Jump to content

New Tamiya 1/48 Grumman F-14 (A, Late A, D) Tomcat


Robert

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, DaveJL said:

The VF-2 CAG jet is what i was hoping for 👍

 

How much did you pay them?  :D 

 

Hopefully this kit will spur on the decal companies to re-release old sheets or make new ones. Hopefully including some lesser seen  birds instead the ubiquitous stuff 😛 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, Tony Oliver said:

 

How much did you pay them?  :D 

 

Hopefully this kit will spur on the decal companies to re-release old sheets or make new ones. Hopefully including some lesser seen  birds instead the ubiquitous stuff 😛 

 Only a tenner, they were surprisingly easy to convince!

 

Agree with you on the aftermarket stuff, some of the best sheets out there were for the B model though :lol:

 

Fightertown have been stating they'll release a sheet for the Tamiya 'cat, a mixture of A/B/D models, some great looking options. I've no doubt we'll see more from them and some from Furball (who I think are the best for fast jet subjects at the minute).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, DaveJL said:

 

 

Fightertown have been stating they'll release a sheet for the Tamiya 'cat, a mixture of A/B/D models, some great looking options. I've no doubt we'll see more from them and some from the Furball (who I think are the best for fast jet subjects at the minute).

 

I wish they would downsize the aftermarket sheets to 1/72 aswell... or re release them. Fighter town did loads around a dozen years ago during the retirement phase. 

 

All we have had so far is the allstars cag high viz from furball. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

According to reports on another forum, July 20th has been rumoured as a release date - not sure if this is in Japan or the states.

 

Fightertown are also due to release a sheet for the Tamiya kit at the end of May, with a couple of VF-31 F-14D options.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like a beautiful kit, nothing super duper about it, no wow factor either!

The fact that they release the D so close to their A is probably to get some market share before AMK takes it all.

Saying that cause I still have not forgiven for waiting for a two seat F-16 so many years after their amazing single seat (probably the best in scale)...

Edited by DIO
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎5‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 2:19 AM, DIO said:

Looks like a beautiful kit, nothing super duper about it, no wow factor either!

The fact that they release the D so close to their A is probably to get some market share before AMK takes it all.

Saying that cause I still have not forgiven for waiting for a two seat F-16 so many years after their amazing single seat (probably the best in scale)...

Easy bruv, I too feel your pain, I surely do need an F-16D. Think of all the money Tamiya isn't making (and all the money Kinetic is) by not tooling an F-16A upper fuselage and 'Euro tails' for all those F-16 MLU's us lot love to build.

 

Of course, this is just a case of Tamiya being Tamiya 😒 ... Their big money maker is RC stuff and they care more for the Pacific/US regions than anywhere else, I don't think they're that bothered by what AMK are up to.

 

That said, the boxart is stunning IMHO. Slight shame the VF-11 option has no hogs head or the lightning rainbow 😍. An F-14B is clearly on the cards, maybe a final F-14A/B 'Adversary' release with almost all tooled sprues chucked in?! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, oz rb fan said:

there is the finemolds one

 

 

True. 

 

However a tamiya 1/72 one would hopefully offer the same level of quality, detail & ease of assembly but be cheaper and easier to get hold of... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Tony Oliver said:

 

True. 

 

However a tamiya 1/72 one would hopefully offer the same level of quality, detail & ease of assembly but be cheaper and easier to get hold of... 

very true...finemolds had a newer release of theF14 at the Japanese show so you never know

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, oz rb fan said:

very true...finemolds had a newer release of theF14 at the Japanese show so you never know

 

 

As you think it would give tamiya the jolt to make one too because there is a market for it?

Or they won’t bother competing for said market with finemolds? 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do not forget hat GWH and Academy are making new 1/72 Tomcat kits so do we really need any more ?

 

BTW l do like the Tomcat, favourite aircraft.

 

Robert

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fact is that Tamiya completely skipped the early beaver tail Tomcats,ditto for Fine Molds but they still have to release a B.

