1:32 Gloster Meteor F.8 - Mask Set (for Revell Kits)

Gloster Meteor F.8: masks for the canopy and the wheels

The Meteor was the only Allied jet aircraft that managed to take part in the fighting of the Second World War, and the F.8 version made it the backbone of the Royal Air Force fighter force in the early 1950s. Against the older variants it received a longer fuselage, a larger fuel load, a sharply angled fin and above all an ejection seat under a sliding canopy. In the Korean War these machines were flown in combat by No. 77 Squadron RAAF, and it was there that the straight wing proved not to be enough against swept-wing opponents.

Contents and purpose: the sheet carries pre-cut shapes for covering the glazing of the cockpit including the windscreen and the framing, supplemented with discs for the wheel hubs. In 1:32 scale every frame is wide enough that cutting it from tape by hand usually ends in an uneven edge, which the paint then shows up mercilessly.

Working with the sheet: pop the part out with tweezers, lay it in the middle of the frame and only then press the edges down. Run a blunt tip along the transition between the mask and the plastic so that paint does not get under the film. Spray the interior shade first and only then the top camouflage.

The shapes match the glazing of the kit they were designed for. The set holds no paints, no glue and no model; it is purely surface preparation before painting.

Preparing the surface: the film will only grip on a smooth and clean base. Sand the seams of the canopy, polish out any fine scratches and blow the dust off with compressed air before you even pop the first template out.