Full Review with Dave Coward
Just before we get on with this review here’s a look at the finished model just to let you see how it all turned out…
Background
This is third kit in Tamiya’s 1:48th series of F-35s with the conventional A being the first and the B STOVL being the second. I have built both of these for SMN and the builds can be found as follows:
The F-35C is the carrier-based variant of the aircraft, designed for catapult-assisted take-off and barrier-arrested recovery (CATOBAR) operations from aircraft carriers. Compared to the F-35A, the F-35C incorporates several modifications to meet the specific demands of carrier operations. These include larger wings with foldable wingtips to reduce the aircraft’s footprint for storage, enlarged control surfaces for improved handling at low speeds, a more robust tail hook for repeated use with carrier arrestor cables, a twin-wheel nose gear, and reinforced landing gear to withstand the stresses of arrested landings. The increased wing area also allows for lower landing speeds and improves both range and payload capacity. The F-35C is limited to a maximum load factor of 7.5g.
Aftermarket
The following aftermarket parts were used:
- Galaxy Model F-35C Mask Set 048109
- Eduard Interior FE1503
- Eduard Brassin F-35C wheels 6481110
- Galaxy Models F-35 3D printed seated pilot FC48023.
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