The Modelling News: Preview: Trumpeter's kits for March/April in large scale & plenty of detail...

We have the sprues, colours, features & info of Trumpeter's two March / April, 2023 kits. We look at the art & everything else in our preview...

Preview: Trumpeter's kits for March/April in large scale & plenty of detail...

F-35A Lightning II

Kit No: 03231

1/32nd scale

Price: $159.61 USD on the Hobbylink Japan Website

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II won the Joint Strike Fighter Program (JSF) to supply the US Air Force, Marines & Navy with a future fighter for their services. After a series of test flights and improvements, the X-35 has entered military service in the name of F-35. Unlike the F-22 air superiority fighter exclusively used by the USAF, the F-35 has a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant, the F-35A, a variant for large aircraft carriers, the F-35C and a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant for small aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, the F-35B.

The colour profiles included in this kit

The F-35 not only serves in the USAF, the US Navy and the Marines, but also becomes the standard fourth-generation fighter of many US allies. Thanks to the large order quantity, its unit cost has dropped dramatically. Developed about 10 years after the F-22 project, the F-35 has used advanced electronic equipment, which makes it play a more important role in the digital warfare.

The decal sheet included in the kit

Trumpeter brings us a model kit of the U.S. Air Force's main fighter, the F-35A Lightning, in 1/32-scale. The cockpit interior, engine, landing gear and weapons (JADAM/GBU-12/GBU-31B/AIM-9X/AIM-120CT) are all precisely reproduced. Photo-etched parts and decals are also included.

Model Length: 486.2mm / Wingspan: 333.6mm

Total of 16 sprues , upper fuselage , lower fuselage and tires

- Detailed fuselage & wing w/accurate design

- Highly detailed Engines

- Finely detailed cockpit ,gear cabin

The sprues of the kit

- Grooved rubber tires & transparent parts

- Photo-etched parts included

StuG.III Ausf.G Late Production (2in1)

Kit No: 00947

1/16th scale

Price: $188.63 USD on the Hobbylink Japan Website

The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) was one of vehicles produced by Germany during WWII. It was based on Panzer III's chassis. Designed as an infantry support tank, it increasingly took on the role of tank destroyer due to its low profile and good cannon. As the most produced tank by Germany during World War II (10,500 units), it thus took on the role of conventional tank warfare. The Sturmgeschütz is also known for its good price to profit ratio. The StuG was manned by four crew members.

The colour profiles included in this kit

The decal sheet included in the kit

The StuG.III Ausf.G was operated by Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain and, later Syria. How Syria? These three latter countries retained their StuG IIIs far beyond 1945, being used for example in the Six Day War (1967) by Syria.

Model Length: 420.5mm / Width: 204.6mm

Total of 49 sprues , lower hull , tracks and armoured skirts