I guess that this is where my professional responsibilities come to the fore, dealing with subjects that I’m asked to do so that readers can see what a particular kit will look like, without having any connection to it.
24th July 2025
A hour ago I completed the Tamiya F-35C, after almost six weeks of work, on and off. The model is sat on my desk and other than taking some final photographs and writing up the second half of the article, this project for TMMI is all done.
Thank god for that!
Let’s make something clear: Tamiya’s family of F-35s, both in 1/72 and 1/48 are stunning kits that push the very limits of what is possible in miniature. They are incredibly-well-detailed, exhibit excellent levels of detail and are engineered in such a way that even a beginner could build all of them with ease. They are the absolute pinnacle of the hobby.
So why then, did I find all three as dull as ditchwater to build and paint?!
I’m not one to rag on the F-35, finding the aircraft and its capabilities as interesting as anything else. I’ve watched it in action at air shows and seen plenty of images and videos of it doing its thing, so it’s not the subject that I’m so disinterested in, its the fact that all F-35s look the same. All are painted in that incredibly bland grey finish and almost none of them feature anything like, interesting markings.
When I first became interested in aircraft, the world was filled with all manner of designs, shapes, colours and cool markings. I was drawn to them like a moth to a flame and then, gradually, the world turned grey. It began with TPS schemes replacing the wonderful coloured plumage of the US Navy’s aircraft, closely followed by the RAF who decided that boring grey jets were far more in keeping with modern tactical needs, than the glorious camouflaged machines that I adored back then, and still love, today.
But more than the colours and markings, I loved the shapes, all sorts of curved panels, intakes, wings and underwing stores, capturing my imagination in ways that an F-35 never will. It’s no-doubt a magnificent technical achievement but much like modern cars having none of the panache of those that went before (a TESLA is never going to be seen in thug same light as an E-Type Jaguar…), an F-35 is never going to fire the imagination like a Phantom an Eagle or an F-14 Tomcat, either in reality or in miniature.
So over the last few weeks, I’ve simply dropped my head and built the model to the best of my ability despite what I have to admit, has been a total lack of interest on my part. I wanted to pull something from it but just couldn’t, the result being a model that I’m more than happy with but that I have little to no affection for. I guess that this is where my professional responsibilities come to the fore, dealing with subjects that I’m asked to do so that readers can see what a particular kit will look like, without having any connection to it. Despite my antipathy, I would never drop my standards and don’t ever cut corners, but sometimes I have to drop my need for artistic fulfilment and treat a build as just another job that has to be completed to the best of my abilities, no matter what.
See you tomorrow.
SPENCER POLLARD'S KIT BOX 
Agreed, it’s a bit ‘predictable’ as a subject. We know how they look, very little to change, so one man’s F-35 is going to look like the one on the next table, roughly speaking. Sadly not different enough to gain attention despite it’s brilliant design. That’s why I tend to do non-standard models and colours where possible. Remember the OD saga on the Marauder too?
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Yes, painted in their front line livery, they’re all a bit dull. This is where thinking outside the box comes into play. Have you seen pictures of the production line aircraft prior to getting their paint jobs? That turquoise green primer, with the dark gray RAM tape, gray vertical stabs and red FOD covers. Now there’s something that jumps out at you.
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Yes I agree – there are some aircraft that just do not grab you. The F-35 is one of them. It just doesn’t have the macho – go get um’ look like the CF-18, F-16, F-15 and Tornado have to name a few.
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With the aspect of stealth becoming so predominant the aircraft are getting dull in appearance even though their performance is anything but. Gone are the colorful squadron markings because they’re too visible among other things. WW2 schemes for say a Spitfire were pretty standardized save the visible individual squadron identifiers and the occasional “nose art”, at least they had colors, no dull grey overall with muted markings. Can’t allow the coating to wear down, must re-do. At least with say an F14 showed weathering with multiple shades of touch-up and some individualistic CAG markings in bold colors. It used to be that if you built an example of say every FW190 there’d be variations if camo. Now unless there’s a major change in shape in production variants of an aircraft all models of say the F35 looked the same unless you’re an expert on the aircraft, that applies to some WW2 aircraft too, I mean really look at the run of FW190, Mustang, Spitfire etc. Unless it’s a cowling change or “razorback” vs bubble canopy the changes are minor for the most part. But yeah, a lineup of different late model aircraft, all the same dull grey gets DULL. Don’t get me wrong aircraft are beautiful things but we don’t get the variations of color like we would with say a F1 collection.
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