Jump to content

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'F-14D'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Calendars

  • Community Calendar
  • Group Builds
  • Model Show Calendar

Forums

  • Forum Functionality & Forum Software Help and Support
    • FAQs
    • Help & Support for Forum Issues
    • New Members
  • Aircraft Modelling
    • Military Aircraft Modelling Discussion by Era
    • Civil Aircraft Modelling Discussion by Era
    • Work in Progress - Aircraft
    • Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
    • Aircraft Related Subjects
  • AFV Modelling (armour, military vehicles & artillery)
    • Armour Discussion by Era
    • Work in Progress - Armour
    • Ready for Inspection - Armour
    • Armour Related Subjects
    • large Scale AFVs (1:16 and above)
  • Maritime Modelling (Ships and subs)
    • Maritime Discussion by era
    • Work in Progress - Maritime
    • Ready for Inspection - Maritime
  • Vehicle Modelling (non-military)
    • Vehicle Discussion
    • Work In Progress - Vehicles
    • Ready For Inspection - Vehicles
  • Science Fiction & RealSpace
    • Science Fiction Discussion
    • RealSpace Discussion
    • Work In Progress - SF & RealSpace
    • Ready for Inspection - SF & RealSpace
  • Figure Modelling
    • Figure Discussion
    • Figure Work In Progress
    • Figure Ready for Inspection
  • Dioramas, Vignettes & Scenery
    • Diorama Chat
    • Work In Progress - Dioramas
    • Ready For Inspection - Dioramas
  • Reviews, News & Walkarounds
    • Reviews
    • Current News
    • Build Articles
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Walkarounds
  • Modelling using 3D Printing
    • 3D Printing Basics
    • 3D Printing Chat
    • 3D Makerspace
  • Modelling
    • Group Builds
    • The Rumourmonger
    • Manufacturer News
    • Other Modelling Genres
    • Britmodeller Yearbooks
    • Tools & Tips
  • General Discussion
    • Chat
    • Shows
    • Photography
    • Members' Wishlists
  • Shops, manufacturers & vendors
    • Aerocraft Models
    • Air-craft.net
    • Amarket Model
    • A.M.U.R. Reaver
    • Atlantic Models
    • Beacon Models
    • BlackMike Models
    • Bring-It!
    • Copper State Models
    • Freightdog Models
    • Hannants
    • fantasy Printshop
    • Fonthill Media
    • HMH Publications
    • Hobby Paint'n'Stuff
    • Hypersonic Models
    • Iliad Design
    • Hobby Colours & Accessories
    • KLP Publishing
    • L'Arsenal 2.0
    • Kingkit
    • MikroMir
    • Model Designs
    • Modellingtools.co.uk
    • Maketar Paint Masks
    • Marmaduke Press Decals
    • Parkes682Decals
    • Paulus Victor Decals
    • Red Roo Models
    • RES/KIT
    • Sovereign Hobbies
    • Special Hobby
    • Test Valley Models
    • Tiger Hobbies
    • Ultimate Modelling Products
    • Videoaviation Italy
    • Wingleader Publications
  • Archive
    • 2007 Group Builds
    • 2008 Group Builds
    • 2009 Group Builds
    • 2010 Group Builds
    • 2011 Group Builds
    • 2012 Group Builds
    • 2013 Group Builds

