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On 17/02/2019 at 18:00, Tyxxx said:

As for your comment on the seats, the seat pan is adjustable to allow for different crews body lengths. Fully down the pan is very close to the cockpit floor. Fully up the gap between the top of the seat pan and the bottom of the head box can be quiet small. Having them at different heights is probably the most accurate, from my near 20 years working with seats the crews rarely raise them before they get out

 

Hi pal thanks for you interesting comment regarding the seats being adjustable, never thought of that. However for these NACES seats in the F-14D version I am on about every picture I have seen whether crew or not the seats are the same height with the bat ears/canopy breakers in the same place (good point of reference)

Perhaps the seat pan/base is adjustable but that wouldn’t affect the overall seat frame height?

 

The problem with the hobbyboss D seats (both 1/72 and 1/48) is that the seats on the whole are either too short or generally undersized. There is too much empty space between the top of the seat and the underside of the canopy. This is most noticeable with the RIO’s seat. 

 

Have a look at any built hobbyboss D tomcat (both scales) on the web and compare to real photos. The RIO would hardly be able to see left and right over the sills! 

 

See here on my build in question

 

22-B6570-F-F1-E8-449-A-A6-F1-20-DD945556

 

Compare to this vf-2 line jet -

 

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_030415-N-4142G-141_An_F-14_Tomcat_assigned_to_the_Bounty_Hunters_of_Fighter_Squadron_Two_(VF-2)_displays_the_bombs_and_missiles,_below_the_canopy,_that_this_Tomcat_has_dropped_in_support_of_Operation_Iraqi_Freedom.jpg

 

 

Tony

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Great to see you back at these Tony. The Hobbyboss F-14 was one of my first builds upon returning to the hobby a few years ago and I crewed mine up. I can't remember if I added shims under the seats or under the figures so that they didn't look like toddlers sitting at the 'big table'.

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13 hours ago, Tony Oliver said:

 

Hi pal thanks for you interesting comment regarding the seats being adjustable, never thought of that. However for these NACES seats in the F-14D version I am on about every picture I have seen whether crew or not the seats are the same height with the bat ears/canopy breakers in the same place (good point of reference)

Perhaps the seat pan/base is adjustable but that wouldn’t affect the overall seat frame height?

 

The problem with the hobbyboss D seats (both 1/72 and 1/48) is that the seats on the whole are either too short or generally undersized. There is too much empty space between the top of the seat and the underside of the canopy. This is most noticeable with the RIO’s seat. 

 

Have a look at any built hobbyboss D tomcat (both scales) on the web and compare to real photos. The RIO would hardly be able to see left and right over the sills! 

 

See here on my build in question

 

22-B6570-F-F1-E8-449-A-A6-F1-20-DD945556

 

Compare to this vf-2 line jet -

 

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_030415-N-4142G-141_An_F-14_Tomcat_assigned_to_the_Bounty_Hunters_of_Fighter_Squadron_Two_(VF-2)_displays_the_bombs_and_missiles,_below_the_canopy,_that_this_Tomcat_has_dropped_in_support_of_Operation_Iraqi_Freedom.jpg

 

 

Tony

See what you mean in the photo. I would think either undersized seat or mounted too low, or both. Just a bit more info that might help. The ejection gun (The telescopic tubes you see sticking up following ejection), are bolted to brackets on or near the cockpit bulkhead in two places. the bottom bolt is fixed on the ejection gun and we get the bolt into that one first. The upper attachment bracket on the ejection gun, if its the first time the set of seats has been fitted to that airframe, is left loose. This allows for minor differences in the distance between the two brackets in the cockpit. The bolt would be fitted then the bracket on the gun would be tightened up. If the seat and guns had been out for access and were been returned to the same cockpit they should fit first time. We only take the gun out if its in the way, removal of the seat assembly is usually enough for access.

Once the gun is in, the rest of the seat, comprising the main beam, seat pan, parachute assembly (head box) and Personnel Survival Pack that forms the seat in the seat pan are fitted as one, from above, with the six slippers on the inside of the main beam assembly sliding down the rail on either side of the ejection gun until the top of the ejection gun meets the inside of the main beam assembly.

We used to fit seats in Tornado in five pieces, Ejection gun, Main Beam Assy, Seat pan, Head Box and PSP. It saved removing the canopy. Health and safety in the early 90's stopped that practice and we had to remove the canopy and remove the seat up the ejection gun as one piece. How the F-14 community did it I cant comment but been Martin Baker seats I cant imagine much difference.

In summary, the seat should always, if fitted correctly be in the same position, the headbox will always be in the same position in relation to the underside of the canopy/cockpit sills, give or take a few millimetres depending on the lower bracket in the cockpit. the only part of the seat that should vary is the Seat Pan. I don't know the length of Main Beam on an F-14's seat but if you can find that out you can see if the seat length is to scale.

Hope that waffle helps a bit more Tony and isn't to baffling!

Edited by Tyxxx
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  • 4 weeks later...
22 hours ago, Blitz23 said:

I've just gone through the whole thread from the beginning and automatically want to add more Tomcats to my stash, great stuff!

 

All 25 pages? 

 

Thats a strong effort mate hope it wasn’t too boring!

 

Thanks for the love! 

