Eduard EX250 - 1:48 P-39/P-400 Weekend masks

Eduard EX250 mask set – canopy painting masks for the P-39/P-400 Airacobra model (Eduard) in 1:48 scale

Eduard EX250 is a set of self-adhesive 1:48 masks for painting the canopy framing and other glazing, and the wheel hubs, tailored to the P-39/P-400 Airacobra model from Eduard. The masks are die-cut from yellow Kabuki masking paper, giving sharp edges without hand masking with tape. The base kit is not included.

What's in the box:

• Sheet of self-adhesive masks made of yellow Kabuki masking paper, die-cut for the canopy and other glazing and for the wheel hubs
• Mask placement instructions

Set specifications:

• Scale: 1:48
• Catalogue number: EX250
• Manufacturer: Eduard
• Dedicated kit: P-39/P-400 Airacobra from Eduard
• Accessory type: canopy painting masks
• Material: yellow Kabuki masking paper, machine-cut

Self-adhesive painting masks – crisp canopy frame edges

Eduard masks are self-adhesive stencils die-cut from low-tack yellow Kabuki masking paper suited to delicate model surfaces. They cover the clear areas of the glazing and leave only the canopy framing exposed, so that after airbrushing you get sharp, even frame edges – hard to achieve when masking by hand with tape.

The recommended method is to apply the masks to clean, degreased glazing, press the edges down firmly and then airbrush the paint. Once the paint has dried, the masks are removed. The masks are intended for single use and should not be left on the model for a long time.

About the aircraft – Bell P-39 Airacobra (N/Q):

The Bell P-39 Airacobra was an American single-seat fighter, first flown in 1938, with an unusual layout in which the engine was placed behind the cockpit, in the middle of the fuselage. The Allison V-1710 inline engine drove the propeller through a shaft running under the cockpit floor, and a cannon was mounted in the propeller axis. The aircraft had a nosewheel undercarriage, rare at the time, and car-style cockpit doors.

The P-39 was widely used early in the war, especially by Soviet aviation, which valued its heavy armament and usefulness at low and medium altitudes. The lack of a turbo-supercharger limited its performance at high altitude. The N and Q variants covered by this description differed mainly in wing armament and equipment details. Over 9,500 examples were built.

Original specifications (Bell P-39 Airacobra (N/Q)):

• Length: 9.2 m
• Wingspan: 10.36 m
• Height: 3.78 m
• Takeoff weight: approx. 3,400 kg
• Crew: 1
• Powerplant: 1 Allison V-1710 inline engine, approx. 1,200 hp
• Max speed: approx. 605 km/h
• Ceiling: approx. 10,700 m
• Range: approx. 840 km
• Armament: 1 x 37 mm cannon, 2 x 12.7 mm guns in the nose; the Q added 2 x 12.7 mm in underwing pods (the N had 4 x 7.62 mm wing guns)
• Production: 1940-1944, over 9,500 built

About the manufacturer – Eduard:

Eduard is a Czech manufacturer of scale model kits and modelling accessories, established in 1989 and based in Obrnice. The company is widely recognised among aircraft modellers for its own 1:48 and 1:72 kits and for an extensive range of upgrade accessories: photo-etched parts, Brassin resin components, decals and painting masks. Eduard masks are die-cut from yellow Kabuki masking paper and designed for specific plastic kits, ensuring an accurate fit to the shape of the canopy and other details. The EX mask series covers hundreds of items dedicated both to Eduard kits and to kits from other manufacturers.