The F-35B Lightning II differs from the other variants in that it is capable of short takeoff and vertical landing, thanks to the lift fan located just behind the cockpit and a rotatable jet nozzle at the back. This multi-role single-seat fighter entered service in 2015 and made its combat debut in 2018 in Afghanistan.
Building on its 2023 release of the A model, Tamiya has issued the 1/72 scale Lockheed F-35B Lightning II plastic model aircraft kit with everything opened up for display. Don’t confuse this with Tamiya’s F-35B released in 2020, a joint venture with Italeri — this one is all Tamiya! A display stand is included if you wish to display your model in hover mode with the appropriate extended landing gear. If you prefer your model all closed up, this is not the kit you want as it cannot be built that way. Five different marking options are provided: three U.S. Marine Corps, one Royal Air Force, and one Italian.
I followed the assembly instructions almost to the letter, though I did opt to leave all the doors and panels off until final assembly because, when fitted, they would interfere with painting some areas and decaling. The drawings are clear and have very good call-outs for Tamiya paints. I test-fitted parts as I went and was amazed at how precise it all fit together. On some parts, the seams virtually disappear when glued. The molded details in the landing gear wells and weapons bay are outstanding!
The main airframe is split in two with the upper wings and fuselage molded as one unit and the same treatment for the lower wings and fuselage. If I were to build another, I would start by painting these separately and touch-up along the seams after assembly. It may be easier than the intricate masking required later, considering all the open panels and saw-tooth edges. For the main color I used AK real colors “Have glass gray” (No. RC914) since the specified Tamiya LP84 was not yet available. If you plan on adding the outer wing pylons remember to open the holes in the lower wings.
Even though this is a simplified paint scheme compared to earlier F-35s, plenty of masking is still required. The most tedious masking was around all the openings because of the irregular edges, and this consumed most of the time in this build. Many of the intricate zigs and zags are handled with decals, which do the job superbly. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to try and match my painted portions to the decals. Oops!
Decals were the next biggest time consumer. There are a plethora of stencils to add, some of which are very small. They are the same color as the backing paper when wet, and become basically invisible. I gave everything a coat of Tamiya Clear Flat (No. LP-23), which somehow came out more semi-gloss than flat.
To say the F-35 has been well represented is an understatement, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a nicer one than the Tamiya 1/72 scale Lockheed F-35B Lightning II plastic model aircraft kit. Overall, this kit is just plain fantastic! The level of detail and the precision of how it all fits together is incredible. If not for the complex painting and decaling, I would say even a beginner could probably put one together. But because of this, I would reserve it for a slightly more advanced modeler. Either way, I highly recommend it!