1:48 F-35C Lightning

The real subject

The F-35C Lightning II is the carrier version of the American fifth-generation combat aircraft, built for service on aircraft carriers. It can be told from the land-based version by its larger wing with folding tips, which gives the aircraft a lower landing speed and at the same time lets it be parked in a tight deck row. With that go strengthened landing gear, a nose leg adapted for a catapult launch and an arrestor hook for landing on a wire.

The structure of the fuselage is subordinated to reducing radar signature: the surface is smooth, the edges are aligned into a few directions and the armament is carried inside the fuselage so that nothing protrudes under the wing. On a model, therefore, it is exactly the fine details that break up this clean silhouette which stand out.

What the photo-etched set offers

Photo-etched parts are made from thin metal sheet, so they replace plastic components which in scale are necessarily thicker than they should be. Metal moreover holds its shape after bending and will take finer detail than a plastic part. This set is made for a model of the F-35C in 1:48 scale; the make-up of the parts and their placement are described in the enclosed instructions.

Building tips

Separate the parts with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not with nippers, which will bend the metal. Make the bends against the edge of a rule or in a bender and press along the whole length of the part at once. They are glued with cyanoacrylate applied with a pin in a vanishing amount; degrease the area before gluing. Metal does not take paint as readily as plastic, so a primer coat pays off.

Terms of supply

The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.