Eduard XT169 - 1:35 RSO Pak 40/4 75mm wheel masks

Eduard XT169 mask set – road wheel masks for the RSO Pak 40/4 75 mm model (Dragon) in 1:35 scale

Eduard XT169 is a set of self-adhesive 1:35 masks for masking the rubber tyres of the road wheels during painting, tailored to the RSO Pak 40/4 75 mm model from Dragon. The masks are die-cut from yellow Kabuki masking paper, giving sharp edges without hand masking with tape. The kit is not included.

What's in the box:

• Sheet of self-adhesive masks made of yellow Kabuki masking paper shaped to the model road wheels
• Mask placement instructions

Set specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Catalogue number: XT169
• Manufacturer: Eduard
• Dedicated kit: RSO Pak 40/4 75 mm from Dragon
• Accessory type: road wheel masks
• Material: yellow Kabuki masking paper, machine-cut

Road wheel masks – even edges on the rubber tyres

This set contains self-adhesive masks shaped to the model road wheels, letting you paint the rubber tyres separately from the hubs. The masks are die-cut from yellow Kabuki masking paper, giving a sharp, even boundary between the metal hub and the rubber without freehand painting.

The masks are applied to the wheels, the tyre or hub colour is airbrushed, and the masks are removed once dry. The set greatly speeds up one of the more tedious steps in painting a vehicle.

About the vehicle – RSO/PaK 40 (German tracked tank destroyer):

The RSO/PaK 40 combined the fully tracked Raupenschlepper Ost tractor with the 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. The base tractor was designed for the difficult terrain and mud of the Eastern Front, where wheeled vehicles failed. Mounting the gun on a low, open platform was meant to give the infantry a cheap and mobile self-propelled anti-tank support able to operate where heavier tank destroyers could not reach.

The design remained improvised: the crew was almost completely exposed and the low top speed limited tactical mobility. Only a trial and pre-production batch of a few dozen vehicles was built and sent to the Eastern Front for combat testing in 1943-1944. The concept was judged unsuccessful and no series production followed, the Germans keeping the towed PaK 40 and heavier tank destroyers instead.

Original specifications (RSO/PaK 40 (German tracked tank destroyer)):

• Length: approx. 4.50 m
• Width: approx. 1.99 m
• Height: approx. 2.53 m
• Combat weight: approx. 5.2 t
• Crew: 4
• Armament: 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/46 anti-tank gun
• Armour (max.): 5 mm (gun shield)
• Engine: Steyr V8 petrol, 85 hp (or Deutz diesel)
• Max speed: approx. 17 km/h
• Range: approx. 250 km
• Production: 1943-1944, a few dozen built (trial batch)

About the manufacturer – Eduard:

Eduard is a Czech manufacturer of scale model kits and modelling accessories, established in 1989 and based in Obrnice. Besides plastic kits, the company offers an extensive range of upgrade accessories: photo-etched parts, resin components, decals and painting masks. Eduard masks are die-cut from yellow Kabuki masking paper and designed either for specific models or as universal marking sheets, making painting easier and shortening finishing work.