 

I don't trust Academy for their Tomcats being new since they did the same for the F-8 Crusader with the new tooling thing that just contained a different set of decals.GWH inspires me, but I've hoarded 7 Fine Molds F-14D and I'll be ordering at least 6 F-14A in a near future so I would like them to focus on more needed things such a freaking F-15 S/MTD, a Silent Eagle, the newer Spamraam Eagle and the SG in both right (1/72) and in the wrong scale (everything else) plus scaling-down their C and J so I'll be going to use a couple of Hasegawa boxes to scratch the Ace Combat 2 F-15S conversion and sell the rest.

 

Luigi

Edited by Silverkite
Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, Silverkite said:

Fact is that Tamiya completely skipped the early beaver tail Tomcats,ditto for Fine Molds but they still have to release a B.

 

I don't trust Academy for their Tomcats being new since they did the same for the F-8 Crusader with the new tooling thing that just contained a different set of decals.GWH inspires me, but I've hoarded 7 Fine Molds F-14D and I'll be ordering at least 6 F-14A in a near future so I would like them to focus on more needed things such a freaking F-15 S/MTD, a Silent Eagle, the newer Spamraam Eagle and the SG in both right (1/72) and in the wrong scale (everything else) plus scaling-down their C and J so I'll be going to use a couple of Hasegawa boxes to scratch the Ace Combat 2 F-15S conversion and sell the rest.

 

Luigi

Seems like the upcoming Tomcats from Academy is going to be an F-14B from VF-143. Soooo one can hope for F-14D in the future.

Just a seriously wishful thinking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Tyas said:

Seems like the upcoming Tomcats from Academy is going to be an F-14B from VF-143. Soooo one can hope for F-14D in the future.

Just a seriously wishful thinking.

 

It all depends on the needs of the little hoarder inside of us

 

Luigi

Edited by Silverkite
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Robert said:

Do not forget that GWH and Academy are making new 1/72 Tomcat kits so do we really need any more ?

 

Robert

Fully agree: I had to re-read most of this thread to understand what Tamiya had blown up (still don't have a clue); or what could elicit such excitement: same again. There are already too many plastic kits around of marginally different subjects, with marginally different strengths and weaknesses. From my experience there are many manufacturers of plastic kits who do a similarly 'OK' job, so singling out Tamiya for praise in this instance seems strange.

 

Yes I like the F-14, sadly saw too few of them in period, but can't see what's to be excited about here. I would still like to know, just to satisfy my curiosity however!

 

In the meantime I shall be holding out for Wingnut Wings to do a 1/32 BE.2e. (which hasn't been done at all in 1/144, 1/48 or 1/32; and only a couple of times in 1/72 by the way :) )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/18/2018 at 8:59 PM, DaveJL said:

According to reports on another forum, July 20th has been rumoured as a release date - not sure if this is in Japan or the states.

 

 

Hmmm... that would be a couple days before my B'day, I should start dropping subtle hints to parents and girlfriend.. 😁

 

On 5/19/2018 at 3:19 AM, DIO said:

Looks like a beautiful kit, nothing super duper about it, no wow factor either!

The fact that they release the D so close to their A is probably to get some market share before AMK takes it all.

Saying that cause I still have not forgiven for waiting for a two seat F-16 so many years after their amazing single seat (probably the best in scale)...

 

I'd be surprised if Tamiya really is worried by AMK, the two companies have totally different size and AMK can't compete in terms of distribution channels with Tamiya. This is a kit that will seel regardless of the competition

 

9 hours ago, Tyas said:

Seems like the upcoming Tomcats from Academy is going to be an F-14B from VF-143. Soooo one can hope for F-14D in the future.

Just a seriously wishful thinking.

 

The "problem" with the announced Academy Tomcat is that it may end up being a simplified kit, similar in style to their recent Super Hornet. Now this is still a very good kit, but I'd have preferred a standard kit like their legacy Hornets or the Crusader. If Academy issued a Tomcat of the same standard of their F-8 then I'd be very, very happy ! If they issue a simplified kit... not so sure

 

3 hours ago, Sabrejet said:

Fully agree: I had to re-read most of this thread to understand what Tamiya had blown up (still don't have a clue); or what could elicit such excitement: same again. There are already too many plastic kits around of marginally different subjects, with marginally different strengths and weaknesses. From my experience there are many manufacturers of plastic kits who do a similarly 'OK' job, so singling out Tamiya for praise in this instance seems strange.

