Once again, I was browsing the web, looking for interesting and unusual models. As soon as I laid eyes on the boxart of the yellow dragon under the red Draken, I knew that this would be my next project.
Hasegawa refers to it as an F-35 but in fact it is an RF-35. The kit is typical Hasegawa: nice fit, above average quality.
The detail on the cockpit instrument panels was good enough, so I did not use an extra kit for them. All I did was add some scratch-built details on the left sidewall and the back of the canopy. I did get and used an Eduard add-on set for the ejection seat as the kit seat was lacking details. At the end, I also used a metal pitot tube by Master Model.
The kit does not include any open panels and I did not bother to add any. The whole point of this specific plane is the color scheme. At first I thought it was strange that Hasegawa gives the option to have the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit – just behind the nose landing gear) deployed. But then I read that the APU was deployed automatically at landing, so I too built it deployed.
Next, it was time for the painting. In this case it was easy: Just paint everything Red! I used Mission Models MMP-003.
What required extra attention were the decals. The yellow dragon on the bottom consists of several parts that have to be aligned perfectly. One small negative point: the decal sheet included several decals that were not mentioned in the instructions! After some searching, I consulted the instructions of an Eduard model of the Draken.
As this was an anniversary scheme that did not stay for long on the aircraft, I did not do any weathering. I just highlighted the panel lines with Tamiya dark grey panel liner.
The result is a nice little eye-catching plane! I even used a nice round mirror as a display base, to keep the yellow dragon visible.
Products Used
| Kit | Box | Scale | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hasegawa F-35 Draken “Red Draken” |  | 1/48 | 07495 |
| Eduard J-35 Draken seatbelts STEEL for Hasegawa |  | 1/48 | FE1009 |
| Master Model SAAB 35 Draken – Pitot Tubes & Angle Of Attack probe |  | 1/48 | AM-48-073 |
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