Jump to content

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


Robert

Recommended Posts

 

Having "sat" on a 1/32 Trumpeter F-14D with Zacto inlets and other goodies for over six years, I've come to the realisation that this ensemble may never get built. Too big and too complex. 

So, shrinking dimensions a tad to quarter inch scale, what looks best to me? 

 

I'm thinking a Tamiya A and AMK D would make a nice pair. One of each. Different enough in kit design philosophy not to be "samey", and allowing for two great shiny black nosed kitties: a high-vis VF-41 F-14A and not so matt VF-31 F-14D.

 

Tony 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, LeVi Tophatter said:

I have severe problems and I don't want help:

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo1_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo2_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo3_400.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo4_400.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo5_400.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo6_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo7_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo8_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo9_400.jpg

 

I quite like the Tomcat.

... Holy moly that is a dedication I can never match.

Monetarily, at least.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/30/2018 at 8:14 PM, Giorgio N said:

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

Totally agree. But this is also why Tamiya has not blown anything up.

If she had given all those really expected only from tamiya, only then would have indeed blown everything up lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, LeVi Tophatter said:

I have severe problems and I don't want help:

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo1_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo2_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo3_400.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo4_400.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo5_400.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo6_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo7_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo8_1280.jpg

 

tumblr_p9mcs2RnI81rl7qlzo9_400.jpg

 

I quite like the Tomcat.

You need help..

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

...with building all those kit's lol!!!!

 

Edited by DIO
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, LeVi Tophatter said:

I have severe problems and I don't want help:

 

No, I think you are far beyond the reach of any help. But there are worse things to sufffer from than an F-14 Tomcat obsession.

 

And I also think that your wife (if there is one) deserves a medal for putting up with you and your cats. :)

 

Robert 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/30/2018 at 12:14 PM, Giorgio N said:

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

Giorgio, I think you're spot on.

 

And let's not forget who are "responsïble" for starting a "hype" in the first place every time Tamiya announces/releases a new kit. It's that small band of super fanatical modellers who will be satisfied only when the kit caters to their own particular whims: separate slats, movable flaps, "in the only scale that truly matters", curly hair on the pilot figure, a WSO with left hand thumb top missing etc. etc. And if it doesn't they'll criticize it into the ground before they've even seen the test shots.

 

To be blunt: that group of modellers is (thankfully) not the market kit manufacturers are aiming for and they don't give a monkeys about what these market niches think (and I can't blame them). Will it sell to a more general public, which will give priority to ease of assembly and reasonable (not: low) cost and judge by the TLAR-system? Will it sell in large enough numbers (for instance, as a rule, anything German from WWII will sell about four times more than any other comparable subject). Niches are left to the AM industry. It's as simple as that.

 

So, I for one am very glad Tamiya has released this new Tomcat line and will certainly buy one of them. Or two, or perhaps three, well certainly no more than five.... I think. Possibly. And then BUILD them. Probably. Well, I intend to. Hopefully.

 

Robert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎6‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 11:32 AM, RobertF said:

No, I think you are far beyond the reach of any help. But there are worse things to sufffer from than an F-14 Tomcat obsession.

 

And I also think that your wife (if there is one) deserves a medal for putting up with you and your cats. :)

 

Robert

There is no wife but there was a girlfriend... My collection of 'Cats was nothing compared to her 'collection' of Converse All Stars, which lived in the spare room naturally...

2 hours ago, DIO said:

Now that's cooool. Thanks 🙂

If you're feeling like a hero, you could do this conversion yourself, I'm very sure KASL Hobby had an entry on Facebook showing how they cut up the Tamiya wings to made the resin masters.

 

Or just wait for the AMK kit😋.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/1/2018 at 11:55 AM, RobertF said:

Giorgio, I think you're spot on.

 

And let's not forget who are "responsïble" for starting a "hype" in the first place every time Tamiya announces/releases a new kit. It's that small band of super fanatical modellers who will be satisfied only when the kit caters to their own particular whims: separate slats, movable flaps, "in the only scale that truly matters", curly hair on the pilot figure, a WSO with left hand thumb top missing etc. etc. And if it doesn't they'll criticize it into the ground before they've even seen the test shots.

