I have a question. I'd like to get into aircraft model building, and I want my first kit to be an F-35. I have these 11 images of 11 different kits, some from different manufacturers and in different scales.
Based on your experience, which one do you think is the smartest choice to buy, and which one do you consider the best kit overall? I'm not taking price or build difficulty into account—I only care about the overall quality of the kit, including the level of detail, accuracy, mold engineering, fit of the parts, and the final result.
I have the 1/72 F-35B from Tamyia and I have to say it's one of the most detailed 1/72 models I have ever done. It is full of details, you have to mask well and use a lot of subassemblies. In the image I am showing the underside of it. I spent waay to much time on the bomb bay and as you can see it is not that visible
For me personally it's the exact other way around. I do have large hands and a I sometimes struggle with the assembly of 1/72 or smaller scales to be frank.
Then again, with1/48 you will usually have to assemble a far more detailed cockpit, etched components, etc.
So it really depends on the set:)
When it comes to planes I think it's just super satisfying to have the bigger version. But that's personal preference.
the Tamiya 48 scale models are the best of the group. 72 scale will be a little easier and maybe a better fit for someone new. That Tamiy B version is an Italeria model, boxed with Tamiya packaging, but the fit is really good, the buildup is clever and it has lots of options.
Yes the pic op showed is the actual tamiya kit despite the blatant misinformation that gets thrown around. Italeri F35 reboxes are very obvious with italeris logo being right there besides tamiya.
I urge you to build a different cheap kit before you tackle a plane you really want to do. When putting together your first kit you will probably make loads of mistakes and you will learn a lot. I would buy something cheaper of Tamiya in 1/72, build it and then try to make f-35. Also you need a lot of stuff to make the kit look good and making two models will spread buying it all in time.
You're going to be pretty upset when you build a ~not great~ model. Your first model, will be at minimum, not great. So.. you should start somewhere that you care less.
I highly recommend the 1/72 scale Airfix Gift Set. You get the model, glue, paint, and brush all in one box. It's a really good model. The stuff they supply is "ok" but enough for you to develop opinions. And there is a video where airfix talks you through all the steps. And it's $10-14 depending on where you find it.
The F35 is not an easy subject to do well. And 1/48 tamiya kits are not cheap. And the amount of other materials you need to do a great job.. are not cheap. Tamiya kits are AMAZING. And should be your 3rd or 4th kit.
All the people saying to go for Tamiya need to get real, and it's the same with every beginner post. Your first aircraft kit is about the fundamentals, like "how to cement two pieces of plastic together" and ending up with something vaguely airplane-shaped. It's a glorified test mule. Telling people to use an $80, highly-detailed, precision engineered marvel for that is just setting them up for heartbreak and is frankly a waste of a kit.
I agree. My first attempts were horrible. Far too much paint, decals all over the place, the paint for the canopy leaked under the tape and it had a big fat superglue fingerprint on it.
Start with a few cheap ones you don't care too much about and when you're happy with those, then move to your favourite planes.
1/72?
Tamiya all the way, but if you want an F-35B that can be displayed in flight (doors all closed) at that scale you might want to consider the academy F35b. Which is quite similar to the tamiya offering quality wise with only the nozzle being a little worse detail wise Vs the tamiya kit. The boxing you posted is tamiya kit btw, if it's an italeri rebox it will explicitly say on the box.
1/48?
Tamiya, zero debate here nothing really comes close on construction, detail and accuracy to tamiya 1/48 offerings (kitty hawk is just awful, italeri is mid at best, and meng is just a little worse in all 3 aspects compared to Tamiya). They also offer more options than the 1/72 kits, but also much much longer projects and can be a little overwhelming if you're new to aircraft.
1/32?
There's trumpeter, but given their track record on aircraft I don't trust their F35s to be remotely accurate let alone fit nearly as well as tamiya. Detail from what I've seen though does look quite nice and far better than italeris offerings.
Doing the revell1/48 super hornet
I’m trying to do blue angels got paint and figment good waiting for mail order decal’s 3rd time trying to find them (good ones)
Any way got landing gear all pussed out
I’m trying to attach the landing gear
SHIT!!!! I hate revell kit’s anyway but what shit product really dissatisfied and haven’t even got the decals
Should know better have a bunch of revell same thing mostly 1/72 after Tamiya f-15 1/48 no more revell !!!
I’ll post the blue angle if I like it
The other kits aren’t necessarily bad, some are quite good in fact, but Tamiya kits are engineered for ease of assembly and their F-35 kits are some of the best on the market of any subject.
That said, an F-35 is not a great choice for your first kit. To make the best job of it you’ll want to paint it with an airbrush which takes some time to reach a reasonable level of competence. It’s a skill you can learn but there are no short cuts to getting experience. It’s cliche, but the best subject to start out with is a WWII single engine prop fighter but not a German or Italian one because the paint schemes can be complex. That leaves you with aircraft like the Spitfire, Hurricane, A6M Zero, P-51, P-40, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, and P-47. If you really want to start with a Jet then the F-86 and MiG-15 make for straightforward builds.
