Tamiya 60791 - 1:72 Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II

Plastic model kit of the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter in 1:72 scale

Tamiya 60791 depicts the F-35B Lightning II – a fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter in the STOVL (short take-off and vertical landing) version. The F-35 family comprises three variants: the F-35A (conventional take-off and landing), the F-35B (STOVL) and the carrier-capable F-35C. Thanks to a lift fan and a swivelling engine nozzle, the B version combines vertical landing with supersonic flight.

The kit is based on Italeri tooling (from 2019), offered under the Tamiya catalogue in the War Bird Collection. Tamiya adds new instructions, packaging, a figure and decals. The kit includes AIM-120 missiles and a missile trolley, and the decals finish the aircraft in one of two U.S. Marine Corps schemes from the Iwakuni base in Japan.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with fuselage, wing and tail parts
• AIM-120 missiles and a missile trolley
• Tamiya figure
• Clear canopy parts
• Tamiya waterslide decal sheet for 2 options (U.S. Marine Corps, Iwakuni base)
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Item number: 60791
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Assembled length: approx. 217 mm, wingspan: approx. 149 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate

Note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

Assembly is approachable. Paint the cockpit before closing the fuselage and fit the canopy last, after painting – self-adhesive masks help with its finish.

F-35s usually wear a uniform, low-reflectivity dark grey finish. Lay the decals over a gloss coat to prevent silvering, then finish with a matt or satin varnish. The instructions provide paint references for both schemes.

Tools you'll need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sandpaper for cleaning up sprue-gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Brushes of various sizes and modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Panel-line wash to emphasise detail and recesses
• Gloss varnish for the decals and a satin coat to finish
• Optional: self-adhesive canopy masks

About the aircraft – Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II:

The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. armed forces and selected allies. It was created under the Joint Strike Fighter programme in three variants differing in their take-off and landing method.

The F-35B version, developed among other things as a successor to the AV-8B Harrier II, combines short take-off and vertical landing with supersonic flight thanks to a lift fan placed between the engine and the cockpit and a swivelling nozzle. It can operate from both aircraft carriers and field sites.

Original aircraft specifications (F-35B Lightning II):

• Length: approx. 15.6 m
• Wingspan: approx. 10.7 m
• Height: approx. 4.36 m
• Max take-off weight: approx. 27,000 kg
• Powerplant: afterburning turbofan with a lift fan and swivelling nozzle (STOVL)
• Max speed: approx. Mach 1.6
• Armament: stores in internal bays and on external hardpoints
• Crew: 1
• Feature: short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL)

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 in Shizuoka, regarded as the heart of Japan's model-making industry. It launched its first injection-moulded plastic kit in 1960 and over time became one of the most recognisable brands in the hobby, known for precise tooling and a broad range of accessories: paints, glues, tools and brushes. Alongside its own-tooled models, Tamiya offered a range of 1:72 aircraft in its War Bird Collection based on Italeri tooling – this kit belongs to that group. Today the company operates in dozens of countries and remains a benchmark for the whole of scale modelling.