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  1. Hello all, Here is my recently finished 'Top Gun' diorama, depicting the mighty F-14 piloted by 'Maverick' and 'Goose' chasing down the diminutive A-4 flown by 'Viper'. Both kits are from Hasegawa and are mainly OOP, the only additions being the Fightertown decals for the F-14, TACTS pods from a Hasegawa weapons set and Hobbydecal pitot tube for the F-14. I wanted the F-14 to be heavily weathered as shown in the movie. The process I used is on page three of the build thread. Build thread is here Thanks for looking, comments welcome. Dave
  2. Hello all, Started this project a few years ago, it kept stalling and has been sitting at the side of the bench ever since. Original thread So, this GB is the perfect excuse to get it done, finally! The reason i've decided to resurrect it is because my favourite decal maker has just released these….which of course i've ordered. So i'm able to do a proper 'Top Gun' jet! Plan is to make a dogfight diorama with the F-14 chasing down the A-4 Here's how the F-14 is at the minute: And the A-4, which is yet to be started: Hope that this qualifies even if the A-4 remains to be done as it's a KUTA for the whole project! Dave
  3. Hello again, Now it’s time for my Tomcat. Similarly to Su-27SM, this is mostly out of the box. I added details in the landing gear bays, there are metal pitot tube and angle of attack probe. I also corrected the opening for the gun (it was closed) and IR sensor under the nose. Painted mostly with gunze H315 and model master metalizers. Overall it looks nice, there are some mistakes – with few decals in wrong places and canopy not fitting properly (I attached it once everything was painted so wasn’t any room for corrections – and the Academy set is far from great, decals are terrible). I am aware that the sparrows are not fitted properly – when I found out how to do it, it was to late J Enjoy and thanks for watching!
  4. KA-Models is to rebox the Fujimi 1/72nd Grumman F-14A Tomcat kit- ref.???? F-14A 'Jolly Rogers 1978~1991' Sources: https://www.facebook.com/KAMODELS2007/photos/a.390320164315130.111612.185804791433336/1106701499343656/?type=1&theater https://www.facebook.com/KAMODELS2007/posts/1108277229186083 V.P.
  5. Hi all, I am calling this finished. It's the old Hasegawa kit that's been re-boxed umpteen times. Generally an ok build, just a few hiccups along the way. I used Hi Decal sheet for the decals which are quite delicate bur worked ok in the main. Seats are from Airwaves and the weapons from my spares box. Thanks for looking! FF
  6. Hi, here's a few pics of my current WIP. Nice kit but not without a few fit problems. Thanks for looking. FF
  7. Someone better get printing 1/48 VF-84 Jolly Rogers F-14A Decals things are getting ridiculous £95 for decals ! ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181565823396?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
  8. Just seen that Fightertown have just released their new super sheets for VF-101 and VF-103! They combine a lot of the older sheets coverage plus new decals. Get 'em while they're hot (and before they sell out!) Fightertown F-14 Decals
  9. Hi everyone, This is my entry for the GB, from Hobby Boss in 1/72. Some references....not all relevant to this build but good reads nonetheless. This will be a build of a VF-41 'Black Aces' Tomcat from the Gulf of Sidra incident in 1981. (Source: Wikipedia commons; public domain) It probably won't be the most colourful build on this GB (as she's mostly grey) but an eventful story and one that's worth remembering I think. Good luck with your own builds! Dermot
  10. Hi Guys, This is my first GB of this year. I will build a F-14A+ from Hasegawa. I will backdate it to a Iranian version. Here are some pictures of the content of the box. The boxart The Sprues And now the goodies This will be the first F-14 from Hasegawa and a major build for me with all these goodies. I hope the Cheers,
  11. Hi Everyone, Because I enjoyed building my first F-14A Tomcat in 1/144 scale by Revell, I have purchased another one to build in the scheme of Aircraft 212 of the VF142 Ghostriders based aboard USS America in 1976 as part of CVW 6. Here is what the aircraft could look like when finished. Here are the sprue shots (as the kit is the same, I have used the shots from the previous build). Anyway I will get some more photos as soon as I have done some of the paint work on this kit. Rick
  12. Hi Everyone, Here is my build for the F-14 Tomcat II Group Build. I have selected a Revell 1/144 kit of an F-14A Tomcat in the Vandy One black scheme. Here is a photo of the actual jet, I have not taken any pictures of the sprues yet as the kit is drying after a wash in the sink with washing up liquid to prepare the kit for painting. Actual jet : I will update this post with a photo of the sprues a bit later on. Rick
