Harrier/Viper Fan Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Whats the best 1/72 F-35 kit? Academy, Fujimi, Italeri or Hase? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul Boyer Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 The Hasegawa kit comes with a closed weapons bay, so that should make it easier to build. It also comes with decals for the lighter-gray colored panel edging (RAM?), so that should make it easier to paint. Understand that Italeri's and Hasegawa's kit are the A model for the USAF; Fujimi's is the B model (VTOL for the Marines). To complicate matters further, Orange Model just came out with the C model (Navy carrier use) in 1/72. Seems that there are more kits than real aircraft! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thegoodsgt Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I'm waiting for the upcoming Kitty Hawk F-35 series rather than buy one of the kits currently on the market. Fingers crossed! Steven Brown Scale Model Soup Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gene K Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 ... Kitty Hawk F-35 series rather than buy one of the kits currently on the market. Will be interesting to see how KH handles the bane of ALL the current kits - the RAM panels. Gene K Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mercury Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I have and like the Hasegawa offering. If you want everything closed, then it's perfect. Top and bottom fuselage with flying surfaces already attached. Subtle panel lines; not 6 or so inches to scale! Plus the decals for the panelling. Also a pilot... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JackMan Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Another vote for the Hasegawa kit. It's actually quite nicely done. Comes with an inflight stand and a pilot with the unique F-35 pilot's helmet. http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10262266 As for the F-35B, Fujimi (the only one to have kitted the 'B' so far in 1/72 scale), offers "what-if" Japanese schemes: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10149052 http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10173108 as well as the demo versions: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10127650 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul Boyer Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Oh, I forgot to mention that the Academy is also the A model. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LanceB Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 If you are looking for an F-35A, the "best kit" depends what you want. If you want to build one as "stealth fighter" and in-flight, or on its gear but with the weapons bays closed and no pylons, Hasegawa is a good option. If you want to build one as a "strike fighter" with underwing pylons and open bays, go Academy. The Italeri kit is in between these two options: it has weapons bays that can be opened, but no underwing pylons. It also has at least one strike against it: the vertical stabs are too tall, apparently being based on the stabs of the first prototype. The Academy and Hasegawa kits have properly-sized stabs. The Fujimi kit is, as mentioned, a B model, a very different beast than the A. It is also a "snap kit", the detail is somewhat simplified, and it too has too-tall vertical stabs. The surface is also covered with fine rivet detail, which is of course completely wrong. While it can be built with the lift-fan doors open and exhaust rotated, it does not provide for the auxiliary inlet for the engine on the spine, which seems to always be open when operating in STOVL mode. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pollie Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Have both the Hase and Academy offerings and both look nice in the box. The various panels on Academy kit will take considerable effort in masking though whereas Hasegawa provides decals. It should be a matter of time before Hasegawa announces a F-35B and C me thinks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I get the feeling those of us keen to do an F-35, rather than one based on the old X-35 kit, should wait a year or so for the various kits to be out. I'll be following with interest as I'd like a B and an A. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HowardM Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I am looking at the Hasegawa, Fujimi, Academy and Italeri kits, and here is the analysis so far. Concur with the comments on the clean Hasegawa. Italeri has heavy detailing. Concur with issues on fin height on Italeri and Fujimi - and the other two are not the same. Weapons bay - Fujimi best, Academy second, Italeri just plunged in (straight side walls with no detail) Main gear bay - Academy best, Italeri done as an insert, Hasegawa and Fujimi only do the open rear part of the bay, and that as a plunge Nose gear bay - Academy as an insert - all the others as a plunge Cockpit - All have nice inserts apart from straight plunge in Hasegawa - as part of upper half Intakes - Hasegawa full depth, Italeri and Academy partial depth, Fujimi shallow Rear fuselage extensions - all appear wrong Weapons - Academy internal and external, Fujimi and Italeri internal only, Hasegawa none. Tailplane - Hasegawa almost correct fairings above the tailplane, others wrong Lump under fuselage - Academy is wrong, Hasegawa correct Still got to take a closer look at the undercarriage and doors and exhaust. Real killer is that the Academy offering is under scale compared to the other three, by a couple of mm everywhere. Howard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Harrier/Viper Fan Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Thanks guys for the comments, from what you have all said its mainly about which mark I want. I have a look around and find the best deals and go from there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
