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Very different and nicely done. Really like that 👌🏽

Nice! How did you find the DXM decals? They seem a bit thick as haven’t settled down into the panel lines very well judging by your wash? I only ask as was thinking of getting their sheet to do this exact jet to showcase my early beavertail conversion. Tony

Not really. Thats the problem with such large long resin pieces and the potential for shrinkage. You can be sure the masters would have lined up.

Not bad mate, just check your point of focus when photographing. The open pit of the title and then the last photo to show it has the spine and canopy in focus rather than actual interior. Keep it up 👍🏿

Well these have arrived. At first glance pretty much the same plastic as in the A wolfpack boxing. So both beavertails and tailfins, all three gunvents, both types of footsteps, both inserts around RIO step (plate/no plate) Other random spares are GE cowls on the late tail sprue, so with some AM Nozzles you could make an A plus I suppose. Only one cockpit sprue though. The wolfpack box had two, standard A then another one with a full set of panels and consoles in a later B style setup with PTID. Load out - Two drop tanks and 4 of 54’s, 2 each of 9 & 7’s. So the classic loadout which suits the decal option. Or does it... The thing that makes it different to the Wolfpack boxing is the single decal option with the nose art from Gulf war 1. The other ‘special inclusion’ is a PE fret with ejection handles for the seats. Which in my opinion should have been in the first A kit too as no attempt to provide these parts in plastic. Couple of issues/points worth noting - The actual nose art ‘queen of spades’ (whole selling point of this kit with it’s decal option) is rather crude and pixelated/blotchy. No excuse when the rest of the decals are fairly crisp and sharp. Another errata sheet in box to correct mistakes in main instructions. Some extra stand alone decal sheets to correct misprints on main one. Still those horrible main wheels. This decal option is for 91 when these jets were flying CAP for the first gulf war - The missiles (along with the decals for them) included are the (incorrect) early types. 54A’s and 7F’s when should be 54C’s and 7M’s. This last point seems to be a common theme. Apart from the Vf-31 sunset release with its bombcat parts, all of their other boxings so far have mismatched Air to Air ordnance and/or missile decals to the timeframe of the subjects provided either by the kits decal options or build features. Most of the above points don’t matter to me as these will all be built with AM decals or one off features etc. However for the other guys who spends almost £50 on a 1/72 kit to build one ultimate tomcat model and still have potential issues with it will be frustrated.

I love 11th hour changes. Something has been bugging me about this jet for a long time. Speaking of which this has been on and off the go for two and a half years! Anyways the intake chevron decals have been annoying me ever since I applied them. All markings came from the sheet in the Hasegawa boxing of this jet so are sized to that kit. The Finemolds intake trunks seem alot deeper vertically. I remember when applying them I kept moving them to see what looked best but had to settle for a compromise on the position. I couldn’t use any others, as first, I didn’t have any spares with the same distinctive black on red style and second if I did they might not be bigger/more open. So this is how they looked. When placing I settled on keeping the upper part parallel with the underside of glovevane, and the lower corner next placed at the corroguard intake lip. The problem is there is too much ‘empty space’ above the chevron before the underside of the glovevane. Also because of this they look ‘short’ and don’t reach back far enough. So this is kinda how they need to be to suit the kit shapes better. So I acquired this sheet and noticed these are the necessary black on red and have a more open angle. So after some measurements I committed to it, sanded off the first ones and reprimed... Gull grey back on. New decal on. Much better suited. Did both sides obviously. Its the small things that make all the difference. Well for me anyways. Needs a panel wash and some weathering to blend in with the rest of the finish. Thanks for looking if you’re still interested...

Yeah I used a bit of artistic license, as the ‘dirtiest’ reference pic only shows the front side and intake. Used that as inspiration for the rest of the jet as bound to have it elsewhere if that much already can be seen around all those edges and rivets. Looks like some on underside of stabs too? https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/14135759319 There are other views of this jet from the same angle presumably from earlier in the cruise as much cleaner. Like this one, just a touch of that stuff around gun panel and a spot or two on intake edge. https://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Navy/Grumman-F-14A-Tomcat/5126349

Chipping done on this one. Streaks and grime etc next then it will be complete. The other one is going to be a ‘cleaner’ but more contrasty type finish, with oils to force highlights and shadows etc. Well that’s what I can see in my minds eye anyways. If it turns out like that remains to be seen 😂

Cheers mate. The main markings (arrow and tailcodes) were from an old microscale sheet. However they were grey. So once applied and sealed I used black enamel and a steady hand to make them darker. The rest was just made up from spares. More info in that jets own RFI, link on first page of this epic one man STGB WIP 😂

Nice to see a TPS Tamiya A and done in some different markings for a change, even if it is still a CAG jet. Good job 👌🏽

Nice one mate that’s really interesting. When did that get phased out and replaced with spot painting? Perhaps when they transitioned to the TPS paint job as never seen a ghost grey jet with brown paste over it’s rivets and panel lines?