  13. Hi I’m back with a new build or builds to be exact this time I will build two F-14A from Hobbyboss in 1/48th scale. Since I saw Top Gun I always wanted a couple of F-14s in my cabinet and it was actually that movie that got me into this hobby from the beginning. I decided on the Hobbyboss after reading a lot on the internet, it would seem that about 50% hate it and 50% love them but I think it’s going to be a great build. I also have some extra bits from Eduard and Aires and the DACO book Is on the way. I also have the furball sheet with 7 cag birds that I’m going to use. For the markings I have decided to build a bird from VF-84 (of course, who doesn’t want a jolly rogers F-14) and one from VF-142 Ghostriders . I hope that I will be able to finish them this year but we will see. I also have a couple of pictures of all the stuff and also the 7 markings available an lastly my “man cave”. Cheers Jakob
  14. Hi, I am taking part in the F-14 Tomcat II Single Type Group Build and Less Than A Tenner Group Build with my newly acquired Revell 1/144 F-14A Black Tomcat kit. I have setup a poll to see which of the 2 schemes the kit includes decals for is the most popular among the members here to help me make my decision. Here are pictures of the 2 schemes : Vandy One: VF-142 Ghostriders : I cannot work out if the Ghostriders scheme looks too busy or if I like the fact that the Vandy One scheme is so different because its black. May the best scheme win the poll :-) Rick
  15. F-14A ‘Iranian Air Force’ Hasegawa 1:72 In the 70’s, Soviet Mig-25’s were freely operating over Iranian territory and the IIAF didn’t have anything to deal with these high altitude high speed intruders. With the political situation very different in that era, they started to look for an interceptor to challenge the intrusions and the US was very interested to support them. After thorough flight testing of many aircraft by Iranian pilots, the Tomcat won in a final choice between it and the F-15, possibly because the incredible AIM-54 Phoenix giving it a long range intercept capability. A loan to Grumman of $75m by Iran probably saved the F-14 programme too due to the US government withdrawing its funding. 79 aircraft out of the 80 planned were delivered to Iran and this was completed by 1979 including many the Phoenix missiles. The aircraft was essentially the same aircraft as supplied to the US Navy less some of the avionics and had the later TF-30-414 engines that dealt with issues surrounding compressor stalls. Iranian Tomcats were to prove their worth in the 80’s in the Iran / Iraqi war when they were put into combat with great success against a variety of adversaries including Mirage F.1’s, Mig-21’s, Mig-23’s and more with claims that over 160 aircraft were shot down. The challenges faced by Iran’s Tomcat fleet were not just from capable adversaries but from the political environment, in particular an arms supply embargo from the west. Despite these challenges, Iran still operates the F-14 today and through reverse engineering and possible supplies from other countries such as Israel, it’s expected to remain in service for many years. In fact, it’s believed to have more aircraft serviceable now than in the 1980’s which is a considerable achievement. The Kit The kit is the second incarnation produced by Hasegawa as far back as the 80’s so this isn’t a new moulding but is generally regarded as still being the best kit on the market. It comes packaged in the usual way for Hasegawa, the photographic artwork being quite stunning in my opinion. In the box you find a lot of plastic. 10 light grey sprues, 1 clear sprue and a sheet of etch make this a pretty comprehensive kit with 195 parts. My first impressions are mixed. There is a lot in the kit and very nicely detailed too, however, perhaps the moulds are getting tired now as there’s a lot of thin flash around which will add to the time in preparation during assembly. Fortunately, it seems to of been restrained to the larger parts, the smaller more delicate parts haven’t suffered as much. Another challenge is that the instructions provided are for a US Navy kit. As such, there are several alternative parts such as the pod under the nose which went through several evolutions all of which are included in the kit, and whilst it may be obvious to some how the Iranian aircraft were configured, I’m sure not everyone will know. Only an additional decal and painting guide is included for the Iranian version. A great feature is the fact that the cockpit, slats and flaps can all be displayed in the open position. Assembly starts traditionally with the cockpit. Here the side and quarter panels as well as the ejection handles all get treated to some finely detailed etch. In the reviews I’ve done on Hasegawa kits in the last 12 months, they generally lack detail in the pit