Great Wall Hobby were widely commended for including painting masks with their Fw 189 - until modellers discovered they didn't stay in place very well. True, they could still be used as a template to cut fresh masks, but that left us pretty much back at square one, having to cut out scores of mask by hand for the virtual flying greenhouse crew nacelle.

Thankfully, Eduard have come to the rescue with a neat set of kabuki tape masks that promise to conform to the contours excellently and, more importantly, stay where they're meant to long enough to get the job done. The 94 indivual masks include not only the windows, but also the mainwheel and tailwheel hubs, and will clearly be a huge time (and sanity!) saver.

With so many masks on one sheet, a clear set of instructions is important, and Eduard's are very simple to follow, breaking down the complex task into 15 stages, so you are only working at a few panels at a time. In addition to the kabuki tape you'll need some masking fluid for one item - the dorsal gun mount - otherwise, everything you need is supplied.

I know many modellers scoff at the idea of buying canopy masks when you can make your own, but with a subject with as many individual glazing panels at the Uhu, I suspect even the most determined minght secretly relent and get a set of these. Highly recommended.

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