Best of the best? F-14 Tomcat in 1/72

[Dean1700]

I'm just wondering everyone's thoughts on who makes the best 1/72 F-14 Tomcat. I usually prefer 1/48 but for what I'm thinking of doing 1/72 would be better.

TIA

[coneheadff]

Unfortunately the best 1/72 Tomcats are no longer in production. Fujimi's Cats were awesome!

Followed by Hasegawa's K-Series.

Both show up regularly on ebay, but it's not the price they used to be 

[Jabba]

The recent GWH, Fine Molds and (newer) Academy kits are also very good.

[Giorgio N]

1 hour ago, coneheadff said:

Unfortunately the best 1/72 Tomcats are no longer in production. Fujimi's Cats were awesome!

Followed by Hasegawa's K-Series.

Both show up regularly on ebay, but it's not the price they used to be 

 

I'm curious, could you elaborate on the reasons why you consider the Fujimi kit superior to Hasegawa's?

Not that I have anything against the Fujimi cat, it's a kit I buy anytime I find one at a decent price, but personally I tend to prefer the Hase kit 

[coneheadff]

50 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

 

I'm curious, could you elaborate on the reasons why you consider the Fujimi kit superior to Hasegawa's?

Not that I have anything against the Fujimi cat, it's a kit I buy anytime I find one at a decent price, but personally I tend to prefer the Hase kit 

 

I have to confess that I can't really remember,  Giorgio.

I built both kits a loooooong time ago, but remember that I liked the Fujimi one more. 

[Robertone139]

Best of the best

[coneheadff]

1 hour ago, Jabba said:

The recent GWH, Fine Molds and (newer) Academy kits are also very good.

Right...I absolutely forgot about those.

Oh boy...I left the 1/72 scale a long time ago

[tonywood]

The new mould Academy F-14A is one of the best kits I have made recently, fantastic detail and fit. The only changes I made were Quickboost seamless intakes and ejector seats.

[Dean1700]

9 hours ago, Robertone139 said:

Best of the best

Hmmm there's so much cheese right there lol

[Alex.B]

On 12/03/2022 at 11:13, coneheadff said:

Unfortunately the best 1/72 Tomcats are no longer in production. Fujimi's Cats were awesome!

Followed by Hasegawa's K-Series.

Both show up regularly on ebay, but it's not the price they used to be 

Got three of them, nearly finished one.

It's a great kit, I really love it, but is accurate only for an A version.

On Cats with F110 engines not only the nozzles are different, but the end part of the 2 lateral fairings where the tailerons are attached are different too.

Rounder with the TF30, more square with the F110.

Fujimi simply provided different burner cans leaving the TF30 fairings.

I can Iive with that, all the rest being so nice. But if you know a little bit the F-14, well, it's noticeable.

[Giorgio N]

On 3/12/2022 at 1:37 PM, coneheadff said:

 

I have to confess that I can't really remember,  Giorgio.

I built both kits a loooooong time ago, but remember that I liked the Fujimi one more. 

 

Ok, thanks for that ! The two kits hit the market around the same time and they were both impressive for those days, I remember some modellers preferred one and some the other, having built both several times I would say that the very best model would probably see parts from one and the other.

Regarding finding them, with the advent of newer kits there are now modellers that are getting rid of the older Fujimi and Hasegawa Tomcats. I always keep my eyes open for them and just last Friday I managed to score a Hasegawa B on Ebay for € 25 delivered. At the moment I'm eyeing a Fujimi A going for 25 plus delivery... IMHO even the latter is a good price, although the risk with these kits is the decals may be too old to be usefull... but then original Fujimi decals were never great and only the most recent Hasegawa ones are good.

[Hook]

On 3/12/2022 at 12:43 PM, Giorgio N said:

could you elaborate on the reasons why you consider the Fujimi kit superior to Hasegawa's?

I believe that the general consensus is that the Hasa just has the edge as far as accuracy is concerned, while the Fujimi is a slightly easier build , as well as featuring a full weapons load ( for which Hasegawa would have you buy their weapons set) and two seperate TF30's on dollies.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Giorgio N]

My personal view is that there's probably no real "best of the best". Not because there arent't good kits, on the contrary there are several great kits on the market, but because all the better kits have good and not so good points... where mind, the "not so good" are often really nitpicking on my side ! Modellers interested in other subjects today would dream to have kits with such small issues...

 

Of the most recent kits, both Fine Molds and GWH offer a lot of detail. I've been told that the GWH kit has some inaccuracies, not having one in my hands yet (I know, I should get one) I can't comment on this. The kit allows to have flaps and slats dropped and spoilers extended but I'm not sure the flap representation is fully accurate. This kit also include the early style of tail used on the first F-14A production blocks, very useful for a number of subjects.

I have the Fine Molds kit and it is also very detailed but does not offer deployed flaps and slats. At the same time offers a number of inner details that other kits do not give. IMHO the surface detail however is not as nice as others, panel lines are a bit deeper and wider than the best Japanese companies can do... but again, we're still talking very good quality and some may actually prefer these to the shallower panel lines of the Hase kit.

