WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-35A Lightning II Pt.4 – Finishing
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 …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-35A Lightning II Pt.3 – Painting
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 …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-35 Lightning II Pt.2 – Construction
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 …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-35 Lightning II Pt.1 – Construction
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...
Build : Hasegawa 1/72 Mitsubishi F-2A Viper Zero
Kit InfoBrand: Hasegawa 00545Scale: 1/72Media: StyreneMarkings: DXM Decals 71-7123‘JASDF F-2A 3rd TFS 60th Anniversary’ The SubjectThe Mitsubishi F-2, nicknamed ‘Viper Zero’, is a multirole fighter manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin for the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF). It is...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-2A Pt.2 – Painting & Finishing
Since I’m attaching the pylons from the beginning, I painted them first with the area around the sway braces being handpainted. The pins were all slightly oversized so I had to make the holes larger for the pylons to fit. The F-2 color scheme is an overall FS35109 medium blue with FS35045 dark blue highlights. …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-2A Pt.1 – Construction
The first build of 2024 is Japan’s indigenous F-16 variant, the F-2 Viper Zero. Hasegawa usually makes some extra effort with Japanese subjects, let’s see how this one builds up. First impressions are mixed. This mold is from 1998 but it’s barely more detailed than the F-16 that’s from the 1980s. A plus is that...
A shopping spree in Tokyo in December 2023
At the end of December, my family and I made a short trip to one of our favorite vacation spots, Japan! Scale modeling shopping is always on the to-do list when in Japan. As we decided to take it easy and not hit every tourist spot in Tokyo, this trip afforded me a chance to …...
Completed : Hasegawa 1/48 Lockheed/Mitsubishi F-104J Starfighter
Kit Info Brand: Hasegawa 09385 Scale: 1/48 Media: Injection Markings: TwoBobs 48-051 ‘F-104J Komatsu Starfighters’ The Subject The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, supersonic interceptor aircraft developed for the USAF, but would serve the air forces of more than a dozen countries. It set many world speed records...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/48 F-104J Starfighter Pt. 6 – Finishing
Once fully cured and wiped down, I sprayed another layer of gloss to prep for a panel wash. This time I decided to do it with Vallejo Dark Grey Model Wash instead of the usual Mig AMMO panel wash. I figured this one will give a subtler effect. I haven’t used it in a while …...
