An extremely popular aftermarket item has been canopy masks. These have been produced by a number of manufacturers over the years, but the ones that seem to be the most popular are those by Eduard.

Masks have been made from a variety of products including thick and thin vinyl as well as from kabuki paper (basically the same stuff as Tamiya tape, but not quite a thick). Some masks only cover the outlines of the clear part. This is very much the case when it comes to bits with large compound curves such as you see on F-86s and MiG-29s as no material will properly stick to convoluted surfaces like that. In those cases, you fill in the rest with your favorite tape or with liquid masking solutions.

This set is for the Hasegawa Ki-46-II in 1/72 scale. Unlike their -III kit, this one has a stepped canopy and apparently has some fairly large viewing windows as well. It is this sort of kit that makes these masks so very useful. Sure, you could use the 'hold to the light and cut' method, and I often do. However, Hasegawa kits in particular have canopy frames that are very difficult to see when using anything other than clear tape. Most of us do not use clear tape as it leaves a considerable residue and often does not seal all that well. That is where a set like this comes in so hand

In addition to the clear frames, the set includes a set of masks for the wheels. For the main wheels you can either mask the hub or the tires. On this kit, these will be quite useful on the inside of the mains as there is no raised rim as there is on the outside.

May 2019

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