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


AIM


MSN


Website URL


ICQ


Yahoo


Jabber


Skype


Location


Interests

Found 22 results

  1. Joining you with this Revell 1/72 F-14D Super Tomcat. Bought in a HobbyCraft sale in 2016. THis VF-101 GhostRider, the only option - suits me My reference books. THis a kit that I built during the 2012 Tomcat GB.
  2. As this year marks 50 years from the first flight of F-14 Tomcat, I've decided to give it a special homage with triple build of Revell's nicely moulded Tomcats in "mini" braillescale: 1 - F-14A, VF-84 Jolly Rogers ("Final Countdown" movie) 2 - F-14A, VF-142 Ghostriders 3 - F-14D, VF-101 Grim Reapers I will keep whole of the build(s) in one topic, as I work on all 3 kits at the same time. For the beginning, I've sprayed Mr. Surfacer 1500 Grey on parts that will be painted in white and grey (cockpit and landing gear bits), and won't cut off parts from sprue yet.. I think it will save me some time during this initial phase... Cheers, S.
  3. Just a quick question regarding typical weapons load whilst carrying TARPS. I'm just finishing up VF-2's CAG bird (Bullet 100) ~2003; I have it with the TARPS slung underneath, but at present I only have 2 AIM-9 on the pylons... I've only seen a couple of pics of this a/c with TARPS, and only carrying this load, so I'm pretty much basing the load it's carrying just on one or 2 pics for now. Is it within the realms of possibility that they would also have carried AIM-7 on a typical mission too? And what about the AN/ALQ-167 pod? I've seen pics of Tomcats carrying this with TARPS, and others without. I haven't seen the specific a/c I am depicting with the pod, but can anyone confirm/deny whether it would or wouldn't have flown with it? I'd like to add both, but not at the expense of accuracy. Thanks Daryl
  4. Hey all, A quick post of these two lovely little models I had a lot of fun building Trumpeter's 1/144th F-14D and Revell's 1/144th F-18D. Trumpeter's 1/144th kits are an absolute blast to build- low part count, perfect fit, excellent level of detail for the scale, and stress free. The perfect antidote for taking a refreshing break from your other high maintanence builds. I used the lo-vis Tomcatters scheme from the F-14D kit on the F-18D, despite the VF-31 not having the Hornet (they currently have the F/A-18E). Also for the eagle-eyes, the wing-tip rails are not accurate on the F-18 as I broke the original off. Painted using Vallejo Model Air, and weathered with oils.
  5. Hi folks. Been away from the modelling desk for a while (insert 'work getting in the way' joke here) but had the itch to get something built by the end of the year. Cue Tamiya's superlative new 1/48 F-14D. I'm one of those Aircraft enthusiasts who was taken away with Top Gun as a young child, so the big 'Cat has always had a dear place in my heart; it's such a good feeling to have a kit as astounding as this to do the Tomcat justice. I'm sure everything that can be said about this kit has been said already, so I'll move on to my attempt at it! The plan was to see how good it built out of the box. That went out of the window as soon as I got the kit in my hands. I firmly believe that as good as the OOB offering is, a kit like this deserves everything you can give it. So I did. So in terms of aftermarket, I have thrown everything I can at it. Additions are as follows: Eduard Big Ed PE set Brassin cockpit Brassin GBU-38's Wolfpack afterburner cans Wheeliant weighted wheels Master Pitot/AoA spike Aerobonus AIM-9 Seeker head covers/RBF tags Fightertown decals The Brassin cockpit was a kit in itself; adds so much to the kit, especially with that big canopy to see all that detail through. I wanted to do as dull a scheme as possible, as not to detract from the weathering that the Tomcat underwent. I know some loathe the TPS scheme, but I think the big 'Cat looks best in lo-viz grey! The kit was finished with Vallejo model air paints and Windsor & Newton Oils. I have the AMK F-14D on order, so I'm excited to see how it stacks up against the Tamiya offering. Needless to say, the bar is set very high with this kit! I'll wrap up my essay now and move on to the pictures! C&C welcome as always, and I hope you enjoy! Daryl. *n.b: Since I took the pics, I have removed the AIM-54C. I overlooked the fact that they were retired in 2004, hence wouldn't have been present in 2006! Just pretend it isn't there!