with over simplified seats, but this kit is certainly one of their better efforts. The seats come in no less than 5 parts with nicely detailed side panels and have seatbelts moulded in to the cushions. The instrument panels are also pleasantly detailed allowing some intricate painting to bring out the detail. Something to be aware of however if you have a critical eye for detail is that the cockpit is that of a US machine, the current Iranian Tomcats have a different layout from looking at pictures on the net, most notably being two displays side by side rather than one above the other. The fuselage make up consists of a font section that houses the cockpit, a centre section made in top and bottom halves then the rear end housing the airbrakes. Surface detail on the fuselage is refined and crisp with panel lines and rivets being included, although appearance is let down by flash around the edges of the parts. The nose includes a pilot access ladder and foot plates that can be open or closed. The kit is quite complex in assembly and whilst I’ve built the 1/48 kit many moons ago, this kit seems to off more in terms of features despite being much smaller so may not suit beginner skills. The intakes are designed very well including the variable inlet ramps and full internal intakes right up to and including the engine fan. The assembled intakes mate on to the lower fuselage half which is previously mated to the upper surface. Exhaust assembly is again quite complex with 8 parts per exhaust that require assembling, however the effort is worth it with some pleasant detailing in both the internal and external surfaces. The undercarriage is beautifully detailed and captures the shape and intricacy well. Two nose gear options are included given that it’s the US Navy kit – normal or compressed as you would see it when lined up on the cat, however as the Iranians don’t operate from carriers, this wouldn’t be appropriate here. The main wheels come with separate hubs to aid painting but be aware that there are two types so reference to photographs will be needed. From my observations, it looks like hub part 19 is the correct type to use. There are some slight ejector pin marks on the front inside tyres although these should be easy to correct. Assembly of the wings look straight forwards, although you need to decide on your sweep configuration. If you decide to have the wings swept, obviously you will need the flaps retracted but you will also need to cut a part off the internal locating mechanism where it sits in the wing glove. As with the fuselage, surface detailing is superb although yet more flash is present. The nose section according to the instructions, simply fits to the centre fuselage, however Andy Mullen who has accumulated considerable experience with this kit can offer far more than I can to building the kit HERE. Hope you don’t mind me linking to this Andy ? A comprehensive amount of clear parts are included in the kit. Wing tip, tail and wing glove navigation lighters are all catered for, so keep them well away from the carpet monster ! The canopy and windscreen are beautifully clear, however as normal, there is a fine seem along the canopy centreline that needs to be sanded out. The canopy gets a good dose of etch, the rear view mirrors and locking mechanism along the base give a boost of detail to an already busy cockpit. Now for the weapon load....or lack of. Considering the original kit came with the mix of Sidewinders, Sparrow and Phoenix, all of which are included in the instructions (as though to rub salt in the wound!) Hasegawa have omitted the lot. I find this very disappointing. The Iranians reputedly used the Phoenix in anger on many occasions as too the Sidewinder (although the Phoenix were probably expended years ago) , so this looks like a cost saving exercise. The drop tanks are included, but none of the pictures I’ve seen show them being carried. If you do get a set of weapons from somewhere, fortunately, all the pylons are included as they are on the included sprues. Decals The decals appear to be of very good quality. Very sharp in register and good colour, they should finish your model off very well. From what I can see, the markings never changed when the camouflage scheme changed, so you should be able to do the classic sand / brown / green scheme if you prefer. A good set of cockpit detail decals are also included if this is your preferred method of detailing, but the detail on the plastic parts will need sanding off to use. Markings are included for 3 aircraft; 3-6042. 3-6043, 3-6077 displayed in the paint guide in the latest scheme as worn in 2012. Conclusion It’s widely agreed that this is the best F-14A kit on the market with good exterior and interior detailing. I’m sure the livery will be a popular choice too, however it’s not a perfect package. Plenty of flash on the larger parts will create some extra work for you and if detail is important to you, some research will be necessary to choose the right options contained in the box. A big disappointment is the lack of missiles in the kit considering the retail price is for a premium kit. That said, I’m pleased to have this in my collection as it’s an aircraft I’ve always wanted to build. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for
