COBI F-35B STOVL Lightning II Set 5895

COBI's F-35B STOVL Lightning II is a 1:48 model built from 610 blocks, 32.5 cm long, produced under licence from Lockheed Martin in Italian markings. Bricks designed specifically for this set reproduce the airframe, the cockpit opens for a pilot figure with helmet and oxygen mask, and a display stand with a nameplate is included. All markings are printed; no stickers.

How the B version lands vertically

The Harrier did it by swivelling four nozzles and pointing the engine's thrust downwards. The F-35B works differently, and the difference is the reason it can be supersonic and stealthy as well.

Behind the cockpit is a lift fan — a two-metre counter-rotating fan driven by a shaft from the engine through a clutch. In normal flight it is disconnected and the doors above it are shut. For a vertical landing the clutch engages, the doors open, and the fan pushes about nine tonnes of cold air straight down at the front of the aircraft, while the rear nozzle swivels 95 degrees to do the same at the back.

Cold air at the front matters: a Harrier hovering blasted its own hot exhaust onto the deck and back up into its intakes. The lift fan avoids that, and it produces roughly as much thrust as the whole engine on a Harrier.

The cost is the machinery itself. The lift fan, shaft, clutch and doors weigh well over a tonne and occupy the volume where the A version keeps fuel — which is why the B has noticeably shorter range.

Italy

Italy took its first F-35Bs in 2018 and is the only European country flying them from both a navy carrier and air force land bases. They operate from the carrier Cavour.

Specifications

Pieces: 610 · Figures: 1 pilot · Scale: 1:48 · Licensed by Lockheed Martin · No stickers
Model dimensions: 32.5 × 21.5 × 10 cm (12.8 × 8.5 × 3.9 in)