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1/48 Revell F-14D as a VF-143 F-14B


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Hi all

Another GB for me!

I am going to weigh in with the Revell re-pop of the Monogram F-14A, kit Nr 04528 which is supposed to be an F-14D.

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To their credit, there is a separate sprue with some 'D' mods but NO weapons and I don't think the cockpit is right either. Fortunately all the bits for an 'A' are in the box and even though it was bought for £4 off eBay years ago (when eBay was great value) and so could afford to splash a bit of cash on it, I am going to stick with the original.

I think I will buy some bang seats (Aires) and/or will take a good look at the cockpit before deciding whether to upgrade this. I already have the decals...

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Not sure which decals yet...

I won't start this until I have the resin seats/cockpit sorted, so I won't do the sprue shots till then...

Until later

Andy (Quantum)

Edited by AndyC
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Yes, the cockpit in that kit is the original for the A version. The only part for the D included are seats, exhaust cans and the chin-pod. All the rest is the good old monogram F-14A with a few updated bits like the radome

Giorgio, I think you are right - I had hopes that it might have been the even later 'D' issue that had some ordinance in it but no.

Nice one Andy/Quantum! Sure it'll be up to your usual standard regardless of the version at the end!

Phil/Saint

You are too kind Saint! Must be some sort of masochistic streak in me!

Quantum

Wow! You are a brave man ;) I have one of the original Monogram boxes somewhere.

Cheers,

Alex

Thanks Alex - I like these older kits. At least with Monogram you know what you are in to! Should be fun!

Andy (Quantum)

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Giorgio, I think you are right - I had hopes that it might have been the even later 'D' issue that had some ordinance in it but no.

The newer boxes with weapons (one for the D and one for the B) were only issued by Revell US. Richard from NZ is building one of them for this same GB.

I have the same box you have and I'm planning to improve it some day (might at least start it for this GB though), the number of bits to add is quite large...

looking forward to see what you make out of it, regardless of the version you decide ! Must say that the VF-32 option you have in that sheet would be very tempting for me ;)

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The newer boxes with weapons (one for the D and one for the B) were only issued by Revell US. Richard from NZ is building one of them for this same GB.

I have the same box you have and I'm planning to improve it some day (might at least start it for this GB though), the number of bits to add is quite large...

looking forward to see what you make out of it, regardless of the version you decide ! Must say that the VF-32 option you have in that sheet would be very tempting for me ;)

Hi Giorgio

Interesting that it was only Revell US that issued the full version - I never twigged that. I will stick with the original Monogram 'A' and add where I feel it lacks - I'm not the type of builder who has to have everything 'spot-on' but will correct errors where I think they detract.

I hope to start in the next week or so

Andy (Quantum)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi all

Hell, I've been watching you all get on with stuff and I feel I'm being left behind! Anyway the obligatory sprue shot!

001.jpg

I have added the TD resin cockpit and the Master pitot and angle of attack probe in brass. I still haven't decided on which scheme from the AeroMaster decal sheet but I'm leaning toward a Swordsman machine.

First job is scribe and sand - this IS the Mongram kit after all!

Thanks for looking

Andy

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Looking forward to see the parts scribed.

Must say that even with the raised panel lines, I always had a soft spot for the monogram kit from which this is derived. As the front fuselage alway requires filler, rescribing them is almost compulsory

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Giorgio

I agree that it needs that re-scribe - I was looking at it last night. The fit around the nose does look a little dodgy! The other area that seems poor is the intake area which has that awkward sliver of fusleage that looks as though it will be a real bugger to sand as it is 'behind' the intake.

I think I read (and now can't find) a review where the builder cut that small wedge off and fitted it before doing the intake. I think I am going to do the same - I can just see me messing that up otherwise.

I am going to try and finish the True Details coickpit painting tonight and post some pics of that and maybe start the scribing. I think once those things are done - the build should be quite quick as the rest of it is just big slabs of aeroplane!

Andy

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Hi all

Seems to be a lot of work so far and no result. Typical bloody Monogram really!

Anyhow, finally finished all painting to the resin TD cockpits and sawed off the resin blocks and tidied up 'underneath'. The seats fit beautifully (no photos yet).

001-1.jpg

Fitted the overhead ejection handles (made from that very fine wire found on bottles of Rioja - perfect for this sort of job) which were wound round a cocktail stick, glued in place and painted

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Fitted and painted compressor faces and rearmost of intake. Also blanking plates behind the vents. While the paint was in the airbrush I also did the wheels.

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And the thing that has taken most of Monday and Tuesday night - re-scribing. Hard work! I have the upper fuselage mostly done (I will wait until joined to the lower to finish). The lower is about 50% done.

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I've not gone overboard on it - I don't have F-14B plans but I don't think there is much difference except around the gun access. It's going to be mostly for effect.

I have also decided to go for the Pukin Dogs scheme rather than the Swordsman...simple choice really...the Swordsman is for an -A and they didn't wear that exact scheme on their -B. The VF-143 on the decal sheet is for an A+/B which is what I am trying to build.

Thanks for looking - hopefully I can get some big bits glued next week!

Andy

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That's coming along really nicely, as for:

...made from that very fine wire found on bottles of Rioja...

