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                        What would be the most difficult canopies to mask?

                        3001 views
                        21 replies
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        What would be the most difficult canopies to mask?
                        Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 27, 2003 4:57 PM
                        I figure the Texan is pretty high on the list

                        just imagine a 1/144 Texan... nightmarish!
                        Report Abuse
                        upnorth
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: Canada / Czech Republic
                        Posted by upnorth on Friday, June 27, 2003 5:07 PM
                        Well, I've run into a few Hellish canopy masking jobs.

                        High on the list, if not top spot, is Monogram's 1/72 B-36 Peacemaker. I can't imagine that masking job at 1/144 for the Hobbycraft kits.

                        I've always found P-38 canopies to present problems in masking.

                        The F-16 canopy is deceptively difficult, because you only have one little area of framing and no flat surfaces to tack masking down to. The best way is to cut your masking into little narrow strips so they'll conform to the curvature better and avoid the possiblity of air bubbles or premature lifting of the mask during painting.
                        Report Abuse
                        BlackWolf3945
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: Pominville, NY
                        Posted by BlackWolf3945 on Friday, June 27, 2003 9:31 PM
                        Try a TBF/TBM Avenger in any scale. The main canopy and windshield sections aren't too awful bad, but lookit that ball turret!

                        I've been building for 20 years and masking canopies still intimidates me sometimes. I'd like to build a Stuka or a Mossie, but those canopies kinda scare me...


                        Fade to Black...

                        Steve O. Reno Check Out My Photo Sets on Flickr

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                        gregers
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: UK
                        Posted by gregers on Friday, June 27, 2003 9:47 PM
                        The worst for me was the Airfix focke wulf fw 189 ( I think i got the number right) that thing was a real pig to mask. I agree that The B36 is a bad one too also the italeri He 111z zwilling...Greg
                        Why torture yourself when life will do it for you?
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 27, 2003 9:52 PM
                        The pair of 1/72nd B25 Mitchell's that I painted last month, All masked with Tamiya tape. Never again!
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 27, 2003 10:27 PM
                        B-29 can be a pain as wellas the stepped canopy on a P-61. Of course as Blackwolf mentioned there's the odd ball on the Avenger.
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 28, 2003 12:56 AM
                        Despite all the new canopy masks that have come our way the last ten years. (Yes Fast Frames has been around that long now!)[:0]
                        Canopy masking on WWII multi paneled compound curves and the like are still what can make or break a brilliant build. All that gluing, sanding, painting, detailing your done and oh my! You goofed on the canopy!!! UUUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!!Dead [xx(]

                        And it's not limited to WWII, the jets are not so easy either, hmmm I would rather do a NMF F-100, flip a coin!

                        Fly Navy!Shy [8)]
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 28, 2003 9:33 AM
                        My vote is for the Avenger also. The fact that I'm currently working on one has in no way affected my vote ( yeah right! ).

                        Darren
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                        wayne baker
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Medina, Ohio
                        Posted by wayne baker on Saturday, June 28, 2003 2:13 PM
                        the bottom glass on a Tamiya Buffalo has a lot of small pains.

                         I may get so drunk, I have to crawl home. But dammit, I'll crawl like a Marine.

                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 28, 2003 2:33 PM
                        Well right now its a Ju 188, but thats cause its on the workbench.
                        I do a few panes at a time,using tamiya tape,whrn I get tired I go on to something
                        else
                        patience is the one tool I cant seem to find for sale
                        Report Abuse
                        Butz
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Niagara Falls NY
                        Posted by Butz on Saturday, June 28, 2003 4:09 PM
                        I would have to agree on the Avenger. I did one about a year ago and belive me I feel I spent more time on the masking of the canpoies than the whole kit itselfDead [xx(].
                        The other a/c that comes to mind is the Bf-110. Now thats a green house for ya !!
                        Flaps up,Mike

                        If you would listen to everybody about the inaccuracies, most of the kits on your shelf would not have been built Too Close For Guns, Switching To Finger

                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 28, 2003 4:48 PM
                        OMG, I always had troubles with canopies masks, but the record was a Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser, 1/144. Twenty little windows to mask. I got but it was too hard.
                        Black Eye [B)]
                        Report Abuse
                        Jeeves
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Saratoga Springs, NY
                        Posted by Jeeves on Saturday, June 28, 2003 10:32 PM
                        Yup...any of the WWII German bombers (He-111...Ju-88) are rough-- very geometric and HUGE greenhouses....I can't imagine trying the Zwilling!