 

To be blunt: that group of modellers is (thankfully) not the market kit manufacturers are aiming for and they don't give a monkeys about what these market niches think (and I can't blame them). Will it sell to a more general public, which will give priority to ease of assembly and reasonable (not: low) cost and judge by the TLAR-system? Will it sell in large enough numbers (for instance, as a rule, anything German from WWII will sell about four times more than any other comparable subject). Niches are left to the AM industry. It's as simple as that.

 

So, I for one am very glad Tamiya has released this new Tomcat line and will certainly buy one of them. Or two, or perhaps three, well certainly no more than five.... I think. Possibly. And then BUILD them. Probably. Well, I intend to. Hopefully.

 

Robert

Giorgio, Robert,

 

Thanks for the sanity check guys! I just read these threads now and again, especially on the Tamiya and upcoming AMK Tomcat, and am seldom tempted to post but your feedback hits the spot. I'm gonna get poo-poo for this but some of these guys are amazing (I edited my original term) - I thought rivet counters

were mythical beings but I fear now they really do exist. And that guy with all the Hasegawa Tomcats - I assure you he does need help - if not now, certainly in a few years or so.

 

This hobby is supposed to be a hobby - to build things - to be creative - there's a fine line between hobby and obsession, and some have obviously (and inadvertently) crossed it.

 

 

Edited by MarcV
Typo AMT => AMK
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/1/2018 at 12:55 PM, RobertF said:

Giorgio, I think you're spot on.

 

And let's not forget who are "responsïble" for starting a "hype" in the first place every time Tamiya announces/releases a new kit. It's that small band of super fanatical modellers who will be satisfied only when the kit caters to their own particular whims: separate slats, movable flaps, "in the only scale that truly matters", curly hair on the pilot figure, a WSO with left hand thumb top missing etc. etc. And if it doesn't they'll criticize it into the ground before they've even seen the test shots.

 

To be blunt: that group of modellers is (thankfully) not the market kit manufacturers are aiming for and they don't give a monkeys about what these market niches think (and I can't blame them). Will it sell to a more general public, which will give priority to ease of assembly and reasonable (not: low) cost and judge by the TLAR-system? Will it sell in large enough numbers (for instance, as a rule, anything German from WWII will sell about four times more than any other comparable subject). Niches are left to the AM industry. It's as simple as that.

 

So, I for one am very glad Tamiya has released this new Tomcat line and will certainly buy one of them. Or two, or perhaps three, well certainly no more than five.... I think. Possibly. And then BUILD them. Probably. Well, I intend to. Hopefully.

 

Robert

 

Sorry, but no, the people who generally start a hype whenever Tamiya announces anything are not the ones that want everything down to the final rivet. Tamiya are not known for supplying kits with infinite variations and multiple options, they are known for great engineering and mould quality. Tamiya is afterall a very mainstream manufacturer and they aim at satisfying the general public with a product of the highest quality possible but within certain cost limitations (although their 1/32 kits may be another story). There are other companies who try to offer kits with much more detail and many more options.

Regarding some modellers being not what manufactuters aim fot this is wrong again. Different companies may try to cater more to a market niche than the other but all mainstream companies try to make as many modellers happy as possible. And rightly so ! If companies didn't care about "rivet counters", the rest of the modelling world would still be offered Starfix style caricatures... happy with them ? Fair enough, personally I'm not.

 

 

On 6/2/2018 at 4:34 PM, MarcV said:

Giorgio, Robert,

 

Thanks for the sanity check guys! I just read these threads now and again, especially on the Tamiya and upcoming AMK Tomcat, and am seldom tempted to post but your feedback hits the spot. I'm gonna get poo-poo for this but some of these guys are amazing (I edited my original term) - I thought rivet counters

were mythical beings but I fear now they really do exist. And that guy with all the Hasegawa Tomcats - I assure you he does need help - if not now, certainly in a few years or so.

 

This hobby is supposed to be a hobby - to build things - to be creative - there's a fine line between hobby and obsession, and some have obviously (and inadvertently) crossed it.

 

 

 

Not sure what the problem is with "rivet counting". Does this bother you personally ? If a modeller want to have the most accurate kit possible, it's his choice and should be respected. In the same way as another modeller's choice of sticking to building OOB should be respected.

