Tamiya 61125 1/48 F-35B Lightning II US Marine Corps

Tamiya 61125 1/48 F-35B Lightning II US Marine Corps

The F-35 Lightning II is a versatile fighter developed based on a plan to integrate the various tactical aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps into a single type of aircraft and its derivatives. The F-35B is the most ambitious of the three types of F-35s being developed simultaneously: the F-35A for the Air Force, the F-35B for the Marine Corps, and the F-35C for the Navy. Developed as the successor to the AV-8B Harrier II operated by the Marine Corps, the F-35B has a lift fan between the cockpit and engine, and a three-bearing rotating duct nozzle that can change the direction of the engine nozzle, enabling short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL). It also has supersonic flight capability, stealth, and high situational awareness through sensor fusion. Most of the countries that have adopted the F-35B have ships equipped with flight decks. The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force has also introduced the F-35B. Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force has also decided to introduce the F-35B, which will be deployed from FY2024 onward and will be installed on Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels. The F-35B’s superior STOVL performance makes it useful not only on ships but also at airfields with short runways, and many other countries are considering introducing the F-35B as well.