                        That is always the part that takes the longest for me-- I always put it off forever-- I HATE canopies :(
                        Mike
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 28, 2003 10:49 PM
                        There are at least three canopies from Hell:

                        Ju 86 A Sad [:(]
                        Ju 88 A Angry [:(!]
                        Ju 188 E Dead [xx(]

                        Pete

                        Report Abuse
                        Keyworth
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: NE Georgia
                        Posted by Keyworth on Saturday, June 28, 2003 10:59 PM
                        The worst I've run into were the B-36, Academy B-29's, Airfix's TBD Devastator in 1/72, and ANY 1/72 WWII US trainer with enclosed canopy! - Ed

                        Haven't mentioned the Avenger here because I haven't opened the box on mine yet!!!
                        "There's no problem that can't be solved with a suitable application of high explosives"
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 29, 2003 9:34 AM
                        The hardest for me is the PBY-5 Catalina canopy...mainly because it didnt come with the kit and i cant find one...so i guess that makes it pretty hard to mask
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 6, 2003 4:46 PM
                        I have to agree that ww2 luftwaffe bombers are stinkers,however i,m a decorator by trade and tend to use a 0000 sieze brush, being used to painting real windows (without masking).but, my last six models have all been ww1 so no glazing there.......but all that rigging!! i think i,ll start that defiant kit,bomber style turret ,fighter style canopy (and there vac formed)Big Smile [:D]
                        Report Abuse
                        John P
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Joisey
                        Posted by John P on Monday, July 7, 2003 9:57 AM
                        My personal pain is that I love German WWII aircraft, but I hate painting complicated greenhouse canopies. I've had a Hasegawa Stuka finished, waiting to get the urge to do the canopy, for about 5 years.
                        -------------------------------
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 7, 2003 6:08 PM
                        Just gotten myself a Revell Ju88. Besides it being more of a kiddies toy than anything remotely like a model kit, it confirmed the how-in-the-name-of-Bob-will-I-paint-thatness of WW2 German greenhouses... Thankfully the cockpit glass is so thick (I'd guess about 4 scale inches all round, if not more..) it completely distorts the interiour, thus hiding the horrendous lack of detail.
                        Report Abuse
                        eaglecentral
                        • Member since
                          February 2016
                        Posted by eaglecentral on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 12:07 PM
                        I always find the the most difficult canopy to mask is the one I happen to be working on at the time. I hate canopies! But I'm getting better with them.

                        Tom
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                        moonwoka
                        • Member since
                          March 2003
                        • From: Dark side of the Moon
                        Posted by moonwoka on Wednesday, July 9, 2003 11:48 PM
                        Well, I use "white glue" for masking, so the most difficult part usualy is cutting the frame. But not because of sophisticated form, rather than crack-handed builder (that would be me Big Smile [:D] )
                        Join the dark side and get a free cookie! Photobucket
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                        kaybleman
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: USA
                        Posted by kaybleman on Thursday, July 10, 2003 12:42 AM
                        The stuka the he111 and the advenger,I fought with all of them! They didnt come out to bad but I dont know if I want to have THAT kind of fun anytime soon! I hate canopies but if i do a little at a time it works out ok---still my weak point, but im working on it. You guys are giving me some new ways to try out that i never thought of--thanks
                        Ich habe ein schweres erhalten und ein gabeln sich Schwanzteufel.. führend für Heim [{(-_-)}] [banghead] Music
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