  6. Howdy all, I am a new member here and just getting back into modeling after a 20 or so year hiatus. I am open to any critique, tips, tricks, etc. Cheers! On the workbench at the moment is the new 1/72 Academy F-14A Tomcat, but I will be building a (D) version as Academy has supplied all the necessary parts for almost any version you want to build. I will also be setting this one up for in-flight display. This is not an option OOB and will likely provide some challenges, but should be fun. First up is putting the cockpit together. Nice amount of detail and decided to just use paint rather than the supplied decals for the instruments. Cockpit coming together. As I am building the F-14D I utilized the alternate dash panels provided in the kit. Cockpit assembled into the nose cone. This kit really goes together beautifully with hardly any fuss. Major sub-assemblies completed. Also bought some resin pilots and bang seats as the kit does not come with pilots and this will be displayed as in-flight. Starting to come together. Most seams are non existent. The interior side of the intake trunk will need some cleanup. Now to figure out how to piece the landing gear doors closed. Gear doors in-place. Will need a bit of putty and sanding but came together better than expected considering it wasn't designed this way. Vertical Stabs and various weapon pylons are in place. And this should bring us to current. Weapons loadout - 2x 2000# external tanks, 2x AIM-9M, 3x AIM-54, 2x GBU-12, and Lantirn Pod. That is one plus to the Academy kit, they have supplied so many different parts for displaying almost any Tomcat version you would want. Including various weapons and targeting pods. Thanks for taking a look and as always, I welcome any feedback!
  7. Since it's Christmas, I'll stop being a scrooge with my time and invite "Tiny Tom" back to the desktop for some modelling attention. Yes, it's the Revel 1:144 F-14D , mostly complete but in need of decals finishing off. .
  8. This is my latest build: a Tamiya's 1/48th scale F-14D Tomcat. It's a great kit, with superb fit and smart assembly, i had lot of fun building it! Kit built OOB, with some details from Eduard PE and KA Models exhaust nozzels. Painted with Gunze's Acryl Paint (h-307, H-308, H-337). So, let's start the photogalley: Ciao Ale
  9. Hello everybody! After months of procrastination, I finally completed this model I had started on in August of last year. Details added: Scratch built Ejection Seat detail Full hydraulic lines on landing gear using stretched sprue closely matched landing gear bays (hydraulic lines and additional detail) scratch built ventral fins Scratch build Sub-sonic ramps in the intakes (missing in the kit) Riveting where ever appropriate (around cockpit and on the upper surfaces of the fuselage Improvement to the chin pod TVSU Drilled out a hole in the fuel dump pipe scratch built carrier deck base (with liberal dose of creative liberty in design) wheel chocks from styrene card Boo-boos include: Fogged up canopy due to improper future application Cockpit Instrument panel PE print lifted off the brass due to water damage during salt weathering Salt weathering was a MESS. Fortunately it was salvageable with spraying on the weathering again through a thin slice of dish scrubber as mask Spilled Alclad on a completed exhaust corroding away the plastic (again salvageable fortunately) Omitted AoA sensors on fuselage side (it would have been lost to the carpet monster anyways) "100" decal applied in reverse on starboard side Additional PE and accessories include: Dream Model cockpit PE detail set Dream Model Pitot Tube Infiniti Carrier Tie-down point PE set (including the chain) Pilot and RIO from Revell NATO Pilot set The model was a joy to build, and the option to pose the wings extended or retracted provides a lot of flexibility to displaying it. It also had a perfect blend of detail v/s ease of build. Kudos to HB for that. A special thanks to Parabat, Tony Oliver, Navy Bird and Ratmigs for all their inputs during the build process. Tony Oliver's experience with the kit helped mitigate a lot of problems I would have otherwise run into. The wooden pedestal was made by a colleague skilled in woodwork. Much appreciated guys! On to the pictures! The reason I was excited about this particular scheme was this die-cast model of the F/A-18F in the same Bounty Hunters CAG scheme. Do they look beautiful together or what! Ejection seat detailing with stretched sprue and Dream Model PE set Cockpit detailing with Dream Model PE set and tissue paper to simulate the canvas covers on the IP cowls Nose Gear bay detailing Nose gear Detailing... Everything eventually disappeared into the dark recesses of the aircraft Sub-Sonic Air ramp scratch-building. Hardly seen in the shadows, but good to know it's there Scratch built the ventral fins to recreate the prominent NACA vents Scratch build a carrier base using the Infiniti Tie Down PE set. There were a 44 tie-down points included, thus I had to keep the base to a small size despite increasing the distance between points slightly A parting shot taken from the balcony of our apartment during a glorious sunset. Thanks for watching! Cheers, Alex.
