Lockheed F-35A Lightning II "Red Tail"

USAF 187th FW, 100th FS AL ANG, no. 18-5420, Dannelly Field, AL, February 2024

Hobby Master 1:72 HA4440

On January 12, 2024, the 187th Fighter Wing unveiled the first ever heritage painted F-35A Lightning II in the United States Air Force honoring the Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails at Dannelly Field, Alabama. The blackboard of the F-35 was painted to honor the Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails. Back in WWII, The Tuskegee Airmen painted their tails red to distinguish from friend and foe. In 2007, the wing's 160th Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 100th Fighter Squadron so that the state of Alabama could continue to honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

The 187th Fighter Wing received its first three F-35s in December, 2023. It will receive another five aircraft as loans from other Air Force units to enable training for the entire maintenance and pilot force. The additional new-build aircraft deliveries from Lockheed Martin's assembly line will begin later in 2024.

Lockheed F-35A Lightning II
Designed to meet the US Military's requirement for a multi-role Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35 was first flown on December 15, 2006. This single-seat fighter is one of the most advanced aircraft of our time, said to be four times more effective at air-to-air combat and eight times more effective at air-to-ground combat than any other existing aircraft. It uses a low-maintenance stealth technology, and some versions have an innovative Lift System, which gives the F-35 vertical take-off and landing capabilities. The US plans to buy a total of 2,443 F-35s at a cost of $323 billion, which makes the F-35 the most expensive defense program in history.

Hobby Master "1:72 Air Power Series" diecast airplanes feature:

• Molded metal construction with plastic components.
• Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
• Inscriptions and posters printed with a stamp that do not fade or fall off like decals.
• opening of awnings, revealing detailed within the cockpit.
• Extended / retracted interchangeable landing gear.
• Display stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
• Authentic detachable artillery cargoes complete with placards.