That brings me to the hasegawa kit... of course the new mould, where new is relative to their previous kit since this is not a new kit (first issued in the late '80s...).

It is not as detailed as the more recent ones and the sharpeness of the various details is not to the same level. It is however still an impressive kit, the PEs used in the cockpit do not make much of a difference compared to the newer kits but their use in the afterburner section is very effective. It's been issued with countless markings and the latest reboxings do show the effect of having been in constant production for over 30 years, with details not as sharp as they used to be. Flaps and slats are deployable but again the flaps are not totally accurate. A few areas are also not as accurate as I'd like. Oh, and building the kit can be a pain, a few areas are overengineered (the main wheel wells can be a nightmare). Last but not least, the kit does not include any armament. Some boxes have a Lantirn pod and bomb shackles but generally there's no bomb or missile.

The Fujimi kit is a bit simpler than the Hasegawa one in some areas but the way the fuselage is split in too many parts can lead to a lot of filling and sanding. The kit is not as detailed as Hasegawa's in the wheel wells but the all plastic cockpit is actually very nice. Again flaps and slats deployable but again simplified compared to the real thing. As Alex said, the B and D do not feature the correct fairing (Hasegawa does) but the Fujimi F110 exhaust cans are much nicer than the hasegawa ones. A company named Ka Models

The new tool Academy kit also deserves a mention... IMHO it is not as detailed as the others, however it is a very nice kit, with lot of options. It is also a bit cheaper so it's probably the kit I'd use today to build a "fleet" of models in different markings. As you're looking for the best of the best however, this is maybe not it. Although again, many modellers would dream of having a kit of their favourite subject made to this standard.

 

So what would I choose today ? Probably GWH or Fine Molds, depending if you want to have deployed flaps and slats. Personally though I still like the Hasegawa kit

 

[Billy54]

Last year (2021) I built three 1/72 scale Tomcats, Academy, Fujimi and Hasegawa. The only extra items I added was decals, canopy masks and metal probes. I felt all the kits had excellent fit and detail. The Academy and Fujimi kits come with weapons however if you wish to arm your Hasegawa kit you will need to purchase one (or more) of their weapons sets or look to other manufacturers of 1/72 scale weapons. The Hasegawa kit does provide you with metal etched parts for the cockpit and canopy. The Fujimi kit has an engine which can be assembled and displayed on an engine trolley. The Academy kit has weapons and parts which could be used to build later models of the Tomcat. Overall I enjoyed building each kit and would have no problem recommending either one of them. For the record I have two more Academy, about eight Fujimi and at least eight Hasegawa Tomcats in the stash and I hope to build all of them, one day. I have two Fine Molds Tomcat which I am anxious to build however it may be a while before I start either of them. The reviews that I have read of the Fine Molds F-14 indicate that it goes together nicely.  

 

Of course the Academy and Fine Molds kits are much newer that the Fujimi and Hasegawa. I can remember, many years ago, being able to pick up the Fujimi Tomcat for $19.99 at retail outlets

 

[Red Dog]

To complete Giorgio's post 'A company called KA Models has released Fujimi's F-14A under their own label.' 

Scalemates  -  https://www.scalemates.com/kits/ka-models-kp-72001a-f-14a-tomcat-jolly-rogers--965331

 

 

[ElectroSoldier]

On 3/12/2022 at 10:13 AM, coneheadff said:

Unfortunately the best 1/72 Tomcats are no longer in production. Fujimi's Cats were awesome!

Followed by Hasegawa's K-Series.

Both show up regularly on ebay, but it's not the price they used to be 

Hasegawa E3 and E14 is still in mass production, you can pick them up for about £15

Edited April 22, 2022 by ElectroSoldier

[Giorgio N]

9 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:

Hasegawa E3 and E14 is still in mass production, you can pick them up for about £15

 

Watch out with these as they are different kits. E3 is their '70s kit with raised panel lines and nowhere near the detail other kits provide. Mind, I would still buy this kit over the Airfix or Esci or even Italeri ones as it is better than these in many aspects, but it is still a '70s kit.

 

E14 is a different story, being the basic boxing of the "newer tool" Hasegawa kits I mentioned in my previous post. This is a kit that I still like a lot, although others are clearly more modern.

 

It is interesting that Hasegawa have kept the old tool in production for all these years even after having introduced their newer kits in the late '80s. My understanding is that they wanted to keep a cheaper (retails below £10 in Japan) and simpler Tomcat in their catalogue for all those modellers who may have been "intimidated" by the cost and complexity of the newer kits. 

Guess it's a sign of how popular the Tomcat is with Japanese modellers of any age and skills

[ElectroSoldier]

5 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

 

Watch out with these as they are different kits. E3 is their '70s kit with raised panel lines and nowhere near the detail other kits provide. Mind, I would still buy this kit over the Airfix or Esci or even Italeri ones as it is better than these in many aspects, but it is still a '70s kit.

 

E14 is a different story, being the basic boxing of the "newer tool" Hasegawa kits I mentioned in my previous post. This is a kit that I still like a lot, although others are clearly more modern.