Great tip!! Plenty of Rioja around here!!

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Great tip!! Plenty of Rioja around here!!

Thanks Mark - that fine wire is seriously good stuff for ejection handles, u/c pipes and wires. Has the benefit that to get proper use you must safely dispose of the contents of the bottle :drink:

It might be minor progress, but it's good progress ! The cockpit looks good and the scribed lines look very nice. As someday I'll have to scribe mine, I'll better watch this carefully !

Cheers Giorgio! I don't like having to do it but it's a 'must' for old Monogram derivatives! As I said, I won't be a slave to it, but a reasonable representation of the major bits is good enough for me. Especially as I have now plumped for a VF-143 in Grey - they got dirty!

I really want some small jets, specially now I know you can get resin lol Good job Andy.

Let's see how it actually fits in! Not sure whether the Tomcat counts as a 'small' jet, Radleigh! :D

Andy

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Hi all - time for an update

This is turning out to be a real slog - I was talking to a guy at MK last weekend about it and he asked me why didn't I just buy the Hasegawa/HobbyBoss/Academy version and be done with it? Well, this week I have thought that several times - but I do like a challenge :huh:

Early in the week I managed to get the intakes painted and together

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The fit at the rear end was approximate but some vigorous sanding took care of that - it was all going to get re-scribed anyway - I sanded the internal seams and did a good job on them (which 'pooped' later when prising the kit together (see below)

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I sanded the cockpits to fit and fixed them in place with CA - shouldn't have put the seats in though - rubbish planning by me

005-1.jpg

Although I don't have a pic the wheel well resin roof was warped and was just a bit smaller then the kit version so I needed to pack out that to get a reasonable fit. Next up the fuselage join. This was terrible - nothing to do with the resin or anything like that - just shocking fit from old moulds. The back isn't too bad but the wings up to the intakes were poor and my intake joints popped when straining the plastic into place. I sawed the wing-swing pillars down to next to nothing so I can insert the wings after painting. Finally the nose - just awful!

006.jpg

I am going to have a lot of putty here and that's not even counting the radome which is notoriously poor on these kits. I also don't have a TCS pod for the B model I am building (Revell only gives the D dual version) so I have spent the evening cobbling one together using plans and pictures off the web.

Still - this is what modelling is about isn't it?

Thanks for looking and all comments are welcome

Andy

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Still - this is what modelling is about isn't it?

Andy

Not sure I agree there - the kit parts (old mould or not) should be designed to fit properly.

What you choose to do with them or how you choose to modify them is up to you.

But they should fit

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  • 2 weeks later...
Not sure I agree there - the kit parts (old mould or not) should be designed to fit properly.

What you choose to do with them or how you choose to modify them is up to you.

But they should fit

Well Kev1n, we will have to disagree there. This is an old mould and the parts simply don't fit any longer - a problem quite common with some old Monogram moulds either through warping or shrinkage. My P-61 was the same and I am sure the B-26 I am going to do for the USAAFE build will be the same if reviews are anything to go by...

Anyway, I have slathered the thing in putty (this is the second layer) and I was going to re-scribe the thing anyway. I'm going to have to address the nose as this appears to be the wrong shape (too flat on top). I am also building up my own TCS pod as the kit doesn't have one.

005-2.jpg

004-2.jpg

Thanks for looking

Andy

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Well Kev1n, we will have to disagree there. This is an old mould and the parts simply don't fit any longer - a problem quite common with some old Monogram moulds either through warping or shrinkage. My P-61 was the same and I am sure the B-26 I am going to do for the USAAFE build will be the same if reviews are anything to go by...

Anyway, I have slathered the thing in putty (this is the second layer) and I was going to re-scribe the thing anyway. I'm going to have to address the nose as this appears to be the wrong shape (too flat on top). I am also building up my own TCS pod as the kit doesn't have one.

Andy

Hi Andy,

Great work on a bear of a kit! I built about 10 of these guys back when they were brand new, and I don't recall them fitting any better than what you've shown here. The seam on the inboard face of the intakes and the seam down the sides of the forward fuselage were/are really nasty! I used to cover up the entire face of the inboard intake wall with a thin piece of plastic card. I did this because even after you fill the seam, the intake wall has a concave shape to it, not flat as it should be.

Back then, this was the best game in town for 1:48 scale, as the Hasegawa Cats hadn't been released yet. It was either this or the really old and inaccurate Fujimi kit (which I also built and still have in my display case!). For a very short time in the late 70s or early 80s Revell USA had a 1:48 F-14 which was their own mould. It was pretty basic, more of a toy really. I don't recall it ever being released again after its first run.

Cheers,

Bill

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The seam on the inboard face of the intakes and the seam down the sides of the forward fuselage were/are really nasty! I used to cover up the entire face of the inboard intake wall with a thin piece of plastic card. I did this because even after you fill the seam, the intake wall has a concave shape to it, not flat as it should be.

Hi Bill

That's a great idea - I was actually thinking about that the other evening and I bought some very thin card at Yeovilton model show, so I may go down that route. I agree on the fit, however I went into this with my eyes open... :rolleyes:

Andy

Edited by AndyC
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