Having previously reviewed the Academy 1/72 F-35A, I jumped at the chance to review Hasegawa’s release. I wanted to compare how each approached the peculiarities of the real aircraft. A straightforward build and comparison should be relatively simple, right? Not quite, it turns out.
Hasegawa’s release is the latest 1/72 scale Lightning II on the market, after the Italeri and Academy kits. With detail typical of Hasegawa’s recent models, the kit features exquisite, recessed surface detail molded in light gray plastic, decal options for two U.S. Air Force test aircraft, a nicely detailed pilot figure, and a posable stand. Instructions, offered in Hasegawa’s standard exploded views, take you through eight steps and provide a decal and painting guide (referring to Gunze Sangyo paints only).
Since the kit has relatively few parts, construction is a snap. Fit and engineering are excellent, particularly regarding the landing gear and intake trunks. I used only a touch of filler throughout construction. Since the weapon bays come closed, there are no weapons in the kit. This made it quicker to build than the Academy kit, but at the price of internal detail and no external stores. On the other hand, Hasegawa provides an optional tinted canopy and clear wing navigation lights.
A significant difference between the two kits is the execution of the light gray outlines for many of the aircraft’s panels. Academy has you mask and paint them, while Hasegawa provides them as decals. Additionally, these areas on the former kit are elevated, while in the latter, they are recessed. Elevated detail is better for masking and painting, while the recessed detail is better for applying decals. You still have to mask and paint the trailing edges of the flying surfaces and some panels on Hasegawa’s F-35A — but none of the intricate zigzags. I sprayed the Federal Standard 36270 panels with the recommended Gunze Sangyo gray (H306) and the darker body color with Tamiya neutral gray (XF-53). As with my Academy build, the contrast between the two colors didn’t appear as pronounced as I had seen in pictures. To compensate, I added 1 part Tamiya dark gray (XF-24) to 4 parts neutral gray and repainted.
Given the number of decals, I made sure I had several smooth gloss coats as a base. I was rewarded with decals that settled nicely into the recessed panel lines and over compound curves. Their color, however, was a shade more blue than Gunze Sangyo’s H306. It took me approximately five hours to mask, paint the relevant panels, and apply the decals — less than half the time I spent masking and painting the Academy kit.
One more note on the decals: As seen on the actual aircraft, you get a “det cord” decal for inside the canopy. I recommend you cut the vertical sections in half so they can more easily follow the inner surface of the canopy.
The finished model looks great and was a joy to build. I spent a bit more than 27 hours on it, and beginners should have no trouble with it.
As for the comparison, it comes down to a matter of personal choice. The kits’ prices are pretty close to each other. If you want open weapon bays and lots of weapons, the Academy release has the edge. Hasegawa’s appeal is in the more-realistic surface detail and the decal panel lines. We are fortunate to have those choices.
Hasegawa has also released the prototype F-35, so I hope the F-35C isn’t far behind.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the November 2014 FineScale Modeler.