Customer Reviews

Italeri F/A-22 Raptor

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this model for my son's second model building experience. Unfortunately, there were a few quality problems which prevented him from enjoying the model as much as he could. Three pieces were not fully formed (one was a main body section but we managed to hide the short material) and the weapons bay door was warped and needed to be glued in place to keep it flush with the rest of the body. On the good side, the directions were clear and the suggestion for a camo pattern gave this plane a great look. Just a note about models of this scale (not specific to Italeri): some of the pieces are extremely small and my son has a lot of difficulty with setting some pieces in place. For younger builders, I'd recommend a model of a larger scale.

This model took me about 3 weeks to complete, during which I worked on it about 2-3 times a week, for a couple hours each. While there are some gaps, they can be easily fixed and cover up nicely. The paint scheme is easy and decals are very accurate, representing the 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB in CA.

I learned a lot about the F-22 and USAF while I was working on this. If anything, it is very enriching.

I love this 1/72 scale because its perfect for displaying on a stand. I made an acrylic stand from cheap material I picked up at TAP. I also made the airplane CLOSED with no landing gear or any missiles. It looks better that way, like its flying. In fact, I only used half of the sprue! That made the model even easier, which is why assembling it was quick for me.

Overall this model is excellent! I've made only half a dozen models in my life but only completely finished 2, including this one. It's definitely doable, and will look great if you invest the $$ in the equipment and modeling tools, paints, and airbrush, and little time.

Check out my pictures.