GMK Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 Thought I’d tap the brains trust - which is the ‘best’ F-35A kit in 1/72 & 1/48 scale? Possible candidates listed below. 1/72: Hasegawa Academy Italeri 1/48: Meng Kittyhawk Ideally, I’d like to avoid boilerplate-scale external “detail”. Cheers! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Durbon Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 In 72nd scale depending what you want. Open weaponsbay? Academy, a really fine kit which you can build also in the beastmode out of the Box. In clean configuration hasegawa. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 Meng for 1/48 B/C are on6ly done by KittyHawk obviously 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMK Posted June 14, 2020 Author Share Posted June 14, 2020 Thanks - appreciate it. Closed up & stealthy is my preference. A lot less work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick4350 Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 I second the Academy kit of the F-35A. Looking forwards to their new release of the revised tooling of the B model. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eng Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 I know you specified just the A, but if its as good as the new B version then the Academy kit in 1/72 would be my choice. The value for money over the Hasegawa kit is significant and in my opinion the surface detail is better too. Eng 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robertone139 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Not just the A variant, I finally got my Academy B model. You can wrap the respective Hasegawa and give it away. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sroubos Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 On 6/23/2020 at 11:53 PM, eng said: I know you specified just the A, but if its as good as the new B version then the Academy kit in 1/72 would be my choice. The value for money over the Hasegawa kit is significant and in my opinion the surface detail is better too. Eng Funny, I find the surface detail on the Academy pretty bad. The raised RAM panelling stands out particularly on the newer color schemes where the RAM tape is not so visible. The Hasegawa is very much my choice. See the discussion in this topic for details on the differences. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naveedgt Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 How does the new Italeri B kit fair? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robertone139 Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 7 hours ago, naveedgt said: How does the new Italeri B kit fair? It's more of a sculpture than a kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robertone139 Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 On 6/30/2020 at 6:22 AM, sroubos said: Funny, I find the surface detail on the Academy pretty bad. The raised RAM panelling stands out particularly on the newer color schemes where the RAM tape is not so visible. The Hasegawa is very much my choice. See the discussion in this topic for details on the differences. You can literally swap parts between thr Hasegawa and the Academy kits. The surface detail is identical. The Adademy kit gives you all the additional detail including weapons bays and full external loads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sroubos Posted July 6, 2020 Share Posted July 6, 2020 I don't know where you get this from but that's incorrect. The breakdown of the kits is very different, good luck sharing parts between them, e.g. the breakdown of the tail area is completely different. Academy has raised RAM taping, Hasegawa indicates the RAM taping with recessed panel lines. Academy: Hasegawa: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robertone139 Posted July 6, 2020 Share Posted July 6, 2020 14 hours ago, sroubos said: I don't know where you get this from but that's incorrect. The breakdown of the kits is very different, good luck sharing parts between them, e.g. the breakdown of the tail area is completely different. Academy has raised RAM taping, Hasegawa indicates the RAM taping with recessed panel lines. Academy: Hasegawa: I was referring to the F-35B. And in any case, to each his/her own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sroubos Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Same applies to the B kits. The Academy B also has raised RAM. Hasegawa B has recessed RAM. Parts breakdown is similar but I highly doubt you'd be able to share parts between them. Cockpit and tail breakdown are very different for instance. Of course to each his own. But it helps to provide people with the correct information. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robertone139 Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 I noticed the slight bump of the RAM taped surfaces, mostly noticeable for different pplastic sheen, easily sanded off. Panel lines are virtually identical, but you get a lot more model for the price. Of course one can always get a preassembled diecast kit on a stand with the gear up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMK Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 On 7/6/2020 at 5:12 PM, sroubos said: I don't know where you get this from but that's incorrect. The breakdown of the kits is very different, good luck sharing parts between them, e.g. the breakdown of the tail area is completely different. Academy has raised RAM taping, Hasegawa indicates the RAM taping with recessed panel lines. Academy: Hasegawa: Would you happen to have pics of the underside of the Academy kit’s fuselage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sroubos Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Seek and ye shall find 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpk Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 I wonder if you can kit bash the 1/48 Meng A with the KH C to make a better C. The KH kit is a tough one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdauben Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 On 6/30/2020 at 5:22 AM, sroubos said: Funny, I find the surface detail on the Academy pretty bad. The raised RAM panelling stands out particularly on the newer color schemes where the RAM tape is not so visible. The Hasegawa is very much my choice. See the discussion in this topic for details on the differences. That's really a shame. I was planning to buy the Academy kit purely on the basis that they provide the option for an open weapons bay and the Hasegawa kit does not. I'm probably still going to go with the Academy kit because the weapons bay is more important to me than the ram tape, but its too bad we have to give up one or the other. 😒 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick4350 Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 On 6/24/2020 at 7:53 AM, eng said: I know you specified just the A, but if its as good as the new B version then the Academy kit in 1/72 would be my choice. The value for money over the Hasegawa kit is significant and in my opinion the surface detail is better too. Eng Certainly is crisper RAM fined lines on the Academy B model as compared to the A model. The box on the B model is much larger than the previous release. Additionally both kits are are new tools with some sprues included either versions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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