Kit: No. 61059
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Tamiya, distributed by Tamiya America, 2 Orion, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-4200, phone 800-826-4922
Price: $45
Comments: Injection molded, 115 parts (1 metal weight), decals.
Pilots call it the "black jet," and indeed, the stealth fighter was once a black project - top secret. Now, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who couldn't recognize the F-117A. It's been several years since a new kit of the Nighthawk has appeared, and this latest one from Tamiya is excellent.
Since several stealth fighter kits already are available, what can a manufacturer do to make a better kit? Tamiya has included several builder-friendly features in its Nighthawk kit. The wings and fuselage are molded together in upper and lower halves, which eliminates seams between the wings and fuselage. Separate flaps and rudders allow optional positioning. Most of the landing gear, gear bays, and bomb-bay parts are molded in white plastic, so painting is simplified. The airframe components are molded in - you guessed it - black.
Precut, self-stick paper masks are provided for the clear canopy, sensor ports, and wing-tip navigation lights. (Don't forget to mask the inside of the canopy with tape before painting!) A metal weight fits in a crutch behind the nosewheel bay to keep the model on all three wheels. To protect the quartet of air-data probes on the nose, Tamiya surrounded them with a sturdy sprue that is clipped off at the completion of the model.
The fit of the kit was perfect all around, and there are no assembly tricks. A pair of GBU-27A Paveway III smart bombs are given for the highly detailed bomb bay, which can be shown with the bomb crutches lowered. If you want the bombs raised into the bay, you may have to modify the crutches and struts.
Instrument-panel detail is raised, so you can paint it if you choose not to use the instrument decals. Only the throttle quadrant is missing from the cockpit. If you leave out the pilot figure, you may want to add harnesses to the seat.
The most difficult aspect of the kit is the overall black finish. A coat of flat black tends to diminish the faceted look of the stealth fighter, so I polished the paint with a soft cloth. This adds a hint of shine to the edges of the facets. I painted the exhaust "platypus" with Metalizer burnt metal and lightly buffed it.
Tamiya provides markings for two F-117As, one each from the 416th ("Toxic Avenger") and 417th squadrons. I did not apply clear gloss in preparation for decaling, but used puddles of a mix of white glue and Solvaset to prevent decal silvering. An overcoat of clear flat was the finishing touch. All that was left was to remove the masks, clip off the probe protector, and touch up the sprue-attachment points.
There are dozens of published references on the stealth fighter, but my favorite is World Air Power Journal Vol. 19, Winter 1994. The finished model measures to scale.
I spent around 15 hours on my stealth fighter, and I think it has something for everyone. It's simple enough for beginners and detailed enough for experienced builders.
- Randy Fields