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Revell F-14


LSP_Mike

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I know what you mean Tony, as I've been fascinated by the big 'Cat since seeing the rather plain one at Farnborough '76.

It stopped just past me as I was pressed up against the runway fence by the crowd behind, then the burners opened up turning a cold day hot,

dipped its nose and then raced off down the runway and into the air.

 

As you say, the A models straddled the era of memorable and colourful US Navy schemes, but I've somehow come to impose wanting

an F-14 with the better engines and iconic GRU-7 seats on myself, hence settling on a B model. There are a couple that I've found photos of in the

Grey/White scheme, but being far less of a stickler for paint schemes than shapes I'm leaning towards a 'fictional' original '74 VF-1 Wolf pack

retro scheme and passing it off as a CONA bird.

 

But there's a ways to go before then and minds are for changing!

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Thanks Chek, now I see it too. Will be a interesting putty /sanding exsercise to correct the nose.

 

Indeed it would Pascal. I've considered other options such as just rotating the nose cone down a bit more which helps, but still leaves the underside to be built up.

As it's not uncommon for me to ponder such things for a few months while getting on with other things, I've acquired the Tamiya nose and canopy parts to see how far they can be adapted.

 

It could all seem too much like hard work, but luckily it's only a hobby and I've a fondness for silk purses on a budget that only stretches to pigs!

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It's in the original light gull gray over white schemes that the machine displays true elegance, so the 1970s era A model will forever be my own favourite.

 

Tony

 

Me too. For me, it has to be either VF-84 or VF-41, and I'll do one or the other (possibly both), eventually. 

 

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Me too. For me, it has to be either VF-84 or VF-41, and I'll do one or the other (possibly both), eventually.

 

For me, it's VF-84 with a couple of Zero kill markings on it. :) I wasn't the biggest fan of the original VF-1 markings until more recently for whatever reason but those are the two 'must builds' and if I get the chance, VF-111 for the last one.

 

I've got two Tamiya A's in the stash along with one Trumpeter A with all the fixings.

 

Carl

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For me, it's VF-84 with a couple of Zero kill markings on it. :) I wasn't the biggest fan of the original VF-1 markings until more recently for whatever reason but those are the two 'must builds' and if I get the chance, VF-111 for the last one.

 

I've got two Tamiya A's in the stash along with one Trumpeter A with all the fixings.

 

Carl

 

Speaking of Top Gun (we were, weren't we?), TG2 will begin filming next year, or so I'm led to believe.

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Given TC's previous outing clambering aboard an airborne A400 which was then only just entering service, I'd expect TG2 to provide some spectacular F-22 scenes. Or perhaps F-35B/C footage if they stick rigidly to the Navy theme.

 

And for the sole benefit of those who don't keep up with movies, Cruise's 'Edge of Tomorrow' is a really good military themed sci-fi that's well worth checking out.

Edited by Chek
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Speaking of Top Gun (we were, weren't we?), TG2 will begin filming next year, or so I'm led to believe.

I was thinking of The Final Countdown actually but Top Gun is certainly a valid guess.

 

I'm curious to see what they do with Top Gun 2.

 

Carl

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I was thinking of The Final Countdown actually but Top Gun is certainly a valid guess.

 

I'm curious to see what they do with Top Gun 2.

 

Carl

 

Wow, mind melt. You're absolutely right of course, and I have no idea why I blended the two. :blush:

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I am currently trying to figure out how to correct the Revell nose and canopy without too much effort. The Tamiya windshield already makes a huge difference - the Revell one is slightly too short and way too wide. Revell's nose section is too flat at the bottom which makes the nose look too fat. The radome itself might be rather easy to correct, but the fuselage is a bit more difficult if you don't want to rescribe everything and lose too many details. I have an idea how to solve this, though. I'd love to know if the Aires wheel wells for the Trumpeter Tomcat fit the Revell kit. I'm going to use the Tamiya cockpit with some scratchbuilt details. The Revell one might have some raised "details" but the overall shape is completely off. Side consoles are too short and the IPs are too wide. 

New wheels and nozzles are needed as well. 

 

The Revell kit requires quite a lot of work, but the Tamiya and especially the Trumpeter Tomcat also do - and I find it easier to accept on a $40 kit than on on $100+ kits...

 

I still think the Tamiya kit is the best base for an accurate F-14 by the way. 

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Good info. How much too wide do you think the Revel kit is?

 I'm thinking one might glue a couple of strips side-to-side to the underside of the radome, and sort of fill/screed that area to get the correct -ish shape.

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I am currently trying to figure out how to correct the Revell nose and canopy without too much effort. The Tamiya windshield already makes a huge difference - the Revell one is slightly too short and way too wide. Revell's nose section is too flat at the bottom which makes the nose look too fat. The radome itself might be rather easy to correct, but the fuselage is a bit more difficult if you don't want to rescribe everything and lose too many details. I have an idea how to solve this, though. I'd love to know if the Aires wheel wells for the Trumpeter Tomcat fit the Revell kit. I'm going to use the Tamiya cockpit with some scratchbuilt details. The Revell one might have some raised "details" but the overall shape is completely off. Side consoles are too short and the IPs are too wide. 

New wheels and nozzles are needed as well. 

 

The Revell kit requires quite a lot of work, but the Tamiya and especially the Trumpeter Tomcat also do - and I find it easier to accept on a $40 kit than on on $100+ kits...

 

I still think the Tamiya kit is the best base for an accurate F-14 by the way. 

 

The nose width may be an 'in the eye of the beholder' issue.

 

Without having an actual F-14 to measure, to me the Tamiya nose looks too skinny and doesn't adequately capture the bottom heavy shape of the Tomcat. And yet the actual model measurements are quite close.

 

The Revell nose width in line with the front of the nosewheel bay is 45.3 mm: Tamiya 44.3 mm.

The width at the radome break line is Revell 37.9 mm: Tamiya 35.7 mm

The nose gear bay widths (at fwd. edge) are Revell 19.5 mm: Tamiya 19.9 mm. The Aires width is within workable tolerances for both kits

 

But imho, Revell bring the max width down lower on the fuselage, which helps achieve the 'flattened egg shape' which looks more correct. To me.

 

The Aires nose gear bay is around 3mm too short for the Revell kit, but as the rear wall is quite plain, extending the length slightly isn't a big issue.

The main gear bays are fine for length on the Revell kit, but with the undercut recesses on the real thing being on the resin, I'd venture some fettling with the width will be required whatever the source kit.

 

I chose the Aires F110 nozzle set, and can confirm the approximate diameter to be fair match with the Revell engine bay sizes, but as the shroud contours are different on the later engines, I'm expecting some fun in fitting them.

 

I'm editing this post to include additional info to the measured dimensions given above.

Hoping they're of some further help to someone, somewhere..

 

The fuselage depths of the noses, vertically from the front edge of the windscreen transparency are: Revell 45.3 mm, Tamiya 41.5 mm,

The fuselage depths of the noses  vertically from the top radome break line are: Revell 37.1 mm, Tamiya 34.9 mm,.

 

The fuselage lengths of the noses, horizontally from the front edge of the windscreen transparency are: Revell 92.5 mm, Tamiya 85.5 mm.*

* the length dimensions are less accurate due to the radome end points on both kits being variable, and the uncertainty of being truly horizontal

with hand held calipers. But close enough to report on this thread, give or take a mm.

 

And to sign off again, I further recommend the HAD models etch set (HUN432003) which has a nice replacement brass grille for the

rather anaemically moulded Tamiya detailing of the gun vent just aft of the bulge with the larger NACA intake, and the plain

blank outlined panel Revell provide

.

There's more on it (upper intake vents, slat by slat and appique fin plates among others) but the gun vent alone adds a nice touch of fine detail, if your model has the final gun vent type.

Edited by Chek
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to me the Tamiya nose looks too skinny and doesn't adequately capture the bottom heavy shape of the Tomcat.

 

this is the main drawback of the Tamiya cat IMHO... the front fuselage is getting tighter (in height) as it approaches the pitot tube, and her sections near the windshield are always too circular instead of "pear-shaped", whereas it should be circular ONLY near the pitot...

 

i1124540_f14t.jpg

 

grumman-f-14b-tomcat-tamiya.jpg

 

8900af679f456696b6708ba48aadcd3c.jpg

Edited by Luca
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Great photo Luca, thanks for posting it. I've been searching for an absolutely dead head-on shot for a while and found ones quite, but not close enough, but your illustration totally filled the bill, so big thanks again.

 

Even from arguably the ugliest angle, she's beautiful, ain't she?

 

I saw a comment on a general aviation board some years ago when possibly one of the farewell flights put up a four ship formation, and the commenter thought that from a distance it looked like a flight of biplanes were incoming. But as the saying goes, big stabs, big .... wing sweep.

 

(Editor: WTF? What saying??)

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