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F-35A question.


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Hi everyone! I'm preparing to build a HAFB F-35A in 1/32....I know there's a great thread on the exterior color here in this forum, But I've notied in some recent videos shot at Hill that the lighter coloerd RAM? (not sure what these zigzag shaped areas are...please forgive me for not knowing their official name) are almost undistiguishable in color and heighth from the top of the fuselage. Just checking to see what would be the current proper way to represent the color and heighth difference from the fuselage in these areas. Thnaks....oh BTW could use come help in after Market for the 1/32 F-35A.

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There was a change a year or so ago. Newer build jets are now mostly one color. They found a better and cheaper way to finish them. There are still some sheen differences between the RAM tape and finish.

This page has some good photos: https://lockheedmartinf35.smugmug.com/

 

 

Edited by jbryan911
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The zig-zags are RAM to cover panel seams. At model scales they shouldn't be thick enough to stand out from the surrounding surface. The model companies have exaggerated their molding on most kits.  Some people sand down the ridges to tone down the effect.  I would prefer to see these as just decals.

 

Early build F-35s had a noticeable difference in color between the RAM and the basic camouflage colors.  Newer aircraft have been built with a closer color match, but there is still usually a difference in sheen with the RAM ranging from nearly invisible to standing out depending on the lighting.  From some of the photos I've seen on a clean newly built aircraft you could pretty much ignore the difference.

 

There are mask sets for most F-35 kits to help painting the RAM panels

https://dnmodels.com/product/ram-panels-paint-masks-f-35-italeri/

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The RAM tape is not covered with the metallic coating, hence the sheen differences.  Here is one from Hill AFB:

 

Hill_small.jpg.03d94736c8f313012709f31469b81431.jpg

 

In this case, the RAM tape is almost the same color as the base color, but it reflects light differently.

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  • 1 year later...
On 10/27/2023 at 6:05 AM, t15dja said:

Why are there "dots" in the RAM tape.....is that accurate? If so what are they? I thought the tape was to smooth out any irregularities between panels. I haven't noticed them in photos of the real thing.

Follow this link to my build on LSM.   I posted some pics of the real thing where the dots are very visible. 
https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/19681-italeri-f-35a-splinter-scheme/

 

Edited by Scott Smith
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5 hours ago, Scott Smith said:

Follow this link to my build on LSM.   I posted some pics of the real thing where the dots are very visible. 
https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/19681-italeri-f-35a-splinter-scheme/

 

 

What is the fairing on the aft end of the fuselage?  I haven't seen that before. 

 

IMG_1264.thumb.png.afd36445c1bb4cd0eb1ef

 

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  • 2 months later...
1 hour ago, Grindcore said:

Does anyone make this in 1/72???  I have some Norwegian markings from Wolfpak that I would like to use.

The only two I think that are worth building are Tamiya and Academy. and neither have it. The Tamiya 1/48 kit does include it, so you you would have a good reference to scale it down.

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5 hours ago, jbryan911 said:

The only two I think that are worth building are Tamiya and Academy. and neither have it. The Tamiya 1/48 kit does include it, so you you would have a good reference to scale it down.

Do you know if the Academy multi-nations kit has it?  I'll check scalemates and look at the instructions I guess. Wish that Tamiya had included it.

 

Upon further review, no joy on any of the 1/72 versions.

Edited by Grindcore
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