  10. Wow I hadn’t thought this GB would come around so quick! I have way too many GB’s on the go at once but this was one I really wanted to join. This is one of my all time favourite aircraft……even if Tom Cruise “flew” one! I’ve only ever build older 1/72ndscale Airfix versions and have always wanted to build a big beastie to be part of a “Swing Wing” collection. I was super lucky in finding this one, Nup it's been replaced full of goodies and even white metal/rubber wheels, though these will be replaced. ….which some nice person happened to have included the Aires Cockpit set.. and so has this.. and Quickboost wheels all for a price quite a bit cheaper than some of the other Hasegawa F-14’s on evilBay. the wheels stay Plus as my usual I wanted to build something different so I acquired an Avionix’s F-14D Bombcat conversion set. ...and not using this either Plus some Super Scale decals for a VF-31 CAG aircraft. Yeah still using this I won’t be able to start on her straight away, but once I get a couple of the other builds out of the way…….
  11. This is my first completed build of the year, it was built as part of the Grumman GB. This build was originally planned to be a Hasegawa F-14D with Aires Cockpit and Avionix’s “Bombcat” Update/Conversion kit. But as luck would have it I won the monthly raffle at my local IPMS and took home Tamiya’s awesome new 1/48th F-14D!! I can’t rave enough about this model, it’s truly beautiful and without doubt one of the nicest models I’ve ever built. I add a couple of extras to her just to finish her off. The OEM wheels are rubber/metal and rubber wheels only look good for a year or two before they start to perish. The ejector seats and exhaust cans just lack detail when compared to the rest of the model and sort of let it down, so they were replaced. For such fine detail throughout the model I needed a paint to capture this and Mr Paint Acrylic Lacquers are just incredible!! They go on so fine straight from the bottle and give a perfect finish. Best of all you don’t loose detail, in spots there are 18 layers of paint and the detail is still super crisp, I so love this paint. The only let down on the whole project was the decals, they were a bit old and for the Revell/Hasegawa model, which I found didn’t fit or line up correctly in a few very noticeable spots! But in the end I’m super happy with the results, I know I’ll have to build another one of these models, maybe an F-14A next time. Model: 1/48th Tamiya Grumman F-14D Tomcat Paint: Mr Paint (main) and Mr Hobby, Tamiya Acrylics, Model Master Metalizer Lacquers Extras: KA Models – F-14D GE Exhaust Nozzle set Quickboost – F-14 Ejection Seats Quickboost – F-14 Wheel set SuperScale Decals – F-14D VF-31 CAG Operation Freedom Iraq Thanks for looking and please enjoy.
  12. A fighter aircraft that brings me into scale modeling world!
  13. The F-14 Tomcat came into my life with "The Final Countdown", and I felt quite sad to see it go a decade ago. Therefore I decided, as a little tribute, to assemble one of the last combat cruise Tomcats. Hasegawa issued the F-14D Last Combat Cruise in 1/72, that includes two conmemorative schemes of VF-213: AJ 213 and AJ201. I decided to represent AJ201 as I wanted to have a Tomcat that was closer to combat scheme, not with the shiny blue all over it. The kit is quite accurate for a D, I used resin seats though as the seats provided lack detail, then you have to sand off some antennae around the wing roots not typical of a D, and the decals had some mistakes on them (as letters missing from some stencils...). I had some issues with the decal sheet as they were quite old, too. But maybe the most demanding part is getting rid of dozens and dozens of ejection pin marks. But well, that said, the kit is very nice. Kit provides only an AN/AAQ14 targeting pod, you have to buy some additional Hasegawa weapons sets if you want the 500pd GBUs typically used in the last missions over Iraq in 2005, or the lonely Sidewinder hanging from the left rail. Most of the assembly is OOB, painted as per instructions excepting the dark area around the cockpit, which was Dark Sea Blue (not insignia blue) and left the canopy frame in Light Ghost Gray. Hope that you like it. Marco
