line bulky castings and decals transfer a printed motif. A mask, by contrast, only covers an area you do not want to spray temporarily, and once the painting is done it goes away. The carrier is a thin masking paper with a slightly rubbery adhesive, which shapes well over curves and does not pull the paint off when removed.

Why a mask instead of hand-cut tape

The cockpit of the Dewoitine D.520 has narrow frames that taper still further toward the rear, and in 1:72 scale these are lines well under a millimeter. A hand-cut strip of tape is hard to keep straight at such a width and every hesitation of the hand shows on the finished model. The templates in this set are die-cut to the shape of the particular glazing parts, so measuring and cutting are unnecessary and the frames come out the same width along their whole length.

Usage tips

First degrease the glazing and let it dry completely; grease from fingers is the most common cause of paint flowing under the edge. Transfer the template with pointed tweezers, set it dry and only then press the edges down with a toothpick or a blunt stick. The proven order of painting is to spray the interior shade first, then the base coat and finally the top color. Remove the masks only after the paint has dried thoroughly, pulling at an angle to the side rather than straight upwards.

Who the set is for

• modelers who spray with an airbrush and want crisp cockpit frames
• builders of French fighters in a small scale
• anyone for whom cutting tape by hand takes longer than the build itself
• beginners who are still learning to mask

This is an accessory to a model, not a kit. The model, paints and glue are not included in the package.