1:72 Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete

Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete masks in 1:72 scale

This set from the Czech manufacturer in Obrnice serves to cover surfaces while a model is being painted. It is an accessory, not a kit: the aircraft is obtained separately. In 1:72 scale the canopy frames are so small that cutting tape by hand tends to be slow and the result uneven; a pre-cut mask does away with that problem.

The real subject

The Reggiane Re.2002 Ariete was an Italian single-seat aircraft developed from the Re.2000 family. Unlike its predecessor with a liquid-cooled engine, it received a Piaggio radial and was adapted for attacks on ground and naval targets. It went into action from 1942, most of all in the defense of Sicily and in raids on the Allied landings. After the Italian surrender the remaining machines flew on both sides of the front. What is characteristic of it is the combination of the elegant wing of the Italian school with a massive front end carrying a radial engine. Compared with the older Reggiane types it was an aircraft markedly adapted to attacks on targets on the ground.

Painting tips

• Lay the set onto finished gloss paint or a smoothly sanded surface.
• Spray the glazing with the interior shade first, then with the outer one.
• Italian camouflage has soft transitions, so thin the paint more.
• Take the mask off by pulling along the edge, not straight up.

Who the set is for

For anyone interested in Italian aviation of the Second World War who wants straight canopy frames and cleanly separated areas even at a small scale. The difference from tape cut by hand tends to be visible at first glance, above all in how parallel the thin lines are.