F-35C in 1/72 scale
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
The Build: Weapons, Aircraft tug, finalizing structure - May 25, 2015
Now it was time to determine what weapons fit I was going to place on the my new US Navy F-35C. The kit comes with two AIM-9X Sidewinder infrared air to air missiles, and two, longer range AIM-120 AMRAAM air to air missiles. It also comes with the 30mm gun pod which is mounted on the centerline underneath the aircraft. I decided to use all of these, but wanted more. I actually wanted a full-up Naval War at Sea Strike warload and to get that, I would have to use after market parts.
Luckily, I have several Testor and Hasegawa 1/72 scale weapons kits for modern aircraft. In this case, I decided to use the Testor's 1/72 Scale US/NATO modern weapons kit.
With that, I could meet my goal. In the end, I decided for an absolute full load consisisting of (from outside wing pylon to the centerline):
2 x AIM-9X air to air missiles (Range 35 km)
2 x AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles (Range 150 km)
2 x AGM-84L Harpoon II anti-ship/surface missiles (Range 130 km)
2 x AIM-120D AMRAAM air to air missiles (Range 180 km)
2 x AGM-65J Maverick anti-surface missiles (Range 25 km)
1 x 30mm gun pod
I built and painted the various missiles in preparation for installing them:
Once the armament were completed, I then built the aircraft tug that came with the model. It is quite a detailed small assembly with numerous photo-etch parts and a metal shaft. They sit very low to the ground so that they can reach under the aircraft and attach to the main gear and then tow the aircraft into launch position or elsewhere for positioning.
Quite a few very small pieces.
Now it was time to determine what weapons fit I was going to place on the my new US Navy F-35C. The kit comes with two AIM-9X Sidewinder infrared air to air missiles, and two, longer range AIM-120 AMRAAM air to air missiles. It also comes with the 30mm gun pod which is mounted on the centerline underneath the aircraft. I decided to use all of these, but wanted more. I actually wanted a full-up Naval War at Sea Strike warload and to get that, I would have to use after market parts.
Luckily, I have several Testor and Hasegawa 1/72 scale weapons kits for modern aircraft. In this case, I decided to use the Testor's 1/72 Scale US/NATO modern weapons kit.
With that, I could meet my goal. In the end, I decided for an absolute full load consisisting of (from outside wing pylon to the centerline):
2 x AIM-9X air to air missiles (Range 35 km)
2 x AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles (Range 150 km)
2 x AGM-84L Harpoon II anti-ship/surface missiles (Range 130 km)
2 x AIM-120D AMRAAM air to air missiles (Range 180 km)
2 x AGM-65J Maverick anti-surface missiles (Range 25 km)
1 x 30mm gun pod
I built and painted the various missiles in preparation for installing them:
Once the armament were completed, I then built the aircraft tug that came with the model. It is quite a detailed small assembly with numerous photo-etch parts and a metal shaft. They sit very low to the ground so that they can reach under the aircraft and attach to the main gear and then tow the aircraft into launch position or elsewhere for positioning.
Quite a few very small pieces.
Here is the aircraft positioned with the completed tug:
I then added the armament to the aircraft in their appropriate positions. Filled all of the slots!
That pretty much completes the structure of the aircraft, the armament, and the tug.
I am going to wait before I put the decals on until I get the mask set I purchased to do the special paint job on the aircraft. After that, I will add the decals, do the touch up, and complete the model. This should occur in the next session, but I am still probably several days from getting that masking kit.
I then added the armament to the aircraft in their appropriate positions. Filled all of the slots!
That pretty much completes the structure of the aircraft, the armament, and the tug.
I am going to wait before I put the decals on until I get the mask set I purchased to do the special paint job on the aircraft. After that, I will add the decals, do the touch up, and complete the model. This should occur in the next session, but I am still probably several days from getting that masking kit.
Blackstone
Brigadier
Jeff, do you plan to build a second variant with open vertical fan hatch?
Well, this is the F-35C, so this model will not have the VTOL capability.
