Next we come to the decals and the whole reason for buying this particular release: the special anniversary tail markings. Gone are the days when Hasegawa prints white markings as cream colored ones. The whites here are white and very opaque. So I was happily putting on the decals until I noticed that the painted …...

Despite the relatively low number of parts this kit hasn’t been the smoothest build. But I’m ready to sling paint. F-35s are an overall FS36170 with the RAM panels in FS36231. I used the ones from Real Color RC245 and RC247 for them. I first masked and painted the tailfin and compared the lighter gray …...

There’s a general lack of detail in the wheel wells. The nose gear well is better but not by much. To be honest though, I’m not sure how accurate this is. The 1-piece upper fuselage clamshells over the bottom but leaves some unsightly join lines at the back. I’m not sure why Hasegawa designed it …...

My next build is another JASDF special marking bird. This time it’s the 50th Anniversary markings for the 301 Tactical Fighter Squadron’s F-35A Lightning II, which to be honest, has a very boring standard color scheme. Hasegawa’s F-35 kit was one of the earlier releases of the production variant. Details are very good...