TAMIYA 1/48 F-35A Lightning

MattN · November 11, 2022

My local hobby shop got another Tamiya pre-release in, the upcoming 1/48 F-35A Lightning. I volunteered to build it for the owner, so here goes. I am finishing another project and hope to get to this one very soon. So I thought I’d share what came in the box.

unlike the F-4B pre-release I built for this shop last year, this one comes with a full set of decals, mask set, a set if directions that a re not a cheap photocopy, and inserts showing the various marking options - eight in all.

I am quite impressed with the kit. I like the fact that the wings are molded on the fuselage top and bottom pieces, which will eliminate that seam.

You can also add the parabrake housing for the Norwegian bird, and the kit also allows you to have the flaps up or down; open or closed weapons bays (the parts for the closed doors are all one piece); you can have the boarding ladder door open and the ladder extended; and pats to have both open and closed canopies.

And you have the topic to add the wing pylons and ordnance to display it in ‘beast mode’.

These aren’t the best photos, but I hope you can zoom in on them and see the detail. I am especially impressed with the weapons bay detail as well as the cockpit and wheel wells.

On this one, you can see on the upper canopy frame part, a large tab. I think you can actually make both canopies (open and closed) and swap them out as you wish.

The weapons bay detail is really nice:

Eight marking options: USA, Israel, Italy, Australia, Japan, Norway, Denmark and Holland:

Full set of RAM decals (they look darker in the photos than the do in person)

Inserts for the marking options:

Stencil locations for all marking options:

Early and late RAM coating options as well:

I am VEY impressed with this kit. I can see maybe adding a resin exhaust or wheels. I would be surprised if Quinta doesn’t come out with one of their awesome cockpit sets, - same with Red Fox Studios. or KitsWorld. I expect Eduard will be all over this kit with update sets as well, but from what I see, not much would REALLY be needed too enhance the kit.

MattN · November 11, 2022

Sorry, I forgot - South Korea is a marking option too.

vonjhn68 · November 11, 2022

Thanks for posting - the kit does look impressive. I have heard a lot from other reviewers that the raised RAM details look too far out of scale. What is your opinion on that?

Janissary · November 11, 2022

Very exciting! Will be following with interest. Are you in the U.S. by any chance? If yes, I am curious which U.S. shops has this kit.

MattN · November 13, 2022

On 11/11/2022 at 10:11 AM, vonjhn68 said:

Thanks for posting - the kit does look impressive. I have heard a lot from other reviewers that the raised RAM details look too far out of scale. What is your opinion on that?

To my nearly 53-year-old eyes, the RAM panels look fine. I have the Meng F-35A kit as well, and I think the Tamiya kit's RAM panels are SLIGHTLY less pronounced. But that's JMHO.

On 11/11/2022 at 1:13 PM, Janissary said:

Very exciting! Will be following with interest. Are you in the U.S. by any chance? If yes, I am curious which U.S. shops has this kit.

Yes, I am in the USA. I am unaware of which shops actually have the kit in hand ready to sell. My local shop occasionally gets in pre-releases directly from Tamiya USA for the owner to show his customers to see if he can drum up interest. This one came in a plain white box and I don't believe it was intended for sale. This kit really belongs to the shop so once it is done, I will be returning it for him to display ,

Thadeus · December 14, 2022

Interesting with the RAM tape decals. I wonder how they will look once applied.

MattN · December 15, 2022

With the workbench cleared, and - for the first time in probably a decade - I do not have multiple projects in various stages of work! I can devote all my modeling time to this kit 😄

I decided to try test-fitting some of the major components together and I am impressed. Just as good an their F-4B. Keep in mind I didn't totally clean up every single joint and seam, and it's only taped together - but this is quite a nice bit of engineering. Get some glue on it and with careful cleanup, I can see this being nearly a putty-free build.

Edited December 15, 2022 by MattN

Sodasorb · December 16, 2022

I just got mine a few days ago. I'm waiting for someone to complete a build (Plus I have a TAM F-14 Late as well as a Z-M F-4S on the bench) before I start on the F-35.

Bob Beary · December 16, 2022

On 11/11/2022 at 2:13 PM, Janissary said:

Very exciting! Will be following with interest. Are you in the U.S. by any chance? If yes, I am curious which U.S. shops has this kit.

Sprue Brothers have them in stock. Probably other shops as well.