 

It is interesting that Hasegawa have kept the old tool in production for all these years even after having introduced their newer kits in the late '80s. My understanding is that they wanted to keep a cheaper (retails below £10 in Japan) and simpler Tomcat in their catalogue for all those modellers who may have been "intimidated" by the cost and complexity of the newer kits. 

Guess it's a sign of how popular the Tomcat is with Japanese modellers of any age and skills

I already know exactly what they are. Ive built more than a few.

 

Its a very popular seller because of its price, even here in the UK its just over £12, or it should be, only the grey imports are more than that.

 

The E14 kit is just a couple of £ more (E4 £12.27, E14 £16.01) and is also a very popular seller. I dont question why people buy it, just how many they want.

[eng]

You wouldn't go far wrong with the new tool Academy kit if you're not bothered for dropped flaps/slats and the option of open speed brakes. Its a beaut of a kit, goes together very nicely. The Quickboost inlets are worth the few quid extra.

 

Eng

 

[Hook]

9 hours ago, eng said:

if you're not bothered for dropped flaps/slats and the option of open speed brakes

The Academy can be built to the config of 98 percent of Tomcat photos in my references. How many times was a Tomcat parked with slats, flaps and airbrakes out..?

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[ElectroSoldier]

On 5/9/2022 at 11:14 AM, Hook said:

The Academy can be built to the config of 98 percent of Tomcat photos in my references. How many times was a Tomcat parked with slats, flaps and airbrakes out..?

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

They are usually parked with their wings in the over sweep position.

 

Accurate I guess but not a very interesting looking model, but the self you put it on makes any accuracy look out of place.

[Filbert_Wang]

Sorry to wake up an old thread, hopefully this is OK. 

 

I'm lining up starting work on this Hasegawa F14 (I believe known as the E14 release) https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegawa-00544-f-14a-tomcat-atlantic-fleet-squadrons--120633

 

I've just had my fingers burnt (quite literally, from so much filing and sanding) on an old Fujimi AV-8a harrier from about the same era. I think a very old mould and poor fit and got through about half a pot of Mr Hobby surface filler trying to fill the gaps. Am I likely to have a similar experience with the Hasegawa kit, and if so am I better off going for one of the later Academy releases or similar?

 

With many thanks in advance from my fingers to anyone who can help!

[Hook]

The Hase, although somewhat tricky in places, is a superior kit compared to the Fujimi Harrier.

 

Some very good pointers here:

 

http://www.topedge.com/alley/models/f14mhase.htm

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Phantome]

On 6/21/2023 at 9:35 AM, Filbert_Wang said:

Sorry to wake up an old thread, hopefully this is OK. 

 

I'm lining up starting work on this Hasegawa F14 (I believe known as the E14 release) https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegawa-00544-f-14a-tomcat-atlantic-fleet-squadrons--120633

 

I've just had my fingers burnt (quite literally, from so much filing and sanding) on an old Fujimi AV-8a harrier from about the same era. I think a very old mould and poor fit and got through about half a pot of Mr Hobby surface filler trying to fill the gaps. Am I likely to have a similar experience with the Hasegawa kit, and if so am I better off going for one of the later Academy releases or similar?

 

With many thanks in advance from my fingers to anyone who can help!

 

The Hase is an amazing kit that still stands up well, the main problem is that the mold is now showing its age and newer releases don't have the same sharpness as the old ones, suffering from shallow panel lines etc. Fit in certain parts is also tricky though part of this has to do with the design of the F-14 itself which does not lend itself to an easy kit.

 

It also has an edge over some newer kits, for example, having the early beavertail that the Academy lacks, as well as open airbrake, slats, and cockpit - the latter a baffling omission from Academy (though you can probably scratch-build an actuator and thankfully the canopy is a two-piece)

[Giorgio N]

On 6/21/2023 at 5:35 PM, Filbert_Wang said:

Sorry to wake up an old thread, hopefully this is OK. 

 

I'm lining up starting work on this Hasegawa F14 (I believe known as the E14 release) https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegawa-00544-f-14a-tomcat-atlantic-fleet-squadrons--120633

 

I've just had my fingers burnt (quite literally, from so much filing and sanding) on an old Fujimi AV-8a harrier from about the same era. I think a very old mould and poor fit and got through about half a pot of Mr Hobby surface filler trying to fill the gaps. Am I likely to have a similar experience with the Hasegawa kit, and if so am I better off going for one of the later Academy releases or similar?

 

With many thanks in advance from my fingers to anyone who can help!

 

As Phantome said, it's still today a very good kit that required care when new and later pressings need a bit more care. 

The fit of the main parts is actually not bad, different story when it comes to areas like the main wheel wells or the intakes. The rear fuselage also needs care.

If you want an easier build then yes, the new mould academy kit fits better... keeping in mind that no Tomcat kit is a very easy build (1/48 tamiya excepted). If you are willing to take your time dryfitting everything 3 times then just build the Hasegawa one, it can lead to a very rewarding model