  14. Hello everyone! My next build is the F-14D. Easily one of my favorite aircraft, it's been on the build radar for a while now. I settled on the hobby boss offering as the I already own a die-cast F-18F in the VF-2 CAG scheme. The Hobby Boss kit is a pretty well balanced kit. There's a reasonable amount of well defined surface detail which stands up pretty well to reference photos. Despite this, it has a relatively low part count (as compared to the Hasegawa offering) and hopefully should come together with minimal fuss. The kit is lacking or could use some sprucing up in a few key areas. I see this as a +plus as it offers a good opportunity to scratch build. Armed with a healthy bunch of stretched sprue, thin cement (chloroform) and styrene card, my intent is to detail the aircraft to as close to the real thing as possible. I have added links below to the various build milestones crossed so far for your quick reference. Main Landing Gear: Part 1: Torsion Link weight reduction depressions Part 2: Hydraulic Lines and adding missing elements Part 3: Hydraulic Lines (contd) Part 4: Paint, decaling and weathering (Coming soon....) Ejection Seat: Upgrading the stock Ejection seat Ventral Fin upgrade: Scratch building the Ventral fins with the NACA ducts Cockpit: Part 1: Console Hood Canvas using tissue paper, and installation of the DreamModel cockpit PhotoEtch Part 2: Cockpit errors Part 3: Cockpit corrections Nose Gear Bay: Detailing the side walls on the Nose Gear Bay Weathering Test Painting and weathering test on styrene card using Vallejo paints, acrylics and oils Nose Gear: Hydraulic lines and details added using stretched sprue and styrene card New! Kit sprues and close-ups: Since a review of the kit is missing here on Britmodeller, I took the liberty of posting sprue shots and close-ups for anyone interested. (Pic heavy) Box Art: My choice of livery for this build. The kit also comes with two other options including the low-vis version of the same livery. Upper fuselage: Fine recessed lines and riveting detail. The airbrake is moulded in the closed position, but for this build, it isn't a concern. Lower fuselage: Sprue A: Front Back LHS front fuselage RHS Front fuselage Nose gear bay and MLG bay door detailing Nose gear (RHS) with option of catapult bar raised and lowered Nose gear LHS MLG detail MLG Wheels Nose gear wheels Lower hull surface below cockpit area Sprue B: Control surfaces. The great advantage of the kit is the possibility to pose the wings extended or withdrawn. Unfortunately, there's no option for dropped flaps. Upper wing detail Lower wing detail Vertical stabilizers Elevators Sprue C: Sparrow Missiles and fuel tanks Sprue D: Phoenix and Sidewinders Sprue G: Exhausts etc Sprue J: Pretty detailed Ejection Seats. Will spruce them up a bit nevertheless. Sprue E: Clear parts Decals: Pretty comprehensive with almost all stencils provided. Weapons stencils: Dream-Model PE for the cockpit: DreamModel Brass Pitot: That wraps up the introduction to the kit. In the next post I plan to start detailing the Main Landing Gear. Your feedback, suggestions and comments are much appreciated. Thanks for watching! Cheers, Alex.
  15. This had been sat on the shelf of doom for around 18 months, giving me that " I'd look really nice finished" kind of stare you all know the one I'm sure. The F-14 doesn't really hold much interest for me so I'd generally been putting it off but I decided to get it finished so i can avoid its sorry unfinished glare. SO here it is Hobbyboss 1/48 Tomcat D finished in grim reapers Hi-viz markings. Once again Trumpyboss are a let down on the amount/quality of stencils and other decals but overall i feel there is enough to give the scheme some feel. It was painted with Ak interactive light gull gray and tamiya gloss black, all flatted down with vallejo acrylic matt. As always thanks for looking, any comments/ constructive criticism welcomed.
  16. Hello one and all, I started this project back when the F-14D STGB was on. I did have every intention of actually finishing it off. However my modelling time is few and far between nowadays So I had the great idea of putting this up in the WiP in the hope that the interest from other people will force me to actually get somewhere with it!... That's the plan anyhow and I am going to stick to it! I will start from the beginning with all the groovy pictures then I will upload the current state of play. Here we go I am really nervous about that mould line down the middle of the canopy. I have been given great advise on how to deal with it, I'm just a little worried that I will fluff it up. That is the last that anyone ever saw of it on the STGB. I did work on it, I just never go around to posting the pictures up of it. So here is the work up until now. Gotta love all of those decals... The Pilots and WSO's IP's, I decided it wasn't worth going all out on them as you will not be able to see them. Now I am not too sure... First time I have actually used etch. I am really happy with the dry brushing, first time it has really worked for me. I can not remember if those colours are correct or I just decided to throw them down to make it look more important.... As of yet the cockpit isn't finished, still need to sort out some belts or something. The vents over the Gatling Gun where utter dog poo. Gotta use a fair bit of filler on that load of fun. Air intakes and the fuel tanks, not much to really see here tbh. I like the way these things go together tho. This is as far as I am at the moment. I do intent to have the flaps and slats open. Even still, she is a big bird. I am not used to making models this size as the vast majority of mine are 1/144. Hopeully this will give me a much needed KUTA to sort this one out, lord knows I need it! Hopefully there will be more pictures soon. I have another... 4 of these IdolM@ster aircraft to make, so I had better get a move on huh? Kind Regards, Dazz
