Manufacturer:Italeri, distributed by Testor Corp., 620 Buckbee St., Rockford, IL 61104-4891, 815-962-6654 www.testors.com
Kit: No. 1207
Scale: 1/72
Price: $20
Comments: Injection-molded, 140 parts
Pros: Loaded weapons bay, good overall shape
Cons: Poor overall fit, weak weapons/pylons connections, incorrect color recommendations, some decals are incorrect

Italeri has already issued a 1/48 scale production version of the Raptor, and for the most part, this 1/72 scale kit is a smaller version of that kit. Some simplifications were made, reducing the parts count without trading away detail. The parts show recessed panel lines and overall average detail. As in the 1/48 scale kit, the cockpit and weapons bay details are speculative and Spartan – fortunately, you can’t see much once the weapons are installed.

The breakdown of the parts is unusual in that the forward fuselage (from just behind the intakes) is separate from the rear. Both rear and forward fuselage units are split into top and bottom halves, probably the best approach considering the unusual shapes involved. Joining the forward to the rear section creates fit problems, however, producing a noticeable seam on the top of the fuselage that is difficult to smooth out successfully. The worst-fitting parts are the intakes. The parallelogram-shaped units are open at the top and difficult to position correctly. While Italeri provides intake trunking, it is very short and doesn’t connect with the top and inboard sides of the intake scoops.

I had no problems fitting the separate flaps and stabilizers. The exhaust units are tricky; each has separate bottoms, tops, and side walls. Be careful as these side walls are shaped to fit only one way.

I appreciated the optional open weapons bays on this model. The bottom one holds six AIM-120 weapons, while each side unit houses a single AIM-9. While the bays fit fine inside the fuselage, the connections of the doors, and the missiles to the pylons, are tenuous at best. Each of the two large central missile bay doors has to be cut in two, then reattached in a semi-folded condition. The instruction drawings aren’t clear what angles the doors should be to each other or to the fuselage. Also, each main landing-gear door has a separate hangar, and the proper angle of the open doors is not clear in the instructions.

I decided to finish the model as the first production machine in its rollout colors. This had the “Raptor 01” on the tails and “Spirit of America” on the nose (the latter was removed before first flight). I didn’t think the colors recommended were right, so I used Testor Aggressor Gray (FS 36251) and F-15 Dark Gray (FS 36176) to approximate the “Mod Eagle” scheme that the aircraft appears to be painted.

The decals went on fine, but the national insignias are too light and the “Spirit of America” rollout legend on the nose is too big. The best reference on the production F-22 Raptor is World Air Power Journal Vol. 38, Autumn 1999.

The finished model is a good representation of the actual jet. I spent close to 30 hours on mine, due to the fit problems and the fiddly weapons bay.