Angry dogs update - jumping quite ahead here as not documented these as much. Here now they have been decaled, sealed, washed and then flat coated (last month) Next was using some sponge to chip like when I used to do armour. Mig ammo chipping colour. Funny that. Then join them up with a fine brush.

Tried to replicate the different style of corrosion control as seen on earlier jets. Rather than repainting the panel and or it’s edges, it seems they put some sort of a paste or grease type stuff to seal around rivets and edges. Does anyone know what its called? I tried to spray it freehand but too difficult and small to try and paint individual rivets. So made a mask from tape with a hole in and placed it over the rivets one at a time. Tedious. I used various dark reddish browns from MRP. Here is the actual jet showing the patches - Note around gun muzzle, all the rivets done on fuselage sides, rectangles behind canopy and bits on intake edges. https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/14135759319 Here is my attempt - Masking tape with hole. Result - Trying to match reference pic linked above - So after it was all done I went over with the original tamiya shades to tone down and blend. Then to add some variations I used MRP gull and white to do a few bits here and there and some overpainting. A bit strong now but once the wash is done and then some weathering it will hopefully calm down. Thanks for looking.

45mins? So an hour and a half round trip. Would it not just be easier and cheaper to buy new ones? Or could he post them instead?

Cheers pal. The tophatter has had some funky stuff done to it too. Will update on that one tomorrow perhaps.

I did the bronco 1/35 scale one several years back. Did it in 83 dark green over 76 light blue with the wings/tailplanes in 81 (greenish olive drab version not the chocolate brown one) Not too in your face but a different enough shade to convey the ‘different parts made at different sub contractors end of war rushed job’ type look. May not have been 100% accurate but made for an interesting model.

Good save on the fin mate. I tend always use aqua gloss pre and post decals to sandwich them in as it’s tough enough to withstand normal decal solutions and then weathering products after. Then when all is done the final satin/matt coat is by whatever brand I am using at the time, normally matching base paint. Not for compatibility issues as its going over the aqua gloss, more for continuity and appeasing the OCD monster...

Sorry for lack of updates. These pics are from a while back, just never got around to posting them. Often lose interest during summer when it’s nice weather. Who wants to be stuck indoors when it’s glorious outside? Anyways did the old maskol post shade trick to get the corrosion control look for the B. Four hours with a toothpick 🤦🏼‍♀️ Smoke sprayed all over - Removed - Quite strong this time. It was micro-meshed back a bit in places then some grey misted back over here and there to blend. Not shown. cheers.

Someone made me this as a one off! Laser cut, masked and sprayed. Very cool and very chuffed! Cheers Brian mate. With the squadron that carried it on one of their drop tanks - Overall view of the billy bookcase at the moment... need to workout where to fit in the eggcats and angry dog missiles. They should be done by the end of the week. Not done any model related stuff the past couple of months since finishing the GWH pair as the weather has been too nice.

Added a few of those missing finishing touches. The paper/map/manual inside the D’s windshield. Then with AK pencils - Some marks from tie down chains on U/C legs (both) Then on the A some subtle suggestions of marks/paint chips on tops of wings where they go under the fairings (as seen in Daco book) Lovely warts and all super close ups 🤮 Cheers

Two phrases incompatible with each other is your problem here mate. ‘Vallejo primer’ & ‘sanding it’ It does seem to tear/peel for most people when trying to sand which kinda defeats the point of a primer in the classic sense. If you want a feathered edge then yes ideally a lacquer/cellulose primer is better. But not suitable for alot of people due to smell/chemicals/health/cost/whatever A happy compromise is stynylrez by badger. Rebottled as ultimate primer and mig ammo one shot. Water based and sandable to a feathered edge after 24hrs. Been using it for past 4/5 years now and won’t waste my time with anything else.

Nice one mate. I have used those decals before. Very thin and fragile and love curling back on themselves. Take your time and be careful with them!

Ah yes that reminds me I could do with a new paper weight for my desk. Just the ticket. Or shell in this case.

As @Longbow said above, the few sturmtigers built were made on existing/reworked hulls so had the original zimm on them.

That doesn’t make sense. Only up load the pics you intend to use to your image hosting site. Then compose your text and make the post.