INCOMING: 1:32 SCALE F-35A FROM ITALERI

THE F-35 LIGHTNING II IS FAR AND AWAY the most expensive military weapon system ever conceived. And here is a 1:32 scale kit of the F-35A version, aimed at model makers who enjoy building state of the art jets.

HASEGAWA BLOWS IN WITH 1:72 SCALE F-35A MULTIROLE STRIKE FIGHTER

In a year or two’s time, we may be inundated in Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II model kits; for now though, they are hardly two a penny, so a new 1:72 scale Hasegawa kit is more than welcome.

HASEGAWA EGG PLANE: SHENYANG J-15 FLYING SHARK CHINESE NAVY JET

“It's not eggs-actly copyright in-fridge-ment” says Hasegawa, introducing the latest in its long line of Egg Plane mini-kits, this one a Limited-Edition Shenyang J-15.

SWAP F-35 FOR RAFALE OR TYPHOON?

SMN report:

News last week of continuing delays on the Lockheed Martin F-35 aircaft meant that at least one defence planner was losing sleep. UK Admiral Sir Trevor Soar was reported - inaccurately, apparently - by The Times of London, as thinking about the French Dassault Rafale (Revell kit above) and US Boeing F-18 Hornet as backup aircraft in case of further delays.

STEALTH FIGHTER F-35 LIGHTNING II SOON TO RULE THE SKIES

SMN report
After years of development, and seemingly endless delays and price hikes, the ‘5th generation’ fighter jet from Lockheed Martin, the F-35 Lightning II, has at last been ordered into limited production.

It’s a bit better than recent news that the UK has dropped the F-35 STOVL version in favour of a standard configuration for launching from its as-yet unbuilt Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier. Along with other news that the UK Harrier force is being disbanded, it looks as though the UK is in for an entire decade without carrier-borne air power. Let’s hope it’s not needed.

5G helmet design
Back to the F-35: it’s not been a massive hit with the model companies yet, but the rumour mill indicates that things will improve in 2011, not least with a Lindberg version to 1:32 scale. That’ll be interesting if it happens. Meantime, apart from the old Italeri 1:72 and Panda Models 1:48 offerings there’s so much to wait for. Still, we couldn’t resist showing you the latest in ‘5G’ fighter helmets - Star Wars, eat your heart out, 5G pilots tote serious stuff!

RC Lightning II
However, even if there isn’t yet a really good F-35 injection kit - and no sign of a production-standard machine - there are various radio control scale and semi-scale versions to build and fly. The video (without sounds on our system, but you may have better luck) shows one of the most aerobatic ones available.

Visit one of the RC F-35 suppliers, Esprit Models here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1  5G fighter pilot helmet.
2-3  Panda 1:48 scale kit.
4  Cutaway plan of the F-35B, clearly showing the engine and front lift fan arrangement. To design-purists like us, this layout is not a patch on the Harrier’s elegantly simple four-poster exhaust system.

US MARINE HARRIERS LAND ON HMS ILLUSTRIOUS

Here's a short movie showing US Marine Corps Harriers landing on this British aircraft carrier two years ago, when 14 AV8B Harriers joined HMS Illustrious ahead of a joint US-UK-NATO exercise off the eastern seaboard of the US.

It's worth watching, just to see the bunjee-jump landing style - you've never really seen undercarriage action until you see Harriers hitting the deck of a ship! And to think the UK Gov is planning to ditch the Harrier carrier force before replacement F-35s arrive, so the Royal Navy will have no fixed wing aircraft for years. Are they mad? Rearrange these letters for the answer: ESY.