1:72 F-35 A/B/C Lightning II MB MK16 Ejection seat set Full Colour 3D Seat Belt decals

Mk.16 seat straps for the Lightning II

The Lightning II was built in three forms in parallel which differ in the way they take off and land: the land-based A version, the B version with a lift fan for a short takeoff and a vertical touchdown, and the carrier-based C version with larger surfaces and strengthened landing gear for a catapult. The cockpit stayed essentially identical in all three, including the single large touch screen in front of the pilot and the same Mk.16 series ejection seat from the British maker Martin-Baker.

It is precisely the restraint system of this seat that the set covers. The shoulder straps, the lap belt, the connecting lock and the pull handles are printed in full color and in several layers, so they have a thickness of their own and break into soft folds when laid onto the shell of the seat. In 1:72 scale these are parts that could be managed by hand painting only with great difficulty.

The procedure is undemanding. The seat is painted first, left to dry and degreased; then the individual straps are taken off the backing paper in water, offered up with tweezers and pressed into place with a wet brush. Once dry they hold on their own and will take a final matte overcoat too.

Seats tend to be the most conspicuous item of the whole interior on a finished model, because they are visible even through a narrow gap under the frame. A full-color harness with light straps moreover breaks up a uniform dark area and the cockpit comes alive at once.

The package consists of one printed sheet. Neither the seat nor the aircraft is enclosed with it.