Starfighter Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 The problem is that the cross section has become more bottom heavy again by moving the radome backwards. As the nose is filled with Magic Sculp, I can't make a triangular cut and squeeze the fuselage as I did before. The only possibility is sanding the outside from now on. This means I will have to cast copies of the gun bulge and the vents as these details will have to be sanded away and replaced later on. As I'd like to build an early Tomcat, I will copy Revell's vents and Tamiya's (more accurate and detailed) gun bulge and combine both at the end. This is becoming way more complicated than initially planned! I have no idea why this happens to me each and every time... blackbetty and johncrow 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbetty Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 maybe later cast copys for all of us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 This would mean a copy of the entire forward fuselage which would probably cost more than the entire kit... but if anyone needs copies of theTamiya gun bulge and early Revell vents, no problem at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat_baloo Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 (edited) I am most intrigued by this discussion. Some stuff hitherto unknown has proven most valuable. As I have two of the Revell kit I thought a scenic route through 'Mod Country' was an idea. I tackled a basic fix to the tilt-up problem. What sayest thou of my approach? 3 Radome Nose Mods 01 by scap.design, on Flickr 3 Radome Mods 02 by scap.design, on Flickr 3 Radome Mod Profile Match by scap.design, on Flickr 3 Radome Mods Bottom 01 by scap.design, on Flickr 3 Radome Before_After 02 by scap.design, on Flickr 3 Radome Before TPT 02 by scap.design, on Flickr 3 Radome Before TPT 03 by scap.design, on Flickr 3 Radome Before TPT 01 by scap.design, on Flickr 3 Radome After TPT 01 by scap.design, on Flickr 3 Radome After TPT 04 by scap.design, on Flickr Did I say I love this hobby? Feel rather chuffed with the result. all's said and done. It will do for drill purposes. I will tolerate the slightly squashed canopy look. One can become obsessed with accuracy, so I don't believe modifying canopies is important. Down that path madness lies. The obvious question must be - will I make resin copies? Regards Edited June 9, 2017 by Cat_baloo blackbetty, Chek, Luca and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 Great job modifying the radome, Cat_Baloo - it looks very good in profile! Here's the status of my modification so far. The underside was sanded down even more; rivets and fasteners added along with a few PE parts from HAD (need to correct the position of the rear slime light on the first pic). There are loads of bubbles in the radome I have cast; they will keep me busy for some time. I will also rework the groove line between radome and fuselage - it's extremely difficult to obtain a neat groove line due to all the bubbles. Apart from that, this is where the nose job stops. It's far from being perfect (that wasn't the aim anyway) but it captures the distinctive look of the forward fuselage much better than before IMO. To get closer to reality, the lower fuselage sides would have to be much more rounded. As already mentioned, this would require rebuilding or casting the gun vents and bulge and even more scribing - and the rear fuselage would have to be modified as well. Next step (after more sanding and scribing): fitting the Tamiya cockpit to the Revell fuselage. Pascal, Chek, Menelaos and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luca Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 guys any chance to "cast" those nosecones for the Trumpeter kit?? we could pay $$$$$$ of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pascal Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 Looking really good guys. What would a resin copy cost ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squizzy 78 Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 Starfighter is there any chance of you putting your F-14 into a work in progress thread? I've followed your build threads before, and their fantastic, plus I'm planning a project kit bashing the Tamiya and Trumpeter F-14's together with as much resin and photoetch as possible. Great work, looking forward to seeing more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chek Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 There are some very admirable mods going on here fellas, I'm hoping that my nose profile, based on that F-14B aerial photo, will lead to better looking Revell Tomcat too! Although my own efforts might make Cat B's work with the nose cone look ulra-neat in comparison. Now, about those fin anomalies that Ian mentioned earlier....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 I appreciate your comments, thank you very much! I am afraid I don't have the technical possibilities to cast copies of the entire nose section. Everything has been modified from the tip of the nose to the rear edge of the windscreen. This would be quite a large casting and I cannot cast such big parts without significant air inclusions I'm afraid. The fact that I have already installed the nose gear bay doesn't help either. All you actually need to make the same modifications I made is a Tamiya canopy and radome, a saw, sanding paper and Magic Sculp (or Milliput...). Squizzy, once assembly starts, I will start a WIP for the Tomcat, promised! Regarding the fins, I am with Chek - I haven't removed the fins from the sprues yet. It would be highly interesting to know what (if any) kind of issues they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luca Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 (edited) Hi Starfigher, you could give the "master" to someone who can cast the resin copies...and we will be paying both of you for the effort. I absolutely need a correct nose for my Trumpy kit... in this case I will buy a further kit! Edited June 14, 2017 by Luca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 But why do you want a modified Revell nose to correct the Trumpeter kit? Correcting this one is another pair of shoes and using a Tamiya nose section would probably make more sense. Then, remember - the Revell groove lines a re much wider and wouldn't match the Trumpeter surface details at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anj4de Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Godd moning all This is a great thread! I have long had plans for a good F-14. I still have an unbuilt version94 Tamiya, a trash Tamiya and some parts (Canopy) from that Hachete F-14. Since I absolutely hate rescribing, mofifying a Revell with the new canopy and hopefully (!!!) a soon to be relased corrected nose and adding other bits from the trash Tomcat (Fins?, landing gear) would be my prefred was to move fwd. @Starfighter, I see you also became a victim of Photobucket's latest decission on 3rd party hosting! My PB will work until Dez2018 since I am on a (low) paid plan. If you send me your pics I can host them for you...until a better solution is found. @Cat_baloo...any chance you can cast that nose and sell copies? thanks Uwe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Mike Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 I have a Revell Tomcat, and will try to use this info down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 (edited) WOWFantastic thread and loaded with brilliant information and discussion. I've been waiting a very long time for an accurate Tomcat in 32nd scale and sure looks like I'll still be waiting. I remember back in the day when Tamiyas first Big Cat hit the shelves - brilliant kit for the day and the front office was decals galore. No such thing as the net back in those days and research was what books were in your library. Then the Revell kit hit the shelves and wow, the front office was heads and tails ahead of Tamiya with raised details. If I remember correctly a modeler by the name of Bill Barto, who worked for Grummans built numerous Revell Tomcats that were on display at the local hobby shop, Republic Airport and I believe also at the Grumman History center in Bethpage. The Revell kit was a gem and a tremendous value and what came in the kit was basically what you built. No such thing as AM Detail Sets, resin or PE except maybe just the Waldron buckles. Times have surely changed for the better and maybe, just maybe Papa Tamiya might bring forth a new 32nd scale Tomcat for us. I have the 48th scale kit and she is a gem. I have my fingers crossed. Peter Edited July 9, 2017 by Peterpools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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