"F-19 Stealth Fighter"

Italaeri / Testor's

 

 testors_f-19_48.jpg (34923 bytes)

Stated scale:

1/48

Actual scale:

ain't no such thing

 

 IMG_4350.JPG (1066125 bytes) IMG_4351.JPG (1063050 bytes) IMG_4352.JPG (1133202 bytes) IMG_4354.JPG (1015940 bytes) IMG_4355.JPG (1032197 bytes) IMG_4356.JPG (973772 bytes) IMG_4357.JPG (944168 bytes) IMG_4358.JPG (968583 bytes)

Overall length:

Material(s):

styrene

Number of parts:

28 used here for gear-up assembly

Stand included?

no

Decals included?

yes

My Source:

local shop

Cost (w/o s&h):

too long ago...

Back in the day when the top secret "Have Blue" stealth project was underway, a forward profile schematic of it must have leaked. The Have Blue would eventually become the very angular and faceted F-117 Nighthawk but that didn't stop some imaginative aviation watchers from making a smoothy, curvy stealth design using that front schematic. The result apparently was Flug Revue's "F-19," which is credited in the instructions for this kit. I can imagine the designers at Lockheed looking at this kit, or Monogram's Spectre, and saying, "Oh really?"

12/13/2009 - And, as with good stealth aircraft, this one just snuck up on me - it's almost finished. When did I start building it? Hoo! Good question. All the sub-assemblies had been long-done earlier this year. I just needed to finish up the 'pit, which I did a few months ago, and then just glue the top and bottom fuselage halves together. Over the weekend I did the putty & file work along the seams between the fuselage halves. Did the engines & bypass vents in Metallizer titanium. Then, black primer, a 600-grit wet-sanding, semi-gloss black paint, the decals...

Topside... IMG_4339.JPG (401808 bytes) IMG_4340.JPG (352775 bytes) Those bypass vents are masked with sticky-note strips.

Bottom... IMG_4341.JPG (387112 bytes) IMG_4343.JPG (378663 bytes)

12/15/2009 - A sealer coat of Dullcote, added the clear parts (HUD and nose radar/camera port) and the pilot. That pilot needed some encouragement to stay down in his seat so there was enough clearance to fit the canopy on. That encouragement was in the form of CAglue and pressing it down with my "3rd hand" overnight. Added the canopy using CAglue this morning.

IMG_4345.jpg (428160 bytes) IMG_4347.jpg (1463292 bytes) IMG_4348.jpg (1294173 bytes)

12/19/2009 - And, it's finished. I scribed in a few lines to replace the sanded-off raised lines. There's a supposed wing hinge joint to allow the wings to be folded up, and I did some wing leading edge lines too. I applied some minimal chalking/dusting. If the example of the F-117 is any indicator, they'd've kept these birds clean.