1/18TH JSI F-14B Tomcat conversion

[A-10LOADER]

Today's update, after filling, sanding, rescribing and, adding the "panel fastener" detail, the spine looks a lot better. I'll just have to address the main seam once these two pieces are mated together for good. Also relocated the antennas to their proper spots and angels.

 

 

Both antennas were sanded a little thinner and added some wire to better secure them to the jet later on.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for checking in on today's progress.

Steve

[A-10LOADER]

I was able to get something small accomplished on the Cat before going back out this morning for more shoveling. I got the "panel fastener" detail added to the upper part of the nose area as well as scribed in the radome hinges and added the windshield washer fluid filler door ???, at least that's what I think it is. If anyone knows for sure let me know, thanks. I made the mistake of scribing a complete circle however, the lower section , towards the radome, should be flat. I'll have to fill in the little arc on the bottom, no biggie but, more work.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and having a look, soldiering on ......

Steve

[A-10LOADER]

Greetings all, hope all is well.

I haven't had much time, up until this weekend, to work on the Big Cat. I managed to complete some things that I've been putting off because I knew how much of a pain in the butt they'd be.

Today marks the one year anniversary of this rebuild, man how time flies and, still a long way to go however. Today's updates focuses on the last of the cockpit modifications. First up the canopy jettison handles. After much trial and error, third set, I finally got them looking right. I used 0.20" sheet plastic and drew the basic shape. Next I drilled out the hole in the handle, using the aircrews hand for size, and shaped it before cutting out the entire handle.

 

 

After I was satisfied with the hand grip on the handle I cut out and shaped and sanded until I arrived at this.

 

 

Next up was to add some small brass rod to make attaching them to the instrument panel easier. I filed a flat spot on one side of the rod so the handle would lay flat against the rod. This also made for a stronger glue joint as well. I also made a few extras, just in case.

 

 

Here they are dry-fitted before painting.

 

 

 

After some paint, voila, canopy jettison handles. I'm really pleased with how they came out and they look awesome installed.

 

 

I also added the hand grip, using a small piece of brass rod, to the top of the RIO's glareshield.

 

 

This will end part one of today's cockpit updates, part two will focus on the SparrowHawk HUD. Thanks for your continued interest in this project and I'll hopefully get the 2nd update posted before the night is over.

Steve

[A-10LOADER]

Part two of today's update, the SparrowHawk HUD.

Around 2003 the Tomcats started sporting HUD's and since my airframe falls into that timeframe, it's gotta have one. Mine will not be 100% accurate because I can not get the front windscreen off. I tried several times and I don't want to break it. Just one more reason I wish this model would have been released in a kit form. The top of the glareshield was redesigned for the B models with the projecting lens added to that top area. I will not be able to do that part of the mod with the glass in the way.So with my reference pics in hand I set out to scratchbuild the framework and glass that goes with it.

I started by drawing the basic shape onto some heavy cardstock. If all went well this would act as my template for the various sheet plastic pieces I would need to construct it. Everything worked out nicely and I finally came up with this.

 

 

Next up I found some small "U" shaped channel (dark grey plastic) in my stash bin, this would work well with what I wanted to use for the glass pieces. I wanted to make the framework one piece because it would be a lot easier and stronger. I used some 0.20" sheet plastic and carved out the frame. Then I added the "U" channel to the inside of the frame and sanded them both together so they are identical. Once I had the frames finished I used my calipers to measure the top of the glare shield where the framework should sit. The glass pieces (heavy thick clear plastic from the stash bin) were cut out and dryfitted into the framework. Everything looked good except the clear plastic pieces kept sliding down the "U" channel too far. I added small stops at the ends of the channels so the glass could only go so far.

 

 

 

Now came the time to get this whole thing dry fitted together to see how it looked and get the final shapes to the glass. This is a pain in the butt, to say the least, and after many colorful words this is where I'm at now. Looks pretty good for guesstamating.

 

 

 

I'll paint the framework black and then will try to get everything assembled. I'm hoping it goes smoothly and becomes more rigid once everything becomes one piece ?? Then the real fun will be trying to get it secured to the front glareshield with the windscreen in the way.

Thanks for looking and following along, til next time.

Steve

 

This brings us up to February 24, 2014. More to come when time allows.

[LSP_Kevin]

What a remarkable build!

 

Kev

[dodgem37]

Nice work.  Great stuff.  Great show!

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[A-10LOADER]

What a remarkable build!

 

Kev

 

 

Nice work.  Great stuff.  Great show!

