1:48 AGM-158 JASSM Air-Ground guided missile

AGM-158 JASSM, air-to-ground guided missile, 1:48, Armory

This resin accessory represents the American AGM-158 JASSM guided missile in 1:48 scale. It is not a kit of an airplane but armament that you hang under the wing or fuselage of a model you have already built. A resin casting handles the smooth surfaces and crisp edges of the missile body better than a split plastic part, on which the parting line would have to be laboriously sanded away.

The real subject

The AGM-158 JASSM is an American guided missile with a long reach, designed so that the carrier aircraft can launch it beyond the range of the target's air defenses. It has a faceted body with surfaces that reduce radar reflectivity, a folding wing that deploys after launch, and it is intended against fixed ground targets. It is carried by a number of tactical as well as strategic machines of the US Air Force, thanks to which the replica finds use with models of several types.

Building and painting tips

First wash the casting in warm soapy water so that no mold release agent remains on it. Cut the casting block away with a fine-bladed saw and level the surface carefully, because on a smooth missile every trace of the cut shows. It is glued with cyanoacrylate; if the missile is heavier, reinforce the joint with the pylon with a short wire pin. The best result comes from a fine primer, which will reveal any bubbles, and only then a smoothly sprayed top shade. Crisp color transitions and technical lettering are easier in this scale with an airbrush and masking tape than with a brush.

Who the accessory is for

• modelers of modern combat aircraft in 1:48 scale
• adding stores that are not part of the base kit
• cabinet models where the armament is seen at close range
• modelers with basic experience of resin

The accessory is supplied unassembled and unpainted. It is not a model of an airplane; glue and paints are not included in the package.