tomprobert Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Here's the latest model off the bench - Italeri's 1/32nd F-35A Lightning II. This was built out of the box, with the exception of Eduard's seat belt and cockpit set. The kit itself goes together really well, with the only filler being needed on the fuselage to wing join which wasn't the best. There's lots of nicely moulded detail in the landing gear and weapons bays, which with some careful painting comes up well. The most time consuming part of the build was the painting process - it took hours, and hours, and hours, and hours... you get the idea... of masking the RAM panels. I went for an early-build RAAF machine provided in the kit, which has the higher-contrast paint job. More recent deliveries have a far less contrasting paint finish which would have made life a good deal easier. Still, I think the earlier schemes are more pleasing on the eye. Apparently the jet pipe is a little undersized, but I didn't bother replacing it. Detail is a bit soft here to be fair, and the exhaust is the weakest part of the kit. Overall though, a nice and simple build, that takes up a lot of room on the display shelf! Regards to all, Tom Pic 1 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 2 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 3 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 4 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 5 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 6 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 7 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 8 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 9 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 10 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 11 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 12 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pic 13 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr 42 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerboy Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Smashing job Tom, your patience with the paint job has paid off and the detail in the wheel wells and bomb bay is superb. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenko Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 And well worth the effort. Nice one. Dick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Wow , great work! This must be rather big.. any reference to put it against? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobbie Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Details aren't necessarily "weak" on this kit, Tom. These aircraft by their very nature have no rivet or screw detail. All the detail you've painted a lighter shade on your kit is simply tape placed over panel joins. In reality, it's the same colour as the surrounding panel. All the screw-heads are pre-filled to leave no cavity under the tape. Only two panels have quick-access allen-key heads, and they're spring-loaded flush when no tool is inserted. The engine nozzle looks correct to my eye, but the external coating is actually more of a brownish colour. It will be interesting when F-35's are entered in model competitions- I believe they'll be marked down for lack of weathering, when in fact they're kept pristine or else the low-observable features may be unreliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAT69 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Very nicely built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t15dja Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Brilliant work...I love it. I've got this kit in the stash, also with the same Eduard bits as yours. I've also invested in a RAM panel mask set by Dmodels in the hope of making the painting a little easier....time will tell! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 It's an ugly aeroplane (well, I think it is!) but you've done a beautiful job of it Tom, the hours of masking and detail has really paid off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyGonzales Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Stellar paint job ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger 9 Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Absolutely amazing paintwork. No wonder it took hours and hours and hours Simply brilliant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 Sorry I missed this first time around, an excellent model once again. The masking was meticulous resulting in the perfect paint job. I bought this kit almost the minute it was released, looking forward to getting stuck into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now