1:72 P-51D masky na krytky (pro Tamiya)

P-51D - masks for the access panels 1:72 (Omask, for the Tamiya kit)

A set of cut self-adhesive masks from Omask for the model of the P-51D Mustang in 1:72 scale from Tamiya. According to the manufacturer it contains masks made of Oramask 810 film for the access panels and the panel layout and masks of yellow (kabuki) tape for the clear parts and the surroundings of the landing gear bays. It is NOT a kit: it is an accessory for masking and painting, and the aircraft model itself, paints and glue are not in the package.

Why a template rather than ordinary tape

The access panels, service panels and the panel layout of a Mustang are painted differently from the surrounding area: on a metal finish the individual panels are typically shaded into slightly different tones, so that the surface does not look like a single sheet of metal. Cutting such shapes out of tape is slow and inaccurate: the edge ripples, paint creeps under it and the second half of the model never comes out the same. A cut mask gives a sharp, accurate and repeatable boundary, sits exactly where it should, and above all protects the part that is already painted and finished, because one scratch or a pulled-off patch of paint on a nearly finished model means hours of extra work.

The real subject

The North American P-51D Mustang was an American fighter of the Second World War, and the D version is the best known, with its teardrop (bubble) canopy, which gave the pilot all-round vision. Thanks to its great range the Mustang escorted bombers deep over Germany, as far as Berlin, and became one of the symbols of Allied air superiority over Europe.

How to use the masks

• Apply them solely to a clean, degreased and dry surface, because on grease or dust a mask will not hold and paint will creep under it.
• Take them off while the paint is still fresh (typically within a few hours); from fully cured paint a mask can pull the finish away with it.
• Do not carry a mask over the edge of a part, because bent film lifts and the boundary blurs.
• Apply the paint in thin coats, straight onto the mask, so that it is not pushed under the edge.
• The mask is cut for a particular kit (Tamiya), so it need not fit another P-51D model in 1:72.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who build the Tamiya Mustang in 1:72 and want a clean, sharp finish.
• Anyone interested in a metal surface with shaded panels without laborious masking by hand.
• Everyone who wants to save hours of cutting tape and the risk of ruining a finished part.

It is not an aircraft model: the package contains only masking templates. The kit, paints and glue are not included.