MONOGRAM 1:48 F-117A NIGHTHAWK
Reviewer: Sheldon Rampersad (rec.models.scale)
AIRCRAFT: "Beware the Nighthawk!" The latest "bird of prey" to join the US military arsenal, the ungainly "stealth" fighter was shielded from the world for years in its secret "aviary" at Tonapah, Nevada. Not a fighter in the classic sense, the F-117 is a stealth interdiction aircraft carrying two 2000lb GBU-27 LGBs in internal bays on strikes into highly defended areas. The US military action in Panama heralded the first acknowledged combat mission of the F-117, and it was introduced to the public at Nellis AFB in April of 1990. The design utilizes faceting to deflect radar energy away from its receiver. It is constructed with exotic non-metallic materials to reduce radar reflectivity. It spans 43ft 4inchs and is 65ft 11inchs in length, and a maximum weight of 52500lbs.
The F-117 is powered by two non-afterburning F404 turbofan engines that are modified to enhance the low observable aspects of the exhaust. To enable precise targeting the aircraft is equipped with a forward-looking infrared designator and a downward looking infrared designator. Range is estimated at 1250miles, though the aircraft is fitted with an air-air-refueling receptacle. During the gulf war 42 of the 59 F-117As built were deployed.
KIT PARTS: This 1/48th scale replica of the unusual F-117A is scaled from actual photos and precise drawings unlike the earliest kits of this aircraft. It is molded in black plastic to simulate the flat black "iron ball" radar attenuating paint. The kit has detailed tricycle landing gear and a well-detailed cockpit with one crew figure and ACES2 ejection seats and a crew ladder. It also has photo etched parts for the intake strakes and other vents. The airframe was divided into two halves, the top being the fuselage and the bottom the wings. the cockpit and foward looking infrared designator went into the top piece. the downward looking infrared designator and gear went into this piece. The kit also has a clear pogo stick to keep the kit from sitting on it’s tail. The parts are molded very well and are like most other monogram kits. The detail is pretty good. It would have been nice to have the bomb bay open with a couple bombs but…. One can build either #813 TOXIC AVENGER or #843 CHRISTINE.
INSTRUCTIONS: The instructions are a typical revell-monogram fold out sheet with 28 steps. The instructions are clear but one has to know what they’re doing. The options are clearly outlined for you to make your choice.
CONSTRUCTION: As usual construction started with painting. I painted the gear and their wells and the cockpit with the finest brush I had. I then assembled the cockpit bucket and allowed it to dry, whilst I put in the designators and assembled the wings. Now this kit is a tail dragger and I don’t use the transparent pogo stick if I could help it. So I had to weight it. The bucket was constructed at the back of the cockpit on the roof of the top piece. I assembled the wheels and glued the wings together. I then dry fitted the fuselage and the wings, experimenting with weight. I could not put weight in the nose and on the base of the wing…so the only place left was the top of the fuselage. To do this I used extra scrap plastic and formed a rough bucket behind the cockpit to hold the required weight. I put the weight in after this had dried and used a little super-glue on the actual lead ball bearings themselves to assist in the adhering and make sure that they don’t move. I then sealed up this bucket and left to dry properly.
After this was accomplished I cemented the fuselage to the wings. There was a slight space in the joint so a little filler will be required. Then came the decals. I opted for #813 TOXIC AVENGER. The decals went on fine but then they fogged up on me. This was probably due to the fact that I didn’t use any decal setting solvents etc since these are hard to obtain where I live since the modelling community in this country is small. So I had to take flat black paint and with a thin brush paint of the fogged areas and then with grey paint touch up the decals.
OVERALL: This kit has certainly enhanced the capability of my squadron and was a good kit. It was a bit easy to build in my opinion and the hardest part was the weighing. The kit would have been enhanced even more if a weapons bay and bombs were included so we’ll hope for this in reissues??? The detail and accuracy is pretty good compared to previous kits so this made up a bit. It is a good kit, recommended but not too highly.
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Photo Credit: USAF