 

Yes I like the F-14, sadly saw too few of them in period, but can't see what's to be excited about here. I would still like to know, just to satisfy my curiosity however!

 

In the meantime I shall be holding out for Wingnut Wings to do a 1/32 BE.2e. (which hasn't been done at all in 1/144, 1/48 or 1/32; and only a couple of times in 1/72 by the way :) )

 

Well, the original post referred to the original 1/48 Tamiya Tomcat, a kit that had been very high on the wish lists everywhere in the world. The Tomcat is still a best seller in kit form and many had wondered if and when Tamiya would have made a new kit with the kind of quality they displayed with their F-16s.

Tamiya finally answered the dreams of many and delivered a brilliant kit, a kit that manages to be very accurate and detailed while at the same time allowing almost any modeller an easy build, something that previous Tomcat kits didn't guarantee.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tamiya has produced a very good model, with correct dimensions and a lot of potential. This is light years away from actually "blowing everything up".

I find the landing gear simply acceptable and the fact that there are no moving parts for the wings, simply unacceptable.

On the other hand it seems that there will soon be another release that will indeed "blow everything up". In Greek we say, Hope is the last to die lol

Edited by DIO
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

The "problem" with the announced Academy Tomcat is that it may end up being a simplified kit, similar in style to their recent Super Hornet. Now this is still a very good kit, but I'd have preferred a standard kit like their legacy Hornets or the Crusader. If Academy issued a Tomcat of the same standard of their F-8 then I'd be very, very happy ! If they issue a simplified kit... not so sure

If it is up to F-8 or Legacy Hornet standard then I'd be rushing to my guaranteed seller and snatch one. Or two. Or as much as my wallet (and shelf) would let me to.

But if it is a more simplified kits like their F-4... hmmm... Perhaps I shall wait until reviews or build progress started to pop around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Tyas said:

...But if it is a more simplified kits like their F-4... hmmm... Perhaps I shall wait until reviews or build progress started to pop around.

The quick build F-4, F/A-18 Super Hoe, and F-15E are very nice indeed, great detail for the most part and they build up quite quickly. The thing for me is that the canopies are moulded shut.

 

I have to say though, it's a little interesting to see the 'divide' between the Tamiya and AMK kits, based for the most part on the wings... It was a fairly rare sight to see the big cat with everything hanging out on the ground (usually a maintenance or flap/slat malfunction scenario). Anyhow, I see it like this:

 

Tamiya = Quick build with great finesse

AMK = Involved , super duper detailed showpiece

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, no ! Tamiya did live up to the hype, delivering what is after all a kit that surpasses in finesse all previous Tomcat kits. That they didn't supply things like complete wings with flaps and slats is something that bothers only a minority of modellers. At the same time the kits already on the market that give this option suffers from difficult fit (hasegawa) or inaccuracies (HB).

Tamiya know their market and they've never been the ones to make kits with lots of options, at least not in 1/72 and 1/48. They know that their market will appreciate great mould quality, the right level of detail and the best fit possible. I doubt anyone could disagree on the fact that they delivered this with the Tomcat

 

Then of course there's the minority of modellers that may not be happy, and these are really mainly Tomcat super-enthusiasts that would have liked to see deployable flaps and slats, different types of gun vents, different ECM fits and so on. In my previous posts in this thread I think I've made clear enough that I'm one of them and for a starter I'd have liked to be able to build aircrafts from different production blocks without having to buy afermarket resin parts, something that for example Hasegawa allows and Tamiya doesn't. Something that for me is even more important than having separate flaps and slats. And for this reason I'm not selling my Hasegawa kits and am looking forward to AMK's kit. At the same time I have to ask myself, what kit would I suggest to a modeller asking me what Tomcat kit he should buy ? Most likely will have to be the Tamiya one, unless he's in my same small club of Tomcat fanatics

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...