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1/48 - Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II by Italeri - released - Tamiya boxing


Homebee

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Such a shame about the 'plywood' RAM panels all over it.  I know they're there but just not so pronounced. The thickness of a decal would be sufficent.

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On 25/01/2021 at 06:31, keithjs said:

Lets hope it doesn't come with the massive oversized RAM panels that their 72nd scale one has. Mind you I think all available kits seem to be blighted with those don't they?...

Yes. They all are (Those commercially available).  Nothing you cannot solve with medium wet sandpaper.

 

Cheers !

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Glad to see another F-35 kit in 1/48.  I know there is some issues with the RAM panels, but that´s OK.  I can work on them.  Actually I try to improve all my models based on pictures of the REAL aircraft, You'd be surprised how many "Hi-Tech" kits lack accurate details and in some cases even shape issues.  As I said, that is OK with me.  I can fix those issues.  

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Unlikely I will buy being Italeri and a 'B', but, I do like the pre-tinted canopy. So long as they get the colour and level of tint correct, I would like to see more of that from other suppliers.

 

Ray

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21 hours ago, SharkOwl said:

I am searching for parts that will enable to present this new tool F-35B ''all closed'' in CTOL (Conventional Take Off & Landing) mode ?!?

I'd assume you will have to use the same parts and possibly  modify the hinges... a bit modelling work required  maybe :D

the straight  and 90° nozzle parts look to be present to me!

glad we will have a B.model available again! :thumbsup:

 

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On 8/4/2022 at 10:03 AM, SharkOwl said:

 

Thanks Homebe !

Interesting.

But on the plastic sprue shots, I am searching for parts that will enable to present this new tool F-35B ''all closed'' in CTOL (Conventional Take Off & Landing) mode ?!?

Please share photos of the instruction sheet pages as soon as available.

😎

SharkOwl   

If you look at this sprue shot, which I believe will be common for both the B and A (and possibly C?) you will see the middle section of the exhaust tube in the top right corner. Haven't seen the instructions, but pretty sure at this point that this will allow you to build it "buttoned up", which is my exact plan aswell. 
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1 hour ago, Stephen said:

Now available in the UK, I've just had a shipping notification from Jadlam. 

Ah me too! Thanks for the heads-up Stephen,  I missed the email. 

 

This is proving to be a busy (expensive...) week as I've just taken delivery of the new 1/48 Airfix Buccaneer S.2 today. I said I wouldn't but  I got sucked in by the rave reviews and general hype this kit has received. I had also on preorder from Jadlam the 1/48 Hobby 2000 BAE Harrier GR7/9 (ex Hasegawa) and it seems this has been shipped too. There's a sort of delicious irony with these 3 kits as a case could be made that they loosely represent a line of succession of RN carrier based fast-jets (if you over look the Sea Harrier...)  

 

Rich

Edited by RichG
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17 hours ago, RichG said:

Ah me too! Thanks for the heads-up Stephen,  I missed the email. 

 

This is proving to be a busy (expensive...) week as I've just taken delivery of the new 1/48 Airfix Buccaneer S.2 today. I said I wouldn't but  I got sucked in by the rave reviews and general hype this kit has received. I had also on preorder from Jadlam the 1/48 Hobby 2000 BAE Harrier GR7/9 (ex Hasegawa) and it seems this has been shipped too. There's a sort of delicious irony with these 3 kits as a case could be made that they loosely represent a line of succession of RN carrier based fast-jets (if you over look the Sea Harrier...)  

 

Rich

 

Conveniently, the aforementioned Bucc and this Lightning II completes my 48th FAA jet collection :D (albeit 809 NAS have yet to re-form with Lightning).

 

I too, am not a fan of the RAM panels - decals would be much nicer (or even a paint mask).

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27 minutes ago, wellsprop said:

albeit 809 NAS have yet to re-form with Lightning).

I understand 809 Naval Air Squadron had been intended to re-form by 2023; however, in April I gather it was indicated that this is likely to be delayed until at least 2026 - something to do with recent revisions to the size of squadrons. At my current glacial rate of progress I might just have finished the Italeri one by about then!

 

Rich

Edited by RichG
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Just received my copy of the kit this morning. I'll leave others to do a review, fit of parts, detail etc. and assess overall VFM.

 

On the specific question of top fuselage surface details for the taped RAM panels which seem to be a show stopper for some: this is always going to be a matter of personal taste. Yes, they are there but I certainly would not describe them as 'plywood'. In fairness they don't seem too bad - perhaps the thickness of a decal would be a closer description. And to be perfectly fair I'm not really sure how they could have been any finer and still be visible under a primer / top coat of paint. Now that the current F-35 paint scheme is a single colour for both paint and tape, any decal alternative supplied is unlikely to be a perfect match for any given manufacturers' paints and therefore would result in a more prominent outcome at the end of the day; so I think the surface detail approach is probably the best solution. But as I said very much a matter of personal taste and at the end of the day they would disappear totally after 5 mins sanding which, I think, would be a great shame.

 

The engraved zig-zag panel lines, in contrast, could be described as a little "deep" (in contrast to the latest Airfix 1/48 kits...  🤣 ) but I think they're OK too.

 

This looks like a good kit (happy to be corrected) of an important aircraft in UK service - I'm looking forward to building it.

 

Rich

 

PS markings are supplied for 207 and 617 Squadrons RAF; but the 207 aircraft (ZM151) is shown with a "lightning flash" tail marking  and the 617 aircraft (ZM145) is shown both with and without the "lightning flash".  I had always thought this was a 617 marking - but could be I'm mistaken, perhaps RAF Marham aircraft are pooled and the marking represents "Lightning Force"? 

