1:144 Painting masks for model Zvezda Tu-134 kit

The smaller brother of Soviet routes

The Tu-134 flew in 1963 and became the first Soviet aircraft to hold its own in ordinary service at Western airports as well. A pair of engines on the sides of the tail and a high-set tail surface gave it a silhouette that can perhaps be confused only with the French Caravelle. A number of the machines kept a conspicuously glazed nose with a navigator's station, which was a legacy of the military origin of the design and at the same time a detail for whose sake modelers still build this type today.

How a mask helps

The glazing in 1:144 scale is small and the frames between the individual panes measure fractions of a millimeter. Cutting them from tape means working with a magnifier and with a high probability that the line will run off. A pre-shaped mask seats in place first time and the line of the frame holds its width along its whole length.

Advice on working with it

Before the mask is applied it is advisable only to wash the glazing in lukewarm water and dry it without wiping, so that no hairline scratches are left on the surface. Apply the paint in several thin layers; a thick layer tears when the mask is removed and lifts the edge. If the model is to get a gloss varnish, take the mask off before it, or the edge will be accentuated under the varnish and the frame will look raised, which in such a small scale is glaring.

• The masks match the Tu-134 model in a kit in 1:144 scale.
• The set covers the glazing; the model itself is obtained by the builder separately.
• Thin layers of paint will prevent the edges lifting during removal.