  16. F-14A ‘High Visibility’ 1:72 Hasegawa (alternative tooling) As a kid, I was inspired by the brightly painted Tomcats, needless to say, I went on to build the Airfix kit with the fantastic hi-vis ‘Wolfpack’ scheme that’s hard to beat on the big cat. At a time in the early 70’s when most aircraft were limited to AIM-7 and AIM-9 missiles (or similar in range), here came a beast that could carry 6 missiles capable of travelling more than half way across England to destroy its target in the guise of the AIM-54 Phoenix. Whilst the shape of the Tomcat is engrained in the mind of most aviation enthusiasts, it resulted from a series of wind tunnel tests on no less than 2000 configurations to meet the demanding requirements for a supersonic carrier borne interceptor. A single seat concept looked very similar to the Mig 29. Whilst in economical terms, the F/A-18 needed to replace the F-14, I’m sure that I’m not alone in feeling that the world lost one of its most loved and iconic aircraft except for the few still flying with the Iranian Air Force when the US Navy finally retired the last of its fleet in 2006. The kit We’ve been busy recently with F-14A Tomcat releases from Hasegawa. My initial plan was to review this together with the ‘Fighting Checkmates’ release, however when I opened the box, I was met by a little confusion! Being a bit slow, I couldn’t figure out why the ‘Checkmates’ box was overflowing with plastic whilst this one was quite reserved, so I dug in a little further to investigate. What became obvious is that this is the older tooling kit with raised panel lines and much less detail than the newer tooled versions. This is reflected in a parts count of just 100 as oppose to 191 pieces. So on first comments, this sounds quite disappointing, but the more I looked into it, the more I changed my opinion. Whilst the newer tooling kit is without doubt a fantastic kit, it’s not the easiest kit to build due to its complexity. Nor does it have the weapons included, nor can you rotate the wings. This kit has all those features as well as a lower price tag which I believe gives it a different target market and that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, without some research, it’s not that obvious what tooling comes in what boxes apart from the price difference, so this review is quite useful !!!! Assembly starts with the cockpit in a most traditional way. Detail in here is very sparse, the only option for the panels is in decal form. That said, I’ve seen less detailed seats on Hasegawa kits so these aren’t too bad with separate seat cushions. The cockpit tub is located on top of the separate nose wheel bay which then gets sandwiched between the nose section halves. As I mentioned, the surface detail is raised rather than recessed like the newer tool, but it’s very finely done indeed. Attention next goes to the main fuselage and wings. The wings are simple in design without separate slats or flaps, but feature the mechanism to allow you to swing the wings once assembled. The wings mesh with each other once sealed between the top and bottom fuselage halves. If you want to have the mighty Phoenix loadout installed (and why wouldn’t you?), don’t forget to open up the required holes in the lower fuselage. The intakes are well designed offering full length interiors right up to the well formed compressor fans. I’ve read previous reviews on this kit that report a lot of flash, but this has very little, in fact nothing worth noting. The undercarriage is very well done with good detail in the legs and wheel hubs. Unlike the newer tooling, there isn’t the option of the compressed nose wheel option. The undercarriage doors are lacking in detail and have ejector marks on most of them which will need a tickle with a sanding stick. If you want your exhausts open or closed, you’re in luck here! Both options are included, so you can build whatever configuration you want. The canopy and windscreen are very thin hence free from any noticeable distortion. Unlike the newer kit parts, there is no seam down the centre of the canopy either. If I was to be critical, the windscreen looks to be a little too wide in profile towards the front each side of the armoured windscreen but the canopy has the slight double hump evident on the real thing. Before you fit the canopy, you get two great little pilots that you may want to fit. The real pleasure of this kit is the inclusion of