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Westland Lysander Mk.I/Mk.III Mask Set (A65008) 1:48 Airfix Most of us have probably seen the superb new Lysander kit from Airfix in 1:48, and more than a few that number will have been simultaneously deliriously happy and terrified, because there’s a substantial number of modellers that don’t like painting canopies, or more probably the case, don’t like masking them. There will be another intersecting circle on that Venn diagram of people that appreciate the convenience of not having to make masks for their models, so would use them whether they enjoy/tolerate masking or not. Speaking personally, I’m in the latter camp, as I can mask a canopy to a reasonable standard, but really like masking sets for their ease, so use them whenever they’re available, especially if the masking medium uses kabuki-style washi-tape that is paper-based, and has several properties that make it an excellent medium. It is thin, flexible, can be made to conform to many shapes by burnishing down, and can remain on a model for weeks if not months or years without leaving a residue. Clearly, it’s not wise to test the length of time you can safely leave the tape on a model, but my own experience has led to zero residue after a couple of years attached to a canopy, to my eternal shame. The Set Airfix have joined forces with their decal partners Cartograf to create this set, and they are perfectly placed to create accurate masks, as they have access to the original digital models of the kit. Cartograf have an almost mythical reputation for quality in the decal industry, and their experience in printing accurate shapes should benefit in this regard. The set arrives in a small re-sealable clear foil bag, the masking medium supported and protected by a full-sized header card that doubles as the instruction sheet that is printed on the opposite side. The sheet of masking tape is a familiar yellow colour, and is over-printed with mask numbers in red ink that is unaffected by contact with your fingers, plus an Airfix meatball logo and product code on the right side, and dotted lines around the open and closed canopy options where they extend beyond one mask. The instructions show the part numbers of the clear parts, and extends to the tail wheel to allow you to cut the demarcation between the small tyre and hub, plus masks for the two clear windows on the fuselage under the tail fin that allows easy viewing of the counter-weights in that compartment. There are also masks for the narrow windows that run along the tops of the wing roots against the upper canopy. Below is a “how to” video from Airfix to further entertain you, although it is more likely that everyone will want to know what their reviewer did to get that black fingernail, as it looks like it has been rather painful. Conclusion The Lysander’s extensive canopy and framing is a perfect first (second if you count the masks included with a recent 1:24 Spitfire kit) foray into creating masking sets for their own kits, which makes them worth getting for the convenience factor alone, made easier still by the numbers being over-printed on each mask. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of