  17. Hey gents, I'm currently turning my circles around the modelling forum world again, just trying to gather some intel and some impressions. I'm currently working on converting the Tamiya 1/32 Alpha Tomcat into a Delta and just fit the Aires Burners (please note, the ones explicitly for the Tamiya kit!!!) to the airframe and flamin' rod do I have to spend some proper load of putty to straighten everything out. Did I just hit a screwed kit or can it really be that the Aires cowls are somewhat too small? As said, I'm using the set specifically tailored for the Tamiya kit, at least that is stated on the set but it kind of feels like having to fit the stuff to a Revell kit. Anyone who has used the Aires stuff on the Tamiya kit before willing to share his or her two cents? Would help me out a great lot. Thanks in advance everyone.
  18. F-14D 159600 "Christine". Pics taken at the Fort Worth Aviation Museum, Texas. Pics thanks to Nigel Heath.
  19. Hi everyone, Here's one from me that definitely needs a kick up the a**e - it's a 1/72 Revell F-14D Tomcat from about 2 or 3 years ago. I started it as a catshot 'Cat so had started butchering the flaps, slats, etc...then lost interest. Fast forward to this year and feel it's time to make her fly. Looking at her again now, there's a lot of areas of fit and seams that need to be fixed - don't know what I've let myself in for! Good luck with your builds. Dermot
  20. 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
  21. Here she is! VF-31's '110', BuNo 519618 as she was at the beginning of OIF in 2003. I used the Hobby Boss 1/48 F-14D, TwoBobs 'Felix in the Fight' decals, Humbrol enamels, W&D Studio pitot and AOA probe, Eduard canopy mask (Godsend!) and a really cheap airbrush. My aspiration was to use as little AM as possible to show what a great kit this is, in my opinion it is superb. It has one or two idiosyncrasies, but still offers a superb amount of value and is a great fitting kit which allows you to make a great looking 'Cat out of the box. I chose not to fill all the rivets, as I don't mid them. I added small touches here and there to improve the kit, but all was done using what's in the modelling box (wire etc). Build thread is HERE
  22. F-14D Ace Combat "Pumpkin Face" Hasegawa 1:72 The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was a supersonic twin engine / seat variable sweep wing fighter aircraft developed for the United States Navy. Grumman designed the fighter to fill a gap created by the collapse of the then FB-111B programme. Grumman were able to produce the unique swing wing design fairly quickly due to their earlier experiments with the XF10 Jaguar. The aircraft first flew in 1970, with the first deployment in 1974. By the late 1980s the Tomcat was starting to show its age. The first major upgrade at this time replaced the Tomcats engines with GE F-110-400s and an ALR-67 Radar Homing & warning system was fitted. Initially called the F-14A this was later re-designated F-14B. In the late 1990s 67 of these aircraft were further upgraded to extend airframe life, and to improve both offensive and defensive avionics; thus becoming known as F-14B Bombcats. The final upgrade to the Tomcat was the F-14D or Super Tomcat, the first being delivered in 1991. The original engines were the same as the F-14B, the GE F110-400. The F-14D featured new digital avionics including a glass cockpit. The original AWG-9 radar was replaced with a newer APG-71 system. Other upgrades at this time included new NACES Ejection Seats, an Airborne Self Protection Jammer, Tactical information System; and an Infra Red Search & Track system. Despite the F-14D being considered the definitive Tomcat not all Squadrons received them. The programme was subject to considerable political infighting. Some considered the aircraft basic 1960s technology and in the end the project was cancelled with only 37 new D models being built, and 18 A models being upgraded; where as the Navy had asked for a total of 132 aircraft. The US Navy retired the Tomcat finally in 2006. Ace Combat Ace Combat