It is the F-35B that has that capability and I have already built the F-35B and have a thread for it here on SD.
Here is a picture from THE F-35B THRED
I have also already built the F-35A, which is the US Air Force conventional take off variant.
Here is a picture from THE F-35A THREAD
Tis thread is about my third and final variant, the carrier borne F-35C.
The F-35A will be by far the most used and exported. The US, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Turkey, Israel, Japan, and Korea have all committed to buying the F-35A.
The F-35B will also be somewhat exported. The US Marines will be the largest user with 340 aircraft, but the UK is basing their carrier air wings on it and their Air force will also use them, currently planning 138 aircraft. Italy will also operate some for their carriers. Spain will probably buy some for their carrier when their Harriers are retired. Turkey looks like they will buy a few for their new carrier. Other potential buyers include South Korea, Japan, Australia, etc.
The F-35C looks like will be exculsive to the US Navy.
Yep.I see a nice load for a dangerous boy
2 x AIM-9X Sidewinders
2 x AGM-88 HARMs
2 x AGM-84L Harpoon IIs
2 x AIM-120D AMRAAMs
2 x AGM-65J Mavericks
1 x 30mm gun pod
The Build< - Decals, RAM Masking, Complete model - June 4, 2015
Well, it took quite a bit longer for the orange Hobby masking kit to come in. I ended up putting on the decals that would not interfere with where I intended to put the RAM (Radar Absorbing Material) on the aircraft. I really like the high contrast markings for the number one aircraft of the VAF-101 squadron.
The, the Masking kit came in. It consists of three sheets of masking material that has been laser cut and has a sticky vinyl portion for each piece, backed by a peel off backing.
These come apart fairly easily and go on easily enough...but they are painstaking and many of them are very small so care has to be taken to add them.
Well, it took quite a bit longer for the orange Hobby masking kit to come in. I ended up putting on the decals that would not interfere with where I intended to put the RAM (Radar Absorbing Material) on the aircraft. I really like the high contrast markings for the number one aircraft of the VAF-101 squadron.
The, the Masking kit came in. It consists of three sheets of masking material that has been laser cut and has a sticky vinyl portion for each piece, backed by a peel off backing.
These come apart fairly easily and go on easily enough...but they are painstaking and many of them are very small so care has to be taken to add them.
I then went ahead and added all of the RAM masking that I planned to put on aircraft 101, based on the pictures. For my aircraft this will consist of the top areas, some of the inside sides of the vertical stabilizers, and areas on the nose. As I say, they went on well enough...thought it took some time. I then used a Dark Ghost Gray for painting them.
Once complete...and dried...I carefully peeled off the masks. Generally it went pretty well...but despite efforts to blotch and apply the paint without any poling or running...some still crept under the edges of the small masks. This required quite a bit of touch-up.
Honestly, I believe for the RAM coatings that Orange Hobby and the other manufacturers, would be best suited by having some very decent decals created for this. For the effort and tooling that went into creating the masks, they could have produced decent decals.
If they used scribed lines/detail, with a very slight recess on the lines only (rather than the fairly obvious raised sections that Orange Hobby used here) to define these areas, and then had decals of the same quality as those provided for the rest of the model...a more pleasing and true to life look could be obtained. Anyhow, that is just my opinion. These came off fairly nicely as it was.
Once complete...and dried...I carefully peeled off the masks. Generally it went pretty well...but despite efforts to blotch and apply the paint without any poling or running...some still crept under the edges of the small masks. This required quite a bit of touch-up.
Honestly, I believe for the RAM coatings that Orange Hobby and the other manufacturers, would be best suited by having some very decent decals created for this. For the effort and tooling that went into creating the masks, they could have produced decent decals.
If they used scribed lines/detail, with a very slight recess on the lines only (rather than the fairly obvious raised sections that Orange Hobby used here) to define these areas, and then had decals of the same quality as those provided for the rest of the model...a more pleasing and true to life look could be obtained. Anyhow, that is just my opinion. These came off fairly nicely as it was.