the classic big vat weapon loads. You get the 6 Phoenix missiles, 4 Sparrow and two Sidewinders. Again, they have the raised detail in common with the kit, but the fins are very thin and certainly aren’t bad. You can of course buy the separate weapons pack, but I’d be very happy with what is included. Be aware that if fitting the drop tanks, they are sided. The decals The earlier kits were known to have ‘off’ white decals. The decals included in this box are of no such thing, ‘ice’ white is a good description of what we have here. The detail in the decals is very sharp with excellent register. From a visual inspection, I can’t find any criticism of the sheet. As well as the liveries, a good set of cockpit instruments, stencils, formation lights, anti-slip plates and weapon decals are present. Two excellent and classic liveries are included: Aircraft 160660 – VF-111 ‘Sundowners’ – sadly lost 1992 Aircraft 160391 – VF-84 ‘Jolly Rogers’ Conclusion This kit is as you’d expect a lower standard that the later offering, but for less experienced or young modellers is probably a much better kit to purchase. Whilst it lacks the recessed panel lines and wealth of detail, it still builds up into a great kit with almost half the parts count that still manages to include a full compliment of weapons for approximately half the price. It also manages to avoid some of the minor draw backs of the later kit such as a seam down the centre of the canopy and ejector pin marks on the nose wheel tyres. Despite my initial let down when I first examined the kit, I’m left feeling rather fond of my new cat. If like me, you get those periods of modellers block, this could be just the remedy you need in your medicine cupboard! Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for
  17. F-14A Tomcat ‘VF-211 Fighting Checkmates’ 1:72 Hasegawa Limited Edition The Tomcat doesn’t need much of an introduction and as well as its popularity in aviation communities, it was immortalised in the film ‘Top Gun’ which I suspect did more for US Naval recruitment than any advertising campaign could ever achieve! First going into deployment in 1974 to replace the F-4 Phantom as the US Navy’s air superiority fighter, it remained in that role until finally being retired in 2006. Although primarily in the air defence / intercept role, in the 90’s it was upgraded to operate in the ground attack role increasing its versatility significantly and providing a stop gap until the F/A-18’s replaced it. The F-14 has been involved in combat operations on many occasions. As well as a hugely successful service in the Iranian Air force, with the US Navy, it’s also fought in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts where, although one was lost to an SA-2 SAM, none have been lost in air-air combat, quite an incredible feat. That said, it’s service has been scarred by over 150 accidental losses whilst operating at sea. Throughout it’s life, the F-14 was continually upgraded, the most notable improvements being uprated engines, improved radar and avionics. The kit The kit included in this pack is the same plastic as the recently reviewed Iranian Tomcat review I did, so rather than repeat myself, I’ve included a link to that review: HERE Note, unfortunately, no weapons are included in the set. The instructions recommend the purchase of Hasegawa Weapons set III. The decals VF-211 operated the Tomcat from 1975 to 2005. In the 30 year service, they operated off the carriers USS Constellation, Ranger, Kitty Hawk, Nimitz, John C Stennis and Enterprise. In 2002, the squadron flew 1250 sorties in just three weeks in support of Operation Anaconda where they dropped around 50 tons of ordnance in the ground attack role. They retired from service with VF-211 at NAS Oceana. Included are two of VF-211’s colourful schemes: 161856 aboard USS Constellation 1997 with the striking red / green tail emblems and chequered fins 161856 aboard USS Constellation 1998 with alternative emblems and red/white chequered fins As expected, the decals are sharp in print and register, although a slight difference in the position of the red cockpit 'cheat line' is evident when comparing the two sides against the main black colour (the low vis ones are fine). A large selection of cockpit panel decals are included if you prefer this method of detailing your cockpits too. A suitable but not over the top set of stencils make up the sheet. Conclusion It’s good to see Hasegawa releasing kits with alternative decal options. As covered in the Iranian Tomcat review, it is indeed a superb kit, although disappointing that you have to purchase weapons separately. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for
  18. 1/72 F-14A Tomcat (Tentative) 1/72 F-15E Strike Eagle (Tentative) listed here: http://www.tamiya.co...12THS_index.htm
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