 

Sincerely,

Mark

 

Thanks very much guys.

 

Steve

[Guest Peterpools]

Steve

Brilliant progress on the Big Cat

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[A-10LOADER]

Good morning everyone,

 

Small update for today, I finally decided that there was no way for me to get the completed HUD onto the front glare shield with the front windscreen installed, it had to come off. I spent about 4 hours, CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY, cutting with my X-acto knife along the edge where the front windscreen meets the fuselage and finally success. I was so scared I would break it but, thankfully it all worked out. All the damage will not be seen once the windscreen gets reinstalled so I caught a break there. I can also polish the inside of the windscreen, and get rid of the fingerprints that were there from the factory, as well as add the small details you see in the reference shots.

 

 

 

Now I have access to the area to do things properly.

 

Steve

 

 

[A-10LOADER]

Small update to add, I got adventurous and decided to go one step further. I was able to get the front console cover off so now the surgery will be a little easier ..... hopefully.

 

 

I have marked out the area of the front glare shield that will be removed to facilitate the new HUD. Gonna go slow at first and think a few steps ahead before any cutting happens.

 

[Guest Peterpools]

Steve

Gorgeous work

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[A-10LOADER]

Greetings everyone,

 

Today's update focuses on the HUD's black box and projecting lens on top of the HUD. The reference photos show what I need to create.

 

 

 

The first thing I needed to do was cut the notch into the front glare shield to accommodate the new HUD box.

 

 

 

Up next was to build the box. This was a real test of my patience and I spent a lot of time thinking about how to go about it. After a couple attempts I was able to come up with this. Using 0.20" sheet plastic ( I thought it would be stronger ) I cut one long strip of plastic 10mm wide. I figured one piece would be stronger and, alot easier to build than multiple pieces. Square stock pieces were cut and glued to the back to give the whole assembly some strength and to help keep my 90 degree angles. To get the bends in the plastic I scored the plastic lightly with a new X-acto blade and very carefully bent them to their angles. After much measuring and dry-fitting I had this.

 

 

I had planned on being able to sand this assembly separate from the glare shield but, when tacking the one side panel on, some glue found its way to the square stock pieces already attached to the instrument panel so I had to work it in place, more fun. Everything worked out in the end and I think it looks the part. I added the glass assembly frames as well.

 

 

I added some details to the face of the bottom front panel as well.

 

 

I will now try to work on the projecting lens panel and see what I can do for the small camera. It's been quite alot of work to this point but, I'm very happy how things are looking so far.

Thanks for checking in and following along, hopefully if all goes well I'll have this HUD all done by next weekend.

Steve

[A-10LOADER]

Hoping everyone is doing well.

Small update for today, I managed to get the projecting lens and camera made and installed. For the projecting lens I used a small square of leftover 35mm film and some .005" clear green plastic. I painted the black and silver "frame work" onto the clear green before I put it in place. I scratched a camera out of some square stock and used a very small length of brass rod for the cameras lens. The white piece of .005" sheet plastic covers up the old projecting lens as per the reference shots. I'm really happy with how this is looking so far. I will finish painting everything flat black before installing the clear HUD glass.

Thanks for checking in, til next time.

Steve

 

[A-10LOADER]

Well finally the SparrowHawk HUD is finished !!! It was a lot of work but, so worth it. I really am very happy with how it turned out. Bear in mind I had no scale drawings, no measurements, no nothing to go off of except for the reference pictures shown earlier. Everything was "eyeballed" and "guessdamated".

I started by finishing up painting everything flat black then cut new templates for the HUD's glass. The white plastic templates were cut and sanded til they looked right. I used the pilot in the seat as a reference and, using his "line of sight" as well as the photos was able to determine the finished height of the glass.

 

 

 

Once I was happy with the templates I cut out the glass pieces using some .010" clear plastic that I had previously wet sanded and polished up. I even beveled the top edges and the angled edges of the glass like the photos showed.

 

 

I attached the glass using some very fine wire dipped in Testors clear parts cement. I dry brushed the entire HUD and gave the front fabric area a Flory wash. I only wish JSI had done a better job with the instrument panels and the gauges instead of stamping them there with paint.

 

 

 

 

So there you have it, one properly converted F-14A cockpit to a F-14B "BOMBCAT" cockpit. I'm glad this part of the rebuild is finished now I can move onto other areas. Thanks for continued interest in this project and til next time.

Steve

[A-10LOADER]

Steve

Brilliant progress on the Big Cat

Keep 'em coming

Peter

 

Thanks very much Peter.

 

Steve