And the same for the "guy with all the Hasegawa Tomcats", he likes the big Grumman cat and wants to build plenty of them. His choice, that fully deserves to be respected (and really I'm a bit envious of his stash...).

The hobby is IMHO just supposed to be fun for each of us in whatever way we like, may it be by building a kit OOB and painting it pink and purple, by reproducing a specific subject at a specific time down to the very last rivet or screw or just by filling the attic with boxes of the same kit. I may like aspects of the hobby someone else hates, doesn't mean I'm approaching the hobby the right way and that someone else isn't.

 

 

On 6/2/2018 at 2:22 PM, LeVi Tophatter said:

 

If you're feeling like a hero, you could do this conversion yourself, I'm very sure KASL Hobby had an entry on Facebook showing how they cut up the Tamiya wings to made the resin masters.

 

Or just wait for the AMK kit😋.

 

Good point. Afterall even the Hasegawa Tomcats need some work to get the flaps accurate and scratchbuilding everything isn't as difficult as it sounds. Of course the resin set saves quite some time

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

 

Sorry, but no, the people who generally start a hype whenever Tamiya announces anything are not the ones that want everything down to the final rivet. Tamiya are not known for supplying kits with infinite variations and multiple options, they are known for great engineering and mould quality. Tamiya is afterall a very mainstream manufacturer and they aim at satisfying the general public with a product of the highest quality possible but within certain cost limitations (although their 1/32 kits may be another story). There are other companies who try to offer kits with much more detail and many more options.

Regarding some modellers being not what manufactuters aim fot this is wrong again. Different companies may try to cater more to a market niche than the other but all mainstream companies try to make as many modellers happy as possible. And rightly so ! If companies didn't care about "rivet counters", the rest of the modelling world would still be offered Starfix style caricatures... happy with them ? Fair enough, personally I'm not.

 

 

 

Not sure what the problem is with "rivet counting". Does this bother you personally ? If a modeller want to have the most accurate kit possible, it's his choice and should be respected. In the same way as another modeller's choice of sticking to building OOB should be respected.

And the same for the "guy with all the Hasegawa Tomcats", he likes the big Grumman cat and wants to build plenty of them. His choice, that fully deserves to be respected (and really I'm a bit envious of his stash...).

The hobby is IMHO just supposed to be fun for each of us in whatever way we like, may it be by building a kit OOB and painting it pink and purple, by reproducing a specific subject at a specific time down to the very last rivet or screw or just by filling the attic with boxes of the same kit. I may like aspects of the hobby someone else hates, doesn't mean I'm approaching the hobby the right way and that someone else isn't.

 

 

 

Good point. Afterall even the Hasegawa Tomcats need some work to get the flaps accurate and scratchbuilding everything isn't as difficult as it sounds. Of course the resin set saves quite some time

Exactly what I thought! And in correct English too lol!!!

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Seeing as Tamiya have been blowing everything up now since 2016, I think I'm going to take that rather sensational part of title off for a lie down ^_^

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Mike changed the title to 1/48 F-14A Tomcat in 2016 and F-14D in 2018!
22 hours ago, Mike said:

Seeing as Tamiya have been blowing everything up now since 2016, I think I'm going to take that rather sensational part of title off for a lie down ^_^

The exclamation point at the end is still a nice touch 😁

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, aircooled said:

The exclamation point at the end is still a nice touch 😁

Well, we have let him still sound a little bit excited ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/1/2018 at 1:57 AM, LeVi Tophatter said:

I have severe problems and I don't want help:

 

I quite like the Tomcat.

I tip my hat to you! Buy lots of a basically accurate kit and modify to your heart's content. If you know your stuff you can have fun when people ask whether they're the new Airgawa offering. Depending on your age I would suggest considering laying in some 1/48 models as insurance against the day when 72nd becomes too much like hard work. I changed up about 10 years ago and still do the occasional 1/72 kit but am much happier in 1/48th.

 

BOT Tamiya have always been a mass market manufacturer as they realise relatively easy to build kits sell a lot better to casual purchasers. The kits are often broken down so that conversions and improvements can be easily incorporated for those that want to. The accuracy has been improved considerably over the years, makes no difference to unit cost, makes no difference to casual purchasers, does mean extra sales to 'enthusiasts' and informed purchasers. No brainer really.

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...