1:48 F4U-1A Corsair FOAM flexibel wheel bay mask for Magig Factory

Art Scale 1:48 Vought F4U-1A Corsair, a foam mask for the landing gear bays (for Magic Factory)

A masking set in flexible foam (the name says FOAM flexibel), shaped to the landing gear bays of the F4U-1A Corsair model in 1:48 scale. It is NOT a kit and not an airplane model; it is an accessory for modelers. You have to have the kit from Magic Factory yourself. The mask is made by Art Scale, a different brand from the kit, but the product does exactly what similar bay plugs from other makers do.

Why foam and not tape

You paint the landing gear bay first, and when you spray the model from outside you have to mask it, or you will ruin the finished interior with overspray. Filling a deep, irregular cavity with tape and cotton wool is a nuisance and does not seal it anyway. Flexible foam is put into the bay, compresses and seals itself, which is exactly why it does not have to fit to hundredths of a millimeter like a hard 3D-printed plug and holds in the bay without glue. Once the paint has dried it comes out. It also protects the bay from dust and sanding slurry while you sand, and the mask can be used again.

The real subject

The Vought F4U Corsair is an American carrier fighter of the Second World War, easily recognized by its cranked wing, known as an inverted gull wing. That shape was no aesthetic whim: the Corsair received a very powerful radial engine and with it an enormous propeller, which needed sufficient clearance from the deck. The cranked wing effectively raised the engine and the propeller axis higher, so the landing gear legs could stay shorter and sturdier, which is essential for hard landings on a carrier. The F4U-1A is one of the early production versions. The Corsair's landing gear retracted backward with the wheels turning into the crank of the wing, so its bays too have a characteristic shape.

Compatibility and use

• Intended solely for the Magic Factory 1:48 kit; the mask will not fit a kit from another manufacturer.
• Paint the interior of the bays first and let it dry, and only then insert the mask.
• Press the foam in so that it fills the cavity and sits flush with the outline of the bay.
• Once the spraying is done and dry, pull the mask out.

A modeling accessory. The model, paints and glue are not included in the package.