F22 Raptor

Aircraft
1

I see Hasagawa and I Love Kit both make the F22. Is one a better option than the other. A well fitting kit is important to me more so than money.

2

Hasagawa " Blue Nose " you’ll like it .Well detailed , no fit issues and did I mention well detailed !

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3

How are the RAM panels? I neared they were overly thick?

4

If my memory is correct , they were a tad on the heavy side / thicker than I liked . As builders it bothers us , but to the onlookers most would never know . My granddaughter has it and it’s in a display case in her "Hanger " as she calls it ( her bedroom ) . She wants to be a Naval Avaitor .

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5

I thought the Hasegawa Raptor was very well engineered, detailed, and well fitting.
Detail might have been thick,at least thats what many said didnt bother me its up to your feelings.

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6

Sounds like you need to if not already build her a F-35B or C kit.

7

Started a A6-E Tram Intruder for her ( puppy dog eyes gets me every time ) . She hasn’t found or seen the F35 yet , but its there .

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8

Plus I’m waiting for the TruColor Paint for the F35 to get here .

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9

I have the Hasegawa kit. They’re quite thick. But it doesn’t bother me all that much. Just don’t apply a panel wash on them and they blend in fine.

Wish Tamiya would do the Raptor and mold the ram panels like their F-35.

It’s an excellent kit though.

I can try to capture it in pictures if anyone wants.

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10

If I am not mistaken then these ram panels are nothing more but tape on the real aircraft.

While usually I am not a rivet counter, i find those elevated sections (that do not seem to be present at all on the real aircraft, quite ridiculous (which does not mean of course that you are obliged to be of the same opinion).

Hence, I would be excited with an extra set of decals depicting this ram tape, and some simple panel lines perhaps on the actual plastic but I feel very hostile towards raising the plastic on the kits.

In extremis, the surface finish in these sections could be changed compared to the rest of the kit without raising them.

hence, no Hasegawa F-22 or tamiya F-35 for me.

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11

I did a little reading and apparently the Raptor doesn’t even utilize RAM tape like the Lightning. It’s a paint-like compound that has to be brushed on thick and then sanded off when it needs to be reapplied. So to your point, the Raptor kits shouldn’t have any texture at all.

Still, I think the Tamiya F-35 looks pretty good in person. It’s about as subtle as you can mold it in plastic. But I do see your point on both kits.

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