-Neu- Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 (edited) I get the feeling those of us keen to do an F-35, rather than one based on the old X-35 kit, should wait a year or so for the various kits to be out. I'll be following with interest as I'd like a B and an A. No... its pretty conclusive that hasegawa's F-35A is probably the most accurate version available and provides a very, very good representation of the A-model. Its not perfect, but it definitely feels right. They are nothing like the X-35 which looks positively anorexic compared to the production models. I'd also caution against trying to be too focused on having the bomb-bays. There aren't that many great photos of the bays in full, its a veritable mess of conduits and wires, and unless you're modelling a specific aircraft with refs, it will see additional modifications in the future (particularly in blocks IV and V when new internal carriage options are implemented.) Edited March 2, 2015 by -Neu- Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LanceB Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Real killer is that the Academy offering is under scale compared to the other three, by a couple of mm everywhere. Will have to check my Academy kit's wingspan when I get home to compare to Hasegawa's stated wingspan of 148mm (Wiki gives 10.7 meter wingspan, 148.611 mm in 1/72), but Academy says their F-35A is 218mm long, Hasegawa says theirs is 217.5mm, Wiki says 15.67m which is 217.64mm in 1.72. Do not know how tall Hasegawa's kit would be, but Academy says theirs is 60mm, which sounds good compared to 60.14mm which is what the Wiki measurement of 4.33m is when scaled to 1/72. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LanceB Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 There aren't that many great photos of the bays in full, its a veritable mess of conduits and wires, and unless you're modelling a specific aircraft with refs, it will see additional modifications in the future (particularly in blocks IV and V when new internal carriage options are implemented.) I was reading recently about proposed upgrades to include internal AIM-9X carriage, two each side mounted on the outer bay doors, but that a problem was the AIM-9X would have to be modified to lockon after launch. Which struck me as odd, as I thought the AIM-9X could do that *now*. I mean, there are videos out there of a shot off a Hornet wingtip where the pilot is using JHMCS to look over his shoulder and lock onto a drone flying behind him, then taking the shot. There is *no way* I could see that the -9X, even out on the wingtip, could have its seeker head pointed at the drone before launch unless the seeker can pivot around like the sensor ball on a LITENING pod, and I don't think that is the case. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Inquisitor Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 (edited) Weapons bay - Fujimi best, Academy second, Italeri just plunged in (straight side walls with no detail) I'll have to disagree here. I'd rate academy first and fujimi second. Both feature very fine molded detail, but still academy tops it. Also the Fujimi because of the snap fit nature, where there would be pylons for the bombs there are a couple of blocky lumps of plastic, they also omitted the correct pylon for the AIM-120 whereas academy did provide a very good representation. Also the fujimi weapon bay and gear bays have some big prominent peg holes jotting out for the bay doors. Edited March 3, 2015 by Inquisitor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
polar bear Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 (edited) I made a comparison pictorial preview for 1/72 F-35A in Thai Modeling Society. Here is the link: http://www.thaimsot.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=2&func=view&catid=25&id=151359#151367 Username arcguest P/W guest Sorry for all in Thai, but you can google-translate. Edited March 3, 2015 by polar bear Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LanceB Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I made a comparison pictorial preview for 1/72 F-35A in Thai Modeling Society. Here is the link: http://www.thaimsot.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=2&func=view&catid=25&id=151359#151367 Username arcguest P/W guest Sorry for all in Thai, but you can google-translate. 403 error, link bad. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
polar bear Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Webmaster says that some country could not reach the site. He tries to fix it. There is a joke among us that 'Thai Model' seems to be about sexual issue. So, the site is banned from some countries. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
polar bear Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 For me, the best 1/72 F-35A goes to Academy due to its superb detail, weapon bays, full load, even wing pylons! Hasegawa cones into second place. Please avoid Italeri. Fujimi is only the player for F-35B, no competition, but it is OK. Orange Hobby is only C manufacturer as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Thanks everyone. Some very interesting and helpful discussion :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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