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I have sometimes seen the question of what distinguishes the different kits for the JAS 39 Gripen. I will try to give a small answer here. The answer is: The 39A and 39B are the same Italeri kit with a variety of weapons and decals. Sometimes not even that. The 39 A and B versions were only used by the Swedish Air Force while the 39 C and D are the versions with foreign users. The 39 A and B kits has sometimes been marketed as C or D versions and that can fool someone, but I will take them in alphabetical order. |
| Let’s start with the single seat JAS 39A. These sprues are common between the different kits except for the wepons that might differ. |
| Some kits has fighter armament. |
| While others have armament for attack missions. |
| Decals for the black prototype -2 and an early production machine. The Airfix kit has fighter armament. |
| A 39C according to the box. The plastic has not been changed in order to get a 39C. It has exactly the same content as Italeri. Armament is for attack missions. |
| Decals for a Czech machine and a small etch fret with new wheel covers and instrument panel for a C-model. It comes with an etch part for the new APU but it curves downward instead of bulging upwards. The fin is still for an A model. |
| Original edition of Italeri. It has the armament for attack missions. |
| Decals for two early planes with Yellow Blue crown badges, and one with low wiz marking. |
| Italeri later edition has exactly the same plastic content as the previous release. |
| The only difference is the decals. A Swedish 39A with commemorative decals. In addition, Hungarian, Czech and South African decals but they are for the C version which can’t be built with this kit. |
| KP is the latest company to box the Italeri JAS 39A kit. It is the same plastic as the Italeri kit with attack armament. |
| Decals are for the black and white prototype #2, an early production machine and the farewell flight of the A-version that sported the Swedish splinter camouflage. |
| Another kit that trying to be a 39C with the help of decals but without the changes to airframe to make it right. The same plastic as the other KP boxing. |
| Decals for a Czech AF and A Thai AF plane and the rollout markings of the first Hungarian plane. It had red white and green chevrons, but they were changed to low wiz when delivered to Hungary and the attack armament here to.. |
| Here we have the same content as the Airfix issue. |
| Decals for two Swedish machines with Fighter Armament.. |
| This is the original Italeri kit in a new box for the Japanese market. |
| The same decals as in the Italeri kit and the attack armament here to.. |
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Then we have the twin-seat machine, the JAS 39B. |
| It says C/D on the box but has only parts for a 39B. It has the Fighter Armament, |
| Markings for two Czech, two Hungarian and one South African 39D. No etch or other parts of a C or D variant in the kit. |
| The same plastic as in the Bilek box. Fighter Armament here to. |
| Decals for the prototype, an early production plane and a low wiz. |
| Finally, a little warning. Revell initially gave out a model of Gripen prototype with the yellow-blue stripes. That is not the same model as those above. It was released before all the facts were released about the Gripen. It might also have been issued by ACE Corporation in South Korea but I have never seen it. |
| It is somewhat reminiscent of a Gripen but there isn’t much that is correct on the model. If you thought about buying this kit to use decals to one of the above kits, I can say that they will not fit. |
| I have built a prototype Gripen using the Italeri kit and the Revell decals. You will need three decal sets if you want to use the stripes. |
| The Gripen logo on the fin might be possible to use if you paint the stripes instead. |
| Revell finally issued the JAS 39C and D versions in kit form. |
| There are a couple of sprues that are common for both variants. |
| For the 39C there are sprues with the forward part of the fuselage and the cockpit. |
| Decals for a Swedish plane and a Czech Tiger meet plane. |
| Here is the twin seat JAS 39D. |
| The sprues for the 39D has the double seat cockpit and forward fuselage |
| Decals for a Swedish machine. |
| Stockholm January 29, 2018 |  |
Updated April 22, 2020 |
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