I have only built a couple Tamiya kits. I’m working on the F-117 and gleefully found a pre printed mask for the canopy in the kit. How brilliant of them to do this.
Even though you have to cut out the mask yourself-it’s a fool proof way to do a canopy. My question is how many other kits by Tamiya or any other manufacturers include this great item in their kits?
eduard do canopy masks for the 1/32 F4’s
Kits manufactured by EDUARD and labled with the term PROFIPACK include masks for canopies. PROFIPACK kits also include photo-etched detail parts typically for the instrument panel and seat belts, etc. I have purchased airplanes from WWI, WWII, and a recently a Mirage 3 from this company, although generally WWII and modern jet selections from this company is limited. THEY ARE GREAT KITS FOR THE MONEY in my opinion. The same can be said of TAMIYA airplane kits.
Even better, the Accurate Miniatures B-25 series of kits include canopy and window masks for one of the most “glassy” aircraft of all time. (OK, not counting those Luftwaffe hothouses). The nice thing about AM’s masks is their thickness and tackiness, which helps them snuggle down at the edges. On the subject, the Squadron catalogue does not list Express Masks. I’ve read more than once in this forum that they sell them, so how do you find out how to order these masks or what they stock? I’ve ordered wheel masks from their True Details line in the catalogue.
I’ve ordered 4 tamiya kits in 1:72 for the price of one at my local hobby shop, although i am still waiting for them to come from malaysia. Hope they are good.
I’m slowly working on this same kit. Is yours the 1:48 as well? I’m going the super detail route with a couple of aftermarket kits, including the black box cockpit set. Amazing detail there! Also doing a bit with lightsheet, fiber optics and a home made circut to simulate the rotating beacons with an led.
I wrote about a previous build some time back…you can do a search here if you’d like to see some of the photos from that build.
Brian~
The F-117 from Tamiya is the only aircraft kit they include the masks for, Eduard apart from their ‘Profipack’ range of kits, have a limited range of masks for a all scales of aircraft.
Rob.
The Tamiya 1/32 A6M5 ZERO also includes canopy mask. It was very helpful on this kit. I wish more manufactures would include these.
emo07
emo07, you took words out of my mouth, as I was about to make minor compaint about a munfacturer of fine kits. I was going to ask "What could be easiers to mask than a F-117 canopy? How abou Zeros and all those three-man torpedo bombers whose top side looks like a glassed-in birdcage.
But as an object lesson on how you should NEVER take any of your skills for granted, I ruined an otherwise beautiful F4D Skyray via a sloppy masking job, overwhelming paint creep and, while handinlg the canopy to strip and remask it, I shattered it by gripping it too hard. You know how married couples are advised never to go to bed angry? Well, now i know never to go to bed angry with a model (Our kind of model; I don’t meet many of the other kind.,)[:-^]