1:72 J2M3 Nat. Ins. w/ White Outline

Outlined insignia for the J2M3 in 1:72 scale

A masking set of the Dead Design brand for spraying national insignia with a white border onto a model of the Mitsubishi J2M3 in 1:72 scale. The customer gets masking for painting, and the plastic parts of the Raiden themselves are the subject of another item.

Why a white border on a dark finish

In the later part of the war the upper surfaces of Japanese naval aircraft were given a dark green finish on which the red disc merged with its surroundings. A white border brought the contrast back and from 1943 it appeared more and more often. For a modeler there is a practical consequence: if you are building the Raiden in dark green with a white underside, the outlined variant belongs on the upper surfaces, while on the light underside the border was usually not used. Check the difference between the upper and the lower surface against a photograph of the particular machine, therefore.

Recommended order of work

Spray the white border onto camouflage that is already finished, not the other way round. First cover the area around it, spray the white in thin coats and let it dry honestly; only then lay the inner circle on and add the red. Then even the finished insignia out with a matte clear coat, so that the border does not shine differently from the surrounding finish.

• Lay the white down only after the camouflage finish is done.
• Place the inner circle by the center, not by the edge.
• Even the sheen of the whole area out with matte clear in one go.
• Check the lower surfaces against a photograph of the given aircraft.
• Give the white coat overnight to dry, as hurrying does not pay.