Painting the classic 4-colour Swedish FOA splinter camouflage is one of the greatest modelling challenges. It's hugely attractive and, done correctly, is always going to impress onlookers.  I remember brush-painting it on the old Airfix 1:72 Viggen back in the 1970s and being happy with the result - but I was only 12 or 13 years old, so it undoubtedly was pretty dreadful in reality.

The only way to recreate the pattern accurately is to mask it - and this is incredibly time-consuming if you do it from scratch. So, it's very welcome to see Special Hobby release a pair of die-cut masking sets for their 1:48 Viggen kits - one each for the single- and two-seater versions. The sample set is for the two-seater, but the other set will be identical in its approach and most of the contents. 

The masks are spread over 2 sheets of gummed washi paper, and the die-cutting is clean and precise. Paper masks are ideal for tasks like this because they can follow the contours of the model better than some other media. The adhesive isn't too strong, so the masks lift easily from the backing sheet - but, equally, it's strong enough to ensure they'll stay in place and can be removed and replaced as you build up the camouflage pattern.

The masks are a accompanied by a simple set of instructions with a clear guide as to which masks go where on the airframe. The pattern is broken down into 13 sections that look fairly straightforward on paper, but the proof of the pudding will be seeing how well they translate onto the 3D model. I think I'll start with simpler areas like the flying surfaces and work my way onto the fuselage. How you go about painting the splinter pattern is left up to you beyond the advise to apply all the masks over a base coat of one of the colours, and then remove the segments as needed.

Painting the pattern successfully will require accuracy, patience and, crucially, a bit of pre-planning. I'm tempted to colour code the segments while they're still on the sheets to make sure I know exactly which masks to remove and replace in the correct sequence.

Even with the help of the masks, painting the Viggen will be a time-consuming process that can't be rushed. But a rough guess shows around 100 individual masks to position, so using the set will be a massive time-saver compared with cutting them by hand. If you're very careful and organised, it may be possible to use them on more than one model, but I wouldn't count on it.

Conclusion

To be honest, I don't think I'd even try painting the classic Viggen camouflage pattern without a die-cut set of masks. It's still going to be a challenge, but one to look forward to. I reviewed Special Hobby's excellent Viggen 2-seater a few years ago (https://archive.aeroscale.net/review/14005/index.htm) and the arrival of these masks has really given me the itch to tackle it.

Set #M48023 is available now from Special Hobby - Price: 21.20 Euros

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE