The
venerable F-14 Tomcat fighter is being pushed out of the US NAVY Carrier decks
at a very fast pace by the Super Hornet.
The
Tomcat is one of the most formidable aircraft ever built. It is a formidable
technical achievement, but also one of the most famous and widely recognizable
aircraft in military airpower. It owes its fame to its operational capacities
and because it starred in two motion pictures : “The final countdown” and
“Top Gun”.
The
F-14D is the latest version of the Tomcat, with improved engines, avionics and
radar and new NACES ejection seats.
My
original aim was to build one model Tomcat for each squadron that flew it. I
changed my mind to a more moderate short term plan to build one model of each
version of the F-14. I had already build two F-14As and a B from of Hasegawa
boxes. One F-14A in VF-84 markings and one F-14B in VF-102 were featured in an
ARC article (http://www.arcair.com/Fea1/301-400/Fea353_F-14_Bade/Fea353.htm)
This
model completes my quest for F-14 versions but I for sure will build more of the
hasegawa Tomcats
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MODEL
All
my current Tomcat builds are based on “new tool” Hasegawa models. I had
built one Monogram, one Airfix, one Academy, two old mould Hasegawa models and a
Fujimi Tomcat previously and were As. This F-14D is my fourth “new tool”
Hasegawa (nearly twenty years in age now) following two As and a B.
The
Fujimi model can be alternative but I believe that the Hasegawa model offers
more airframe options and is far more accurate than the Fujimi model which looks
too skinny to me. Furthermore, moving to F-14B and D versions it simply turns
out that the Fujimi offer it no match for Hasegawa. Fujimi did not get it quite
right in the engine area (B and D versions) and did not update their cockpit
area (D version).
Hasegawa
has the stance of the real thing. Some consider it is over-engineered and some
adjustments are difficult. I don’t remember my first Hasegawa Tomcat (a VF-31
F-14A build in 1991) was such a pain and my second one – and anyone thereafter
- was a pleasure to build. I have future plans for Tomcats in 1/72nd (one at
launch, an Iranian machine and a VF-31 F-14D) and all will be Hasegawa kits.
BUILDING
Building
started with a huge session of gloss white painting. It was used on landing
gears, wheel hubs, wheel doors inner surfaces, wheel wells and adjacent fuselage
surfaces.
I
then turned my attention to the front fuselage, especially the cockpit. Hasegawa
did a reasonable job here and provides new instrument panels and seats. Building
a Lantirn equipped Tomcat I had to update the rear instrument panel with a square
PTID (after completion I found out my PTID is a bit small – I’ll know better
on future projects) and a joystick on the left side console. Some details were
added and True Details NACES ejection seats replaced the box items. Beware the
True Details NACES are a bit small and I needed to raise them a bit with plastic
card pieces. I also added the canopy breaker horns over the head rests. Cockpit
base colour is dark gull grey FS36321, consoles and instrument panel details
were then painted a very dark grey/black. Then instrument faces were painted
gloss black. When the basic cockpit painting was completed I used small dots of
white, light grey, red and yellow mostly to give life to the cockpit. Seat pan
was painted black with green and tan cushions and grey-green, brown grey belts
and silver, red and yellow details.
Before
I cemented the front fuselage parts together, I cut the IFR probe well out in
the right front fuselage part. I then built the well itself from plastic card.
Ithe IFR was later built from stretched sprue
The
rear fuselage builds easily. Some attention is exercised on the adjustment of
the rear end of the fuselage (the beaver tail as it is known) to the main
fuselage. I favoured the upper alignment of the parts for the simple reason that
the lower joint is hidden below the fuselage and between the engine nacelles. It
happened that in the end my lower joint was nearly as good and the upper one.
Rear
fuselage completed, front fuselage completed, it was time to join both. This is
were you have to be careful on this model. It is not that difficult but it needs
care. I put all my attention on the quality of the upper joint again here. I
achieved quite a good joint at the cost of a 0.5 mm (0.02 in) step on the
opposite, lower front/rear fuselage joint.
It
was quite easy too file but I of course lost surface detail (I forgot to talk
about the superlatively sharp, fine and accurate panel lines of Hasegawa Tomcats
– I believe they remain unsurpassed today). I restored as much detail as I
could and the rest was covered by Phoenix pallets.
You
can continue building fuselage and details. Wings are built as sub assembles as
they are designed to be added at the end of model construction. This is far
easier for painting.
Engines
are added. There is a nice and deep intake trunk with first stage compressor
blades visible far inside from the intake side. The exhaust is well detailed too
with deep burner cans and rear fan disks.
Each
small GE open engine exhausts come as 6 part models in the Hasegawa boxes and
needs care to end as circular parts. When they were built I added this stripes
of plastic card inside the exhaust to detail and build up the area.
Landing
gears were detailed with thin fuse wire as brake lines. I also added rings on
landing gears and stretched sprue
details on main landing gears. Chrome paint was brushed on oleos and when all
this was done a thin wash of paint was brushed on all these white parts to add
depth.
Building
the model was completed with the addition of all antennas and probes. Some were
replaced with thin plastic card. I also added the hemisheric GPS antenna that
was added on later Tomcats on the fuselage spine from the tip of a 1/72nd scale
AIM-9 sidewinder missile.
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PAINTING
AND DECALING
I
had a hard time deciding the livery I wanted on my F-14D between a VF-31 CAG
(Felix the cat on a black tail band), Hi-Viz VF-101 complete with the Grim
Ripper and Low Viz VF-2. When I received my VF-2 TwoBobs decals I went for the
low viz aircraft. I also wanted a weathered machine, as Tomcats can be after
some time at sea.
I
painted the model with Gunze acrylic paints. FS36375, 36320 and 35237 are
available in their range and I just painted the model in complaince with
instructions; I then started to alter basic colours on some panels. Main
camouflage painting : over.
I
then covered panel lines with an application of thin irregular lines of 1 to 2
mm (0.05 to 0.1 in) of maskol. Once done I sprayed a very dark mist of paint
over the Maskol lines (very dark, very thinned, very thin – just a bit wider
than the Maskol lines). This was to depict the way some US NAVY weather with new
paint application and under mechanics boots.
Then
it was time for decals. I actually used both TwoBobs and Efrain Fernandez
decals, the later for the Bounty Hunters stripes around front fuselage and fins.
This is because they are the silk type and translucent, so they adapt more
easily with camouflage main colours, whatever paint brand you’ll use. This
doesn’t mean TwoBobs decals are not perfect, they are, but I believe I would
need some colours testing to get the best results. I had painted my model before
I received the very new TwoBobs decals.
Once
all decals are set in position and dry I painted a light layer of matt varnish.
In the past, I used to airspray overall layers of varnish. I later found out
that this conceals my weathering efforts. I now carefully airbrush very thin
layers of matt varnish. I do not need to cover up all surfaces, leaving matt or
satin areas : real aircraft have different sheens on different places.
When
this is done wings are added to the fuselage. All lights are provided as
transparent parts. They are carefully cemented in place (what the part numbers
as they are sided) then painted with translucent paint.
Landing
gear edges are painted red with a permanent ink marker. I find this is easier
and sharper than using red paint and a brush. They are then cemented in place.
I
then just had to add the glove pylons and LANTIRN pod to complete what is, I
believe, the best model in the 1/72nd scale of what still is my favourite
jetfighter.
Eric
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