Meng 1/48 F-35A Lightning II – And how it compares with the Tamiya kit

Having completed the Tamiya equivalent kit, I was left with a large decal sheet that motivated me to explore the potential of aircraft variants. Tamiya provides two major options for early and late Lightning. The main visible difference between the variants is the extent of RAM (Radar Absorbing Material) coating. The early variant had perfused coating that results in a completely different appearance to the aircraft.

Meng's older counterpart but much cheaper than Tamiya's kit was an obvious choice to supplement my Lightning collection. Given that the real aircraft look different although the basic camouflage scheme and colors are identical, I took a different painting approach. Other than the intake and exhaust cavities that were airbrushed, I applied oil paints using brushes. I also used the airbrush in the process of tinting the canopy. Unfortunately, Tamiya's spare canopy does not quite fit Meng's version although the difference in dimensions is small, not to mention that the canopy can be positioned open.

Presenting open canopy position in the Meng's model reveals the major drawback of the kit. It is by far less detailed in part design and surface area. Cockpit area is sparse in details, but the overall black paint hides some of the details in the Tamiya kit. The general dimensions nonetheless, are quite similar. Yet, like the canopy, parts are not interchangeable. Meng's kit is not complicate to build like the Tamiya kit, With careful planning ahead you can ignore the instructions sequence and assemble the main components without needing a drop of putty. Tamiya did a thorough job in detailing the wheelsbomb bay area, which is why I closed it in the Meng model. Hence, the two kits look similar when completed, but the Tamiya kit is the winner when under close scrutiny.

I included also some photos of the Tamiya kit for comparison.

16 additional images. Click to enlarge.