is a Japanese hybrid arcade-simulation flight action video game published by the Namco Bandai Games company. Most games take place in fictionalised worlds loosely based on real life location, events and even wars. These games have been released on many different gaming platforms from 1996 up till the present. Over the years in Japan typical aircraft model kits have been detailed after aircraft used in the games. Hasegawa tapped into this market in 2000 with the issues of some 1.144 resin model kits, and has continued to do so ever since, as they have done so with the Idolmaster series as well, giving them another outlet for plastic model kits. The Kit The D model Tomcat is one of Hasegawa's later toolings and as such features finely engraved panel lines. On opening the box the first thing that grabs your attention (apart from the colour of the plastic!) is that the box is packed with plastic. You get five large sprues in one bag, five smaller sprues in a smaller bag, the canopy in its own bag, and a small sheet of photo-etched parts. Assembly starts with the cockpit, well its an aircraft after all. Here the side and quarter panels as well as the ejection handles all get treated to some finely detailed etch. The cockpit on the F-14 seems much better than some Hasegawa kits and instructions are very detailed as to where you would use decals or photo etch for your cockpit. Care must be taken to use the right ejection seats as both the newer ones for the D model, and the older style are included. come in no less than 5 parts with nicely detailed side panels and have seatbelts moulded in to the cushions. These later seats also do not use the overhead ejection handles supplied on the PE fret. 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. The nose includes a pilot access ladder and foot plates that can be open or closed. The kit is quite complex in assembly, as the parts are engineered this way to get the complex shape of the F-14 correct. This I would feel makes it no kit for a novice modeller. 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 13 parts per exhaust for the open state, or 6 for the closed state. The later GE F110-400 exhaust being supplied with this kit. The nose section according to the instructions, simply fits to the centre fuselage, however I suspect its not quite as simple as this! Vertical tail planes and stabs are then attached. Care must be taken to use the right tails as again early and late ones are included. I suspect most modellers will leave the stabs off until later. Exhausts and the rear airbrake are also added at this time. 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. The undercarriage is beautifully detailed and captures the shape and intricacy well. Two nose gear options are included; normal, or compressed as you would see it when lined up on the cat. The main wheels come with separate hubs to aid painting. Hasegawa show different weapons configurations on the instruction, however no weapons only drop tanks are included with the kit. They helpfully suggest you buy their "Weapon Set III" if you want to arm the aircraft. From looking at images on-line the Ace Combat aircraft seem to be armed with the usual weapons used by the USN F-14's. Canopy The large canopy of the F-14 is on a fairly comprehensive clear sprue. The parts are very clear, but due to the limitations of the moulding technology there is a larger centre seam in the main canopy which will need to be removed. Other clear parts include the HUD glass, nav lights, and nose camera lenses. Some of these parts are very small so care will be needed. The photo etch in the kit will really enhance the canopy should you wish to display it open. Photo Etched Parts A small fret of photo etched parts is supplied with the kit. This contains canopy rails, cockpit instrument panels, engine parts and ejection seat handles; along with some airframe grills. Decals Decals are provided for the Ace Combat Pumpkin Face aircraft only. The main face decals and the zig-zags on the win are provided as decals, however most of the orange of the pumpkin needs to be painted by the modeller. Hasegawa provides full colour instructions for this. The green stalk areas around the cockpit are also provided as decal, though I suspect most modellers would want to paint this. Cockpit panels and instrument panels are also provided as decal if the modeller does not want to use the supplied photo etch. Conclusion While this might look at first to be one for the collector, if built then this boxing of the F-14 will look anything than the ordinary, and certainly stand out from all the US Navy Tomcats you will see. Recommended if you want to build something different. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for
×
×
  • Create New...