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And now for something the same but different!

 

Made a start on the hasegawa eggcat to go with the felix mascot. A couple of silly things to go alongside the builds in the cabinet. 

 

Simple quick build this as not many parts. 

0-E912850-817-E-4-D4-D-9504-D454-DF54-CE

 

Alot can be seen through the giant bubble canopy and nothing seems to survive being fettled with by me so I added some scrap airwaves gru-7 etch to the pit! 

 

0-AA820-A3-EBCC-40-D1-A2-AD-76-FF31-D43-

 

All bit ready for paint. Black stynylrez primer. Going to use Mr Colour on this one. Hot areas done first then will be covered in maskol. 

CD8-B8-C2-F-9516-4554-B357-837-F2-D956-A

 

Main paint next!

 

Thanks for looking. 

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Decided to go for gull over white to make it more interesting rather than straight gull. Made more masking with the upper flaps and tailerons but what the hell. Corroguard done on all leading edges as well. Putting a tan nose on it too to make it an early scheme. Also painted the skunk & tails instead of using the decals, tail markings will be soured from the revell 1/144 tomcat...

 

7-E0301-C6-49-B4-4-FDB-8404-E996-D8-BF1-

 

7-AA3-E867-0350-4635-A5-AF-23693859-FE58

 

E9-EAAB68-0-F49-4-EED-B61-D-BFC4942-D3-F

 

6-B3-D7359-2192-460-A-BFA0-67134553-CF7-

 

One thing I forgot to mention which I scratched on to it is a fuel dump pipe on the beavertail. Made it from a tapered piece of stretched runner to make it a funnel shape so it would fit in with the style of the kit. 

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Decals are a mash up from several kits to depict a CAG 200 as the kit came with 202 numbers. 

 

The only things original are the intake chevron, ‘navy’ and red stripe across the back. 

From the revell 1/144 F-14A - all tail stuff, ejection triangles, wing 200’s and all the stars and bars. 

From hasegawa 1/72 Atlantic Fleet Squadron F-14A - banderoles and nose 200’s. This is because the yellow in thr stripe of the eggcat’s sheet didn’t match the revell AJ codes. 

USS NIMITZ along intakes from the hobbyboss 1/72 F-14A kit. 

 

EBD5-E15-A-B086-4277-B66-F-72-D56-B5-FF4

 

23414-D0-E-36-EC-45-C4-932-D-0-A9686-B3-

 

A wash and a satin coat and that’ll be it! 

 

Tony

 

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In other news, 

 

I was rambling on last month in its RFI about how I have found out that there are several things wrong with my vf32 swordsman CAG jet from desert storm. Decided to give it a make over. 

 

This is how it stands now, not sure of what it is going to turn into but will stay gull grey. I would like to keep some colour, so an option is the vf124 show birds with the blue and yellow tails. Another option is an all gull vf114 line jet with the diagonal orange stripe beneath the cockpit. Answers on a postcard please... 

 

managed to carefully remove most major parts - 

1301263A-EABA-4479-ABE7-5DA43278F7FE.jpg

 

Soaking in IPA

919-FC698-C749-4-ED0-AE89-A15-DCD4-EBB6-

 

Some filling and sanding. 

B2-F7-BA57-4-C90-4-A45-B51-D-6-B7-D006-A

 

A semi-blank canvas!

2-DA3-D4-F7-43-D7-477-D-BBE0-40-A00-A1-E

 

Thats it for now. 

 

Tony  

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1 hour ago, Robert said:

I agree with the Aardvarks as well. Did you know that there was a black tailed Aardvark ?

 

Robert

 

Yeah with orange markings on the black tail. FCM do it on their 1/144 sheet. Nice jet :) 

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Having built a load of jets, I’ve diverted slightly with the resin mascot & the eggcat. Here is another distraction, something else to go along with the 10 (well 9 again now one is being repainted) tomcats - these fujimi engines. 

 

36-BC3-A17-4-CFC-41-C7-93-CE-847-ECC8075

 

Again some tweaks will be employed to improve them, here are the main parts removed and ready for assembly. 

 

The P&W on the left just gets a better nozzle, the rest is ok. 

The GE is having some hasegawa parts -a smoothed cowl, compressor face and afterburner and then a nozzle/tube made for my finemolds builds. 

 

2-BFF75-A2-C651-4-CF2-8980-086-F4-CDD064

 

Will be messing around with ak xtreme metals for these. 

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Engines & carts being painted. 

 

Primed with black stynylrez - 

 

B3444-B88-AF15-4-E71-8970-D4-BA7-E7-B62-

 

Dark alu base - 

 

B7-CBEAEA-9336-4-D75-8-C75-7-C273915-BB3

 

Detailed with various tones - 

 

5575-F3-CD-555-F-4139-A8-A6-79-B12-F20-F

 

carts will be done in yellow then some details picked out and maybe a wash or two. 

 

Stay tuned. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well funds are tight at the minute and need to clear some space in the cabinet so a couple of these cats (vf-14 & vf-102) along with some of my other builds are up on that well known auction site...

 

Nothing else really to add sadly. 

Really busy with work currently so not much time for playing with plastic. 

I need to stop promising people stuff 😂

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  • 3 weeks later...

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