F-14A bu/no 158988

[Pascal]

Hi,

 

I bought these decals for a future 1/32 scale  F-14A tomcat project :

 

 

Did a search on the WWW to find photos of this aircraft with these markings, but came up short. I DID find 1 photo in a book (Grumman F-14 Tomcat Shipborne superfighter,  Warplane Classics / World Airpower Journal), the caption under the photo says :

 

"Seen in august 1977, this "Bullets" F-14A wears a variation of the original squadron colour scheme with the traditional squadron badge displacing the tailcodes onto the inner faces of the tailfins."

 

But the photo clearly shows that the text : USS Enterprise is on the inner side of the fins.

 

 

Can anyone help me with photos of this aircraft in these markings, and can anyone tell me what "block" this F-14A is ?

 

All help is welcome.

 

Sincerely

 

Pascal

[Guest Maxim]

FY 1974  F-14A-85-GR 158988

It's an early block F-14A with the 7 vent gun gas panel and the wide beaver tail.

A photo here of it being delivered to VF-1 before VF-2 got it.

https://www.aviationphotocompany.com/p226855169/h69d66291#h69d66291

Edited August 16, 2018 by Maxim

[Pascal]

Thx Maxim,

 

Could it be a block 70 ? With the second beaver tail in this drawing ?

 

 

for reference purposes only

 

[Guest Maxim]

In the photo it's the early beaver tail with the dielectric panels removed. Notice the Danger Arresting Hook warning on the side were the Dielectric panel is removed. Definitely early tail.

[Pascal]

Thx for the tip Jen.

 

What I've found sofar is that in 1977 some VF-2 tomcats were working with VX-4 do to some tests. There's quite a lot of differences between the decals and the 1 photo that I've got.

I will ask camdecals if they have photos on which they based their decals.

[Guest Maxim]

1 hour ago, Pascal said:

Thx for the tip Jen.

 

What I've found sofar is that in 1977 some VF-2 tomcats were working with VX-4 do to some tests. There's quite a lot of differences between the decals and the 1 photo that I've got.

I will ask camdecals if they have photos on which they based their decals.

From the Detail & Scale book. It is an early block with the seven gun gas vents and the wide Boat tail. VF-1 and VF-2 still had many early boat tail F--14's even when they went back to sea in 1978. End of the day it's your model and you use whatever boat tail you want.

Edited August 21, 2018 by Maxim

[Pascal]

Thx for the photo Maxim. Yes the gun gas vents and wide boat tail, I got that from your earlier post. This photo clearly shows the differences the aicraft markings and the decal sheet. (No black paint around the canopy, etc.)

 

I dont see any white paint on the aircraft (the one to the left clearly shows the white on the bottom part of Navy)

Could 158998 have been painted without the white undersides ? And would the color be the same as on the topside of the airplane ?

[ziggyfoos]

1 hour ago, Pascal said:

Thx for the photo Maxim. Yes the gun gas vents and wide boat tail, I got that from your earlier post. This photo clearly shows the differences the aicraft markings and the decal sheet. (No black paint around the canopy, etc.)

 

I dont see any white paint on the aircraft (the one to the left clearly shows the white on the bottom part of Navy)

Could 158998 have been painted without the white undersides ? And would the color be the same as on the topside of the airplane ?

 

Probably overall 36440 light gull grey.

That photo mustn't be from the same period either as the milspec decals represent either (different camo as noted, the fins markings, the black around the cockpit, no carrier on outer tail, etc)

 

[Guest Maxim]

2 hours ago, ziggyfoos said:

 

Probably overall 36440 light gull grey.

That photo mustn't be from the same period either as the milspec decals represent either (different camo as noted, the fins markings, the black around the cockpit, no carrier on outer tail, etc)

 

I wouldn't trust MilSpec /Cam decals at all with their research.Check their drawing out , an F-14D and they quote it as NH216 not NK 216

Edited August 21, 2018 by Maxim

[Guest Maxim]

3 hours ago, Pascal said:

Thx for the photo Maxim. Yes the gun gas vents and wide boat tail, I got that from your earlier post. This photo clearly shows the differences the aicraft markings and the decal sheet. (No black paint around the canopy, etc.)

 

I dont see any white paint on the aircraft (the one to the left clearly shows the white on the bottom part of Navy)

Could 158998 have been painted without the white undersides ? And would the color be the same as on the topside of the airplane ?

Hard to say but under the radome is white by the looks of it. This is the only photo I know of these markings. They were working with VX-4 and the various Heater Ferris Splinter Camo schemes around this time so they could have have tried Overall Gull Gray.