1:72 TOS-1A Multiple Rocket Launcher Camouflage Paint Mask Set

The real subject

The TOS-1A is a heavy rocket launcher on a tracked chassis derived from a tank, with a pack of launch tubes in place of a turret. It fires unguided rockets of 220 mm caliber with a thermobaric warhead, and because its range is short compared with conventional rocket launchers, it drives close to the target and its carrier therefore has the armor of a fighting vehicle. The silhouette is unmistakable: a low hull and above it the tall angular block of launch tubes, which tilts and traverses for firing.

Why masks

In 1:72 scale the vehicle is small and the areas between the individual camouflage fields are narrow. Cutting them from tape into the right shape takes more time than the spraying itself, and the edge almost never comes out smoothly. The masks in this set are cut to the shape of the fields in advance: you stick them onto a dry base, spray over with the next shade, and once they are lifted the pattern is left accurate and the same on both sides of the vehicle.

How to work with them

• Before sticking them down the surface must be dry, smooth and free of dust and grease.
• Stick the masks down before spraying the next shade, never onto a finished coat.
• Over the edges of the hull and over small projections, press the edge of the mask down carefully.
• Apply the paint in thin coats; a heavy deposit will bleed under and lift the edge.
• Lift the masks shortly after the paint has dried, with tweezers and at an angle to the surface.

Terms of supply

The masks alone are supplied. A kit, paints, glue and tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise. The placement of the masks and the order of the shades are given in the manufacturer's instructions.