1:20 Lotus Type 79 - Grade Up Parts (for Hasegawa Kits)

1:20 Lotus Type 79 – Grade Up Parts (for Hasegawa Kits), Studio27

An upgrade (photo-etched) set for a Lotus Type 79 model in 1:20 scale. Careful – you are not buying a model. You are buying a set of additional parts that is fitted into a plastic kit you already have to have. And now the most important point: this set is intended exclusively for the Lotus Type 79 kits from HASEGAWA. Photo-etched and resin parts are cut exactly for one particular kit – they will not fit another. If you are building the Lotus 79 from Tamiya, you need a different set – Studio27 makes sister sets intended precisely for Tamiya (a separate engine parts set and a wing set in the 1978 specification). Check the maker of your kit before you order.

The real subject: the Lotus 79 and ground effect

The Lotus 79 was the first truly working wing car in Formula 1. Its underbody was shaped so that the air flowing beneath the car literally sucked it to the ground – this is called ground effect. At the sides the car carried movable skirts that sealed the low pressure in, so that side air could not get under the car. The effect was brutal: the car held on in corners with a force nobody had seen before, and it did not need the huge wings that slow a car down on the straights. Mario Andretti took the world championship title with it in 1978 and Lotus dominated the season. The black and gold John Player Special livery made it a visual icon – Black Beauty.

Why a photo-etched set

Plastic cannot do a truly thin edge or a real grille – a molded grille is only a suggested engraving. Photo-etched sheet is as thin as real sheet metal in scale, and that is exactly what decides things at an exhibition. On a Formula 1 car it is crucial, because it is completely exposed: there is no bodywork to hide an imperfection. And the black paint of the Lotus 79 is merciless – every mistake, every scratch, every speck of dust shows on it. Building this car well is a test of craft. That is precisely why modelers reach for detail sets with it: anyone who takes it on wants it perfect.

In practice – without embellishment

• Photo-etched sheet has to be bent. Without an etch bender (or at least a razor blade and tweezers) you will not do it well.
• It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue – plastic cement does not hold on metal.
• The original plastic detail often has to be sanded away. It is irreversible, so measure twice.
• The set is for more experienced modelers: tweezers, a magnifier, patience.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who build the Lotus Type 79 from Hasegawa in 1:20 – and only them.
• Collectors of historic Formula 1 who are bothered by the softness of plastic details.
• Competition and exhibition builders who want to see an iconic car through to the end.

The set holds additional parts only. The basic kit, the glue, the paints and the tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.