Edited December 16, 2022 by Bob Beary

MattN · February 20, 2023

Sorry it has been WAY too long since any sort of update -life gets in the way sometimes. A fair amount of progress on the F-35:

Some painting and a wash on the main wheel wells:
https://flic.kr/p/2ohY3Co

Nose wheel well:
https://flic.kr/p/2ohY3AE

Boarding ladder well:
https://flic.kr/p/2oi1zt4

Exhaust duct, painted with Hataka Insignia White lacquer (it has a slight beige tint to it) and some staining/heat/scorching with oil pastel chalks:
https://flic.kr/p/2oi1zrL

Cockpit tub and IP - I had a spare Eduard color PE set intended for the KH F-35B. Some trimming and 'creative license'. I think it is decent:
https://flic.kr/p/2ohVo6d

https://flic.kr/p/2oi1cNc

I cut the intake at the demarcation line where it changes from gray to white. Then I did the 'pour-and-dump' method for the intake. Considering you wont' see about 75% of the duct due to its curvature, I think it turned out OK:

https://flic.kr/p/2ohZo8B

https://flic.kr/p/2ohY4JM

https://flic.kr/p/2ohZo3G

https://flic.kr/p/2oi1cJz

The airframe is together. As you can see at the aft section, I am using the Norwegian parabrake housing that goes between the tailfins. I will be using Caracal Model's F-35A sheet for this bird :)

https://flic.kr/p/2oi1zp6

habu2 · February 20, 2023

Can't see any of the pics in your last post.... 😞

edit: your links need to look like this (without quotations)

"https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52700961345_b5bf41ef87.jpg"

Edited February 20, 2023 by habu2

markiii · February 20, 2023

^^same here

MattN · February 20, 2023

Crap. This forum let me edit a post that is less than 10min old to show the photos - I get:

This comment can no longer be edited. It may have been moved or deleted, or too much time may have passed since it was posted for it to be edited.

Sorry, I dunno what's going on.

habu2 · February 20, 2023

There's a short window for edits, also I think edits are locked if a reply has been posted. Only option is to repost...

MattN · February 20, 2023

Let’s try this again!!!
*****
Some painting and a wash on the main wheel wells:

Nose wheel well:

Boarding ladder well:

Exhaust duct, painted with Hataka Insignia White lacquer (it has a slight beige tint to it) and some staining/heat/scorching with oil pastel chalks:

Cockpit tub and IP - I had a spare Eduard color PE set intended for the KH F-35B. Some trimming and 'creative license'. I think it is decent:

I cut the intake at the demarcation line where it changes from gray to white. Then I did the 'pour-and-dump' method for the intake. Considering you wont' see about 75% of the duct due to its curvature, I think it turned out OK:

The airframe is together. As you can see at the aft section, I am using the Norwegian parabrake housing that goes between the tailfins. I will be using Caracal Model's F-35A sheet for this bird 🙂

markiii · February 20, 2023

I can see the photos now.

What is your plan for the NLG since the wheel bay is assembled?

MattN · February 24, 2023

Good morning, markii. I shaved down the mounting pins to add the NLG piece later 👍

Mr.Happy · February 24, 2023

Your off to a great start.

Mr. Happy

MattN · March 22, 2023

Some more progress. The airframe is painted, using Missions Models Have Glass V paint, with the gray areas using Tamiya lacquers, using the kit-recommended mixing rations.

Most of the fiddly bits - landing gear, doors and the like. I plan to load it with the kit-supplied AIM-9Xs, a GBU-12 Paveway, a GBU-38 JDAM, a GBU-53 SDB II rack (Norway calls them Stormbreakers, I believe) and a AGM-158 JAASM . I know Norway doesn't have those, but I like the look of it. I am also planning to make the open and closed canopy assemblies.

Still need to finish painting the exhaust nozzle.

The Mission Models paint took a bit of getting used to. I used Stynylrez (sp?) primer, and I used Createx thinner and poly from Hobby Lobby. The Mission thinner kept clumping the paint and the Mission poly was solidified - and I had never even popped the cap! Grrr. I used a ratio of 28 drops paint to 8-9 drops of thinner and 3 drops of poly, spryeyd through a Iwata HP-CS airbrush at 19 PSI.

A few more things to finish, and then clear-coat and decals!

Matt

MattN · April 9, 2023

Markings are on the Tamiya F-35A and sealed with clearcoat. I used a mix of the kit decals (mostly stencils) and those from the Caracal Models F-35A International sheet. They went down quite well.

Overall shot: