I've got some gunships that I'm going to build in the near future but I was wondering how you guys mask and/or paint the canopies since half of it needs to be painted anyway. TIA

I mask them with either Scotch tape or Masking tape. Cover the whole canopy in tape. Using a new Xacto blade, cut along the edges of the frame. Peel the tape off the frame section and you are set. Paint your model, then remove the tape on the glass of the canopy. That is it. Good luck.

Hello Austin,
I do just about the same as Heavyarty, i do just a bit more. After I have my canopy tape off, I'll brush on a light coat of Future along the tapes edge, this stops the paint from bleeding under the tape. If you don't have Future floor wax you can use any other clear coats, I've even seen some use clear nail polish. I find it to be sorta thick. Anyhow, after you've painted the canopy, go over the tapes edge with your hobby knife. This will cut the paint over laped on the tape and leave a nice stright, clean line.

Another method is to use Bare Metal Foil. I myself don't care for it, others swear by it.

If you have access to Future, you might want to coat the canopy before you place the tape over it. I find it helps keep the adhesive from the tape sticking to the canopy when you remove the tape. And, it really improves the appearance of the canopy itself.

Mike

Thanks guys. That is what I thought but since the last time I built an airplane was sometime in 1993 (I was a kid and didn't care!) I just wanted to make sure.