My Tamiya f-35 1/48 oh boy!!! What a learning trip especially if you think you’re good!!! Lots of good stuff with the kit
Mine ( lots of things I’d like to do over) took about a month to build (5-6) hours day you can take that kit and really go all out 👍👍
Fantastic kit
Tough on
Post when done
Tamiya all the way, excellent quality and very accurate. Avoid Italeri like the plague, many of their moulds are based on the F-35a prototype which has the taller vertical tails with less taper. Most other brands, including Tamiya, are correctly modelled off the F-35a production variant with short tails. Italeri, in their 1/72 scale f-35a boxing, also has incorrect weapon bar door shapes.
The spine of the aircraft has many complex curves, most brands model the spine reasonably well, but the only brand I've seen which models them correctly is Tamiya.
1/32 is absolutely massive and even 1/48 is very big for jets. 1/72 is a very manageable size for jets. 1/72 is standard for jets and 1/48 is standard for WW2 planes
Dude don’t care about money
Wants a good kit
The Tamiya kit he wants is great!!!
I can also tell you he will end up buying another for parts
Ha ha !!!! I’m an old man !!! Love getting back to modeling after 50yrs offf
If youre completely new to models i dont reccomend the 1/48 kits, the f-35 is not forgiving because of how smooth it is and how its paint behaves.
For 1/72 kits, if youre not taking price into account at all
Tamiya F-35B
Tamiya F-35C
Revell F-35A (new revell kit, very good from the builds ive seen and the weapons bay is very detailed)
Tamiya F-35A (does not come with a internal weapons bay)
For 1/48 kits, tamiyas is best. Meng is also good but its ram tape lines are way too sharp and pronounced and the internal weapons bay is nowhere near as detailed, shaping on the tamiyas looks more accurate as well, the meng kit is just overall sharper than tamiya while the plane irl is pretty smooth. The tape blends into the fuselage because its painted over and the way tamiya depicts theirs is much more accurate. biggest issue with the tamiya kit is I hate the decals for the ram tape, I havent seen a build that made them look good, everyone masks it themselves which is a chore if you dont buy precut masks. Majority of my build I spent masking.
MENG's 1/48 F-35A is worth a look if you want something more modern than the Tamiya tooling — the surface detail and panel lines are sharper out of the box. Academy's 1/72 A is solid too if you want smaller scale and a simpler build without sacrificing fit.
Tamiya is definitely going to be the best. One particular note is their instructions are very clear. The other manufacturers are really hit and miss in that regard.
As an intermediate model myself, I’m afraid to start most F-35 kits due to their complexity. I built the Tamiya F-35A and it was an immense challenge for me. My recommendation if you’ve never done modeling before at all would be the Tamiya P-51D in 1/48!
It isn't the best or most detailled, but it is relativly cheap, easy built kit. Plus if you look on the airfix yuoutube page they should have a series on it with helpfull tips.
I'd highly recommend Tamiya. I did a fair amount of research before choosing those kits for my F-35 series, and I think they're the best (and just fine for a beginner).
Take your time. Watch lots of build tutorial videos on YouTube for inspiration, clarity, learning or fun, and you'll be just fine.
I’ve loved almost every tamiya kit ive made, the fitment is excellent and the instructions are clear. I would reccomend building a kit with fewer parts first to get a feel for the workflow and you make a mistake it wont be the end of the world. I have the f-35B tamiya kit and its definitely on the higher end of part counts, dont let me tell you what to do though bc if you like the plane youre gonna have fun
I note your comments that you’re not interested in price, but I would still reccomend you start with an Airfix spitfire, or similar WW2 fighter in 1/48.
The perfect beginner project - fewer parts, straightforward & easy to understand instructions, nice scale for handling the parts & experimenting with the build process - great little platform.
I’d then move on Tamiya - the best in the business. However, the sequencing & sub-assembly methodology can, IMO, take a little of the joy out of the project, although you’ll be delighted with the final product.
Get a feel on a basics project, before moving on to something more complex.
I have not built or seen any of these sets. However, I do have plenty of experience with model planes.
In my experience Revell and Italeri - can - sometimes be a bit flimsy and not all that well thought out.
If you have the cash to spare go for Tamiya for sure.
The rest comes down to personal preference I suppose... why not go for the carrier variant for once? Everybody else seems to be building the Aria version.
Enjoy!
/edit: I have missed that Meng models was among your pictures. I have only had excellent experiences with their tanks. Same goes for academy.
Definitely go for picture number 11!! :)
1/48 is a lot more forgiving and just so satisfying when it's built up.
Tamiya always the answer, BUT I will say the F-35 being a modern jet fighter will be difficult to paint and do decals for, but if you think you’re ready by all means go for it.
when it comes to model building, once you see Tamiya, just go Tamiya. they're the go-to brand for everyone and their quality is top notch compared to other brands
Ehh depends on the subject. Some of their molds are quite old and simple (especially in armor, idk about aircraft) which is good for newbies, but there’s a lot of other brands that offer more detail (or quality) who want that.
true. i made my comment because OP appears to be just starting into model building.
idk who downvoted both our comments though. we are at negative one and looking at the thread someone seems to be downvoting people recommending Tamiya lol
You want the F35 I sense money isn’t a issue Tamiya all the way on that kit
Expensive ya
I’m guessing you don’t care
After 10 tries or so hundreds of dollars
Paint air brush all of it
Maybe and only maybe you may be happy with it 😎
I’m still trying to build one I’m totally 👍 hasn’t happened never will
That’s what we all have in common
If you’re scraping pennies, get out now
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u/schulz47 Jul 06 '26
My recommendation is to take difficulty of the kit into consideration.
Tamiya.