1:72 P-51 Mustang RAF insignias

Masks of British national insignia for the Mustang in 1:72 scale

Omask offers an alternative to decals in this way. Instead of being stuck on, a national insignia is sprayed straight into the paintwork, so that no carrier film and no visible edge is left on the surface. The insignia behaves as part of the paint, holds to the unevenness of the surface and will take the same handling as the rest of the finish, including subsequent weathering.

The Mustang in British colors

The Royal Air Force took the Mustang into service earlier than the American units and used it at first mainly for reconnaissance and attacks on ground targets at low altitude. The later versions with the Merlin engine then served as escort fighters as well. British machines carried roundels of several types and a stripe on the vertical tail, whose size and form changed several times during the war.

What to watch out for

Spray an insignia onto a smooth and well cured base, otherwise paint will get under the edge of the mask. Apply the color fields one by one and always let each shade dry between them. It pays to spray several very thin coats rather than one heavy one, because the resulting edge then stays really thin. The small roundels in 1:72 scale are tiny, so work with tweezers and in good lighting.

Who the masks are for

• Modelers who are bothered by the glossy film of a decal under matte varnish
• Builders of British Mustangs from the period of the Second World War
• Those who want to sand or dust the insignia like the rest of the finish
• Collectors of 1:72 models interested in the Royal Air Force