1/32 - Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II by Trumpeter - released

[Homebee]

After the F-35A (link) and F-35C (link) here's the Trumpeter's 1/32nd Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II - ref. 03232

Release expected in China in late June 2023.

Source: http://www.hobbyboss.com/index.php?g=home&m=article&a=show&id=230

Box art

 

 

V.P.

 

Edited July 21, 2023 by Homebee

[Homebee]

Release - very soon - in China  - ref. 03232 - Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II

Source: http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.php?g=home&m=product&a=show&id=3921

3D renders

 

 

V.P.

[Smokeyr867]

This will look great in an RNZAF Kahu  style scheme!

[k5054nz]

On 6/24/2023 at 2:50 AM, Smokeyr867 said:

This will look great in an RNZAF Kahu  style scheme!

I like your thinking!

[Homebee]

Released in China - ref. 03232 - Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II

Source: http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.php?g=home&m=product&a=show&id=3921

 

 

 

V.P.

[Whitewolf]

Looks good and glad to see RAF 617 Sqn included on decal sheet

[Alan P]

I just preordered this from Jadlam for £139, best price I've found so far.

 

Also, my wife isn't yet aware and I may have to cancel, so don't let my sacrifice be in vain 😂

[Alan P]

On 7/21/2023 at 6:09 AM, Homebee said:

 

 

V.P.

Shame it doesn't have the integral wings and body like the F-35C, but the fan and wheel bay details look pretty good.

[t15dja]

The Union Jack decal number 48 is incorrect - it is mirror-reversed. How could they get that wrong?

 

[Simon Cornes]

On 10/11/2023 at 7:59 PM, t15dja said:

The Union Jack decal number 48 is incorrect - it is mirror-reversed. How could they get that wrong?

 

Yes I noticed that and wondered the same. This is where Fantasy Printshop spring into action and sell you an A5 sheet of Union Flags!!

[Simon Cornes]

On 7/27/2023 at 2:46 PM, Alan P said:

I just preordered this from Jadlam for £139, best price I've found so far.

 

Also, my wife isn't yet aware and I may have to cancel, so don't let my sacrifice be in vain 😂

Hope you e got yours Alan? Mine arrived on Monday - huge box, possibly too big but I suppose it could be living accommodation for something! 
The one thing that’s jumped out and disappointed me is the lack of crew boarding ladder and associated bay and door. Italeri do it with their A model. Now trying to establish the U.K. weapons fit and whether the wing pylons  might be used. Might be a long time before they are - assuming we bought pylons? I’m thinking of opening out the holes and using magnets to hold them on if fitted! Maybe no ‘beast mode’ for the RAF/FAA ??

[Alan P]

Yes received it last Monday 😊 No beast mode for this one, will be in takeoff mode. I'm just finishing off the Italeri version over on the Go Large or Go Home groupbuild and that's quite enough open hatch details for the rest of my life!

[Alan P]

I might add that this is a very impressive kit, a huge box stuffed with plastic and generally well presented. But in true Trumpeter style, most of it will probably be going in the bin 😳 loads of extraneous detail which most modellers just won't need, like the additional detailing on the engine, fan and ducting exterior, much of the armament (supplied as standard weapons sprues again), pylons (if not beast mode) and A-model sprues with the other canopy frames and cockpit and so on. The wheel wells look nicely done, as are the weapons bays, but again, how much detail you want is up to the modeller. I certainly plan to have the fan open but will be looking for photoetch parts for the fan blades and louvres, and god help me, I won't be superdetailing the weapons bays again!

[Simon Cornes]

13 hours ago, Alan P said:

I might add that this is a very impressive kit, a huge box stuffed with plastic and generally well presented. But in true Trumpeter style, most of it will probably be going in the bin 😳 loads of extraneous detail which most modellers just won't need, like the additional detailing on the engine, fan and ducting exterior, much of the armament (supplied as standard weapons sprues again), pylons (if not beast mode) and A-model sprues with the other canopy frames and cockpit and so on. The wheel wells look nicely done, as are the weapons bays, but again, how much detail you want is up to the modeller. I certainly plan to have the fan open but will be looking for photoetch parts for the fan blades and louvres, and god help me, I won't be superdetailing the weapons bays again!

Agreed, it is an impressive, huge box full of bits and even better if you are maybe building a USMC jet but I suspect that I will replace most weapons with the Reskit alternative for an RAF/FAA jet. Not having built their A model kit I wasn't sure about the sprues but came to the conclusion that there were probably more bits than required! I have an unbuilt Italeri kit (acquired 6 years ago!) which needs building and in fact I am sure they'll do a 'B' model to but when?

The lack of colour call outs is annoyingly 'Trumpeter' but I've downloaded a copy of the Tamiya 1/48 'A model' instructions as there's probably more than enough info to be getting on with contained therein.

 

I will give myself a full 'beast mode' option I think by using neodymium magnets to hold the pylons onto the wings but, at this rate, only the outers are likely to be carried reasonably frequently to carry ASRAAM. I suppose I could hang 4 Paveway IV's on the other pylons, along with a pair in the weapons bays and AIM-120's though? 

 

I see that Reskit do a very nice 1/48 boarding ladder, door and compartment so I suggested to them that they might do a 1/32 version to fit Trumpeter kits. Time will tell!

What paint are you using for the external colour scheme?  Camouflage Grey with maybe something in it to give the Have Glass effect? It would be nice if the likes of MRP did an off the shelf shade for F-35's !

 

 

 

[Stephen]

14 minutes ago, Simon Cornes said:

Agreed, it is an impressive, huge box full of bits and even better if you are maybe building a USMC jet but I suspect that I will replace most weapons with the Reskit alternative for an RAF/FAA jet. Not having built their A model kit I wasn't sure about the sprues but came to the conclusion that there were probably more bits than required! I have an unbuilt Italeri kit (acquired 6 years ago!) which needs building and in fact I am sure they'll do a 'B' model to but when?

The lack of colour call outs is annoyingly 'Trumpeter' but I've downloaded a copy of the Tamiya 1/48 'A model' instructions as there's probably more than enough info to be getting on with contained therein.

 

I will give myself a full 'beast mode' option I think by using neodymium magnets to hold the pylons onto the wings but, at this rate, only the outers are likely to be carried reasonably frequently to carry ASRAAM. I suppose I could hang 4 Paveway IV's on the other pylons, along with a pair in the weapons bays and AIM-120's though? 

 

I see that Reskit do a very nice 1/48 boarding ladder, door and compartment so I suggested to them that they might do a 1/32 version to fit Trumpeter kits. Time will tell!

What paint are you using for the external colour scheme?  Camouflage Grey with maybe something in it to give the Have Glass effect? It would be nice if the likes of MRP did an off the shelf shade for F-35's !

 

 

 

MRP-280 & MRP-278

AK Real Color RC245

Hataka Orange Line HTK-C058

[Simon Cornes]

37 minutes ago, Stephen said:

MRP-280 & MRP-278

AK Real Color RC245

Hataka Orange Line HTK-C058

Thank you Steven - very useful!! Any thoughts on which MRP grey to use for the panel edging on the F-35?

[stalal]

Rivets!! 

 

Why is Trumpeter obsessed with rivets? They put rivets where they dont even exist. 

 

It also does not feature an integral wing. I fear there will be an ugly gap and a step. 

 

 

[Simon Cornes]

And now maybe an answer for a correct Union Jack to replace the one printed in reverse in the kit?

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/CSUJFLAG