 

 

 

Edited by RichG
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34 minutes ago, RichG said:

Just received my copy of the kit this morning. I'll leave others to do a review, fit of parts, detail etc. and assess overall VFM.

 

On the specific question of top fuselage surface details for the taped RAM panels which seem to be a show stopper for some: this is always going to be a matter of personal choice. Yes, they are there but I certainly would not describe them as 'plywood'. In fairness they don't seem too bad - perhaps the thickness of a decal would be a closer description. And to be perfectly fair I'm not really sure how they could have been any finer and still be visible under a primer / top coat of paint. Now that the current F-35 paint scheme is a single colour for both paint and tape, any decal alternative supplied is unlikely to be a perfect match for any given manufacturers' paints and therefore would result in a more prominent outcome at the end of the day; so I think the surface detail approach is probably the best solution. But as I said very much a matter of personal taste and at the end of the day they would disappear totally after 5 mins sanding which, I think, would be a great shame.

 

The engraved zig-zag panel lines, in contrast, could be described as a little "deep" (in contrast to the latest Airfix 1/48 kits...  🤣 ) but I think they're OK too.

 

This looks like a good kit (happy to be corrected) of an important aircraft in UK service - I'm looking forward to building it.

 

Rich

 

PS markings are supplied for 207 and 617 Squadrons RAF; but the 207 aircraft (ZM151) is shown with a "lightning flash" tail marking  and the 617 aircraft (ZM145) is shown both with and without the "lightning flash".  I had always thought this was a 617 marking - but could be I'm mistaken, perhaps RAF Marham aircraft are pooled and the marking represents "Lightning Force"? 

 

 

 

They are operating pooled aircraft for the Lightning Force

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On 8/4/2022 at 9:03 AM, SharkOwl said:

Please share photos of the instruction sheet pages as soon as available.

 

The instruction booklet runs to 24 pages so its quite a task to photo however in the absence of anything else online, I created a pdf of the instructions and added to the relevant Scalemates page. Not super professional but hopefully OK until something more "official" appears... 

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/italeri-2810-lockheed-martin-f-35b-lightning-ii--1328490

 

The kit provides for different aircraft configurations and also available is "Beast Mode" with loaded external weapons pylons.

 

HTH

 

Rich

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Just looking at this kit on Hannants and the export price is $77 + shipping. At first I thought that to be excessive, and it is about 50% more than what I can get the Meng F-35A for. Then again, it is in line with the price of the new Airfix Buccaneer so maybe this is just what we have to get used to. I would not be happy having to pay 20% VAT on top of that $77 though.

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With Japan getting 147 of these, I will just wait for the Tamiya 1/48 wonder kit.   And if they re-box the Italeri version, shame on them. 

 

Yes, a new tool Tamiya F-35 would be north of $100USD.  But it will fit like nothing else and I guarantee I won't have to spend a week sanding off needless "detail."  My modeling time is so restricted nowadays, I don't want to spend time being miserable.  

 

I get it.  To each his own.  I have bought plenty of Italeri kits and many of them have been great, but this is, TO ME, a deal killer.  

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Not sure about the rest of the world but over the last 5-10 years the price of Italeri kits in the UK has been relatively high. They suddently went from the economy end to the premium end of the market pricewise but with no discernable uplift in quality. A bit like Hasegawa.  But as they did not have much in their range of interest it did not effect me at all - some of their more recent kits were spoiled by poor panel lines (Short Stirling & Sunderland).

 

Having said that I loved their recent 1/32 Tornado GR.4 - expensive  at c.£100 (compared with the Revell equivalent) but a beautiful kit a generation ahead of its predecessor, with loads of detail and close to Tamiya standards. Tamiya would doubtless have charged much more for the same quality. I think the same goes for the F-35B I got it for £64 (inc VAT & postage) about the same as I paid for the new Airfix Buccaneer.  Quality is a very subjective thing but again I think a Tamiya equivalent would probably have cost more in the UK and perhaps people would be happy to pay.

 

Rich

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4 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

Just looking at this kit on Hannants and the export price is $77 + shipping.

Ok, let's have a look at this reliable shop - one of my local hobby shop - Passion 132

https://www.passion132.com/gb/planes/153004-italeri-2810-148-f-35-b-lightning-ii.html

Promo offer 54,00 EUR VAT incl. so about 56.00 USD + P&P.

Normal price 60,00 EUR = +/- 63.00 USD + P&P.

So Hannants offer at 77.00 USD...

 

V.P.

Edited by Homebee
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Having looked through the instructions on Scalemates, I am stoked about this kit. It's been a while since I was this exited about a new release 🤩
And that you can build it "closed up", ie inflight and not landing mode makes it even better. The Kitty Hawk F-35B only could be buildt in the landing mode. 
Bonus is the extra gun pod that will fit nicely with my Kitty Hawk F-35C 😁

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On 8/13/2022 at 10:47 AM, Boman said:

I am stoked about this kit. It's been a while since I was this exited about a new release 🤩

I don't think you'll be disappointed by it!

 

I've done a dry fit of some of the main components to check respective fit (fuselage halves, lift engine components, wings, tail fins etc). The fit of these parts is sublime. I've rarely seen better - particularly the blended wing/fuselage join. Just need care to ensure the tags (where parts are cut from the sprue gates) are completely eliminated - I run a finger nail along the part just to check its gone.

 

With a kit like this - and Tamiya extra thin cement - even an old, sticky fingered, plastic kit bodger like me could turn out a great result! :rofl:

 

:thumbsup:

 

Rich

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