1:72 Kawasaki Ki-61-I Hien Undercarriage Bay Masks

The real subject

The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien was a Japanese army fighter of the Second World War. Among contemporary Japanese machines it stands out at first glance for its slender pointed nose and elongated fuselage, so it looks more like a European fighter; the Allies also mistakenly took it at first for a machine of foreign design. The designation Ki-61-I belongs to the first production series.

What the set contains

Painting templates for the landing gear bays of a model in 1:72 scale. A bay is sprayed in a different shade from the surrounding surfaces and its interior is hard to put right once it has been fouled, which is why it is covered before the underside is sprayed. With a template the edge around the opening comes out crisply and you do not have to stick covers together from paper and tape.

How the masking is done

• spray the inside of the bay and let it dry thoroughly before the mask is fitted
• place the template before the top colors are sprayed, not onto a finished coat
• press the edge down all the way around the opening; a bleed arises precisely at an edge that has not fully seated
• spray in thin coats and rather dry; a wet coat flows under the most
• take the mask off shortly after the paint has set, not after several days

Who it is for

For the modeler who builds the Hien in a small scale and wants the landing gear bays clean with no lengthy covering. Check which kit the set is cut for; the shape of the bays differs between makers and a template is cut to measure for one model.

Terms of supply

The kit, the paints and the glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.