1/72 Monogram F-19 Stealth/Specter

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

We Gen-X'rs and older remember well when the F-117 Stealth Fighter was rumored in the same way that government-flown UFO's are.  We remember Testors' smash hit educated-guess F-19 Stealth Fighter in 1986.  Then a year later, Monogram jumped on the bandwagon with their offering of same. 

 

The problem was, Monogram's version, while based on an actual concept artwork which appeared in aerospace trade magazines, their actual kit was FAR below the quality of the Testors.  Almost no features to speak of, really.  The 1/72 version was not only scaled down from their 1/48, it also had almost no features at all.  No landing gear, no weapons, no nothing except a desktop stand...unless you count the cockpit, which would have been nice for a kit released 30 years earlier.  Unfortunately, this was 1987, not 1957.

 

Here is my version of the 1/72 Monogram kit.  Instead of air-to-ground like the Testors (or like the actual F-117), I figured this design was better for air-to-air, as sleek and streamlined as it is.

 

Improvements/features include:

     - Scratchbuilt wheel wells

     - Scratchbuilt weapons bay w modified doors

     - Outer wing panels cut and positioned as partially folded for landing gear clearance

     - Control surfaces scribed (kit has them only partially done)

     - Hasegawa F-16 cockpit modified and fitted

     - True Details ACES II seat (actually a bit undersized, but just right for this project)

     - Snap-Tite pegs on canopy removed, canopy massively re-shaped and polished in affected areas (not gonna do that again, nope!)

     - F-5B nose gear added from spares, w scratchbuilt well doors

     - Italeri F/A-18 main gear (thanks Chris!)

     - AIM-9X and AIM-120 from spares

     - "Have Glass" gray used for lighter color with "Have Glass" clear over everything, including the black RAM

     - Decals from "Have Glass" F-16 sheet and lo-vis USMC F-4 sheet, plus "TR" tail code (Tonopah) from lettering decal sheet

 

Edited June 24, 2024 by Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

Some in-progress shots:

 

 

[southwestforests]

Chosen color scheme has that "It just looks right" quality.

 

5 minutes ago, Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy said:

canopy massively re-shaped and polished in affected areas (not gonna do that again, nope!)

 

Hmm, I just can't imagine what manner of traumatic experience could lead someone to develop such an extreme outlook on life.
😉

Anyway, the pair do look grand togetner.

[habu2]

Still have a couple of those in the stash - excellent work!

[Spruemeister]

Love it!

 

Rick L.

[Drifterdon]

Super cool!  The box art for Hasegawas 1/48 A-7D shows this version of the Stealth fighter in the background.   You did an amazing job on it. 

 

[MattP]

Always wanted to model one of these F-19's. But build it as a 2-seater, as in Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising"... You've done AMAZING work! Especially on the landing gear & missile bays...

Edited December 4, 2024 by MattP

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

Thanks Matt, very kind!

[flagon21]

So so cool

[AD-4N]

I am highly disappointed you used the wrong shade of black for your F-19.  Better research would have resulted in a more accurate model.

 

Just kidding.  The best F-19 I’ve ever seen.  Bar none.
 

And while Monogram’s F-19 may lack the details of the Testors kit, I’ve always thought the Monogram sci-fi designers came up with a cooler design than Testors.

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

Most kind, thank you!

Will endeavor to improve research as to more accurate black shades...  😄 

[habu2]

I remember when this Loral ad appeared in AWS&T back in the mid/late '80s

 

https://hushkit.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/loral_f-19_advertisement.jpg

 

Edited February 3, 2025 by habu2