1/48 Tamiya F-14A VF-84 Jolly Rogers

[Thunnus]

I've just finished the Fw 190D-13 and am going to start a new project instead of jumping back onto the Special Hobby Tempest V build.  I'll get to that one eventually but I thought it would be good to mix it up a little bit and try something different.  I'm going to a smaller scale and trying my hand at a "modern" jet...

 

 

I put "modern" in parentheses since the Tomcat is officially out of service.  I think it is a cool looking aircraft and I have found memories of building a 1/72 version in Wolfpack markings when I was younger.  Here is the kit I'll be building now...

 

 

It's one of the latest from Tamiya and since this release has been covered extensively online, I'm not going to do a sprue tour and just jump straight into the build.  There's going to a few aftermarket additions but compared to my normal WW2 builds, it will be closer to OOB than not.  The Aires wheel well set is for the Hasegawa kit and I'm not planning on trying to shoehorn it into place but rather try to use it as a reference in sprucing up the kit wheel wells, if necessary.

 

 

I don't know much about jets and don't have much in the way of references so I picked up this one...

 

 

It's essentially a photo book chock full of close-up details, which is ideal for us model builders.

 

 

And yes, I'll be doing the VF-84 Jolly Rogers scheme.  I know that it's probably been done to death but I have a particular nostalgia for the high vis F-14 markings from the 80's.  The kit has decals for this scheme but being a bit leery of the thickness of Tamiya's decals, I'm looking for some aftermarket decals.

 

First step will be taking a look at the cockpit.

[Thunnus]

Based on what I've seen online, I think the kit ejection seats, while decent, could be upgraded pretty easily with resin.  Let's take a look at the Eduard Brassin Martin-Baker GRU-7 ejection seats.  The seat cushions are cast as separate pieces.  Overall, the detail is nice and crisp and looks like a noticeable upgrade over the kit parts.

 

 

Eduard packs a set of stencil decals with this set.

 

 

Harnesses and other small details are provided as steel photoetch.

 

 

I'm not sure I like these harnesses but I have at least one viable alternative on hand.

 

 

It was easy separating the seat components from their casting bases.  1/48 stuff is noticeably smaller than 1/32!  :giggles:

 

 

At this point, I decided to dry-fit the cockpit assembly minus the side consoles to see how the Eduard resin seats fit.  The detail level provided by the kit is decent but nowhere near state-of-the-art.  The throttle assembly on the pilot's port console is especially disappointing.

 

 

I think the cockpit would look pretty good if everything was carefully painted.  On the other hand, we have this...

 

[LSP_K2]

Nice choice, real nice. The Daco book is awesome too. If I ever grab the kit, I'll probably go VF-41 Black Aces, just to be different.

[Thunnus]

Thanks Kevin!

 

This is the most intriguing aftermarket item that I have lined up for this build.  It is the Quinta Studios Interior 3D Decal set designed for the Tamiya F-14A kit.

 

 

Coming in a surprisingly small package, the Quinta set includes two sheets.  In addition to a complete set of instruments for both front and rear positions, Quinta includes three sets of harnesses for the GRU-7 ejection seats.

 

 

Based on the instructions, I think it is more appropriate to think of these as 3D "parts" that are housed on a decal sheet carrier as opposed to true "decals" since application involves glue like any other plastic or PE part.  They are definitely not flat and feature some impressive vertical relief on the small buttons and switches.  It's hard to make out in the photos but each piece is finished in an overall satin finish with instrument faces highlighted with a layer of gloss.  It would be my preference for the overall finish to be more flat, which I think would cut down on the glare and help highlight the details. 

 

 

The harnesses are very interesting but I don't know how useful they will be until I get them off of the backing sheet and see (a) how thick/pliable they are and (b) if they are colored on the hidden side.

 

[Thunnus]

The Quinta Studio set requires the removal of the kit parts' raised details.  So before I jump into mass removal on multiple parts, I'm going to perform a test application on a single console just to get a feel for the material.

 

Here is the kit part that I'm going to perform the test on with the raised detail still intact.

 

 

A quick swipe of the knife removed most of the bumps and knobs.  I then rubbed the piece on a piece of sandpaper taped to a flat piece of glass.  I chose to leave a remnant of the raised details to help guide installation of the Quinta Studio part.

 

 

The paint was then sprayed an interior gray (Tamiya XF-19 Sky Grey) and allowed to dry.  Quinta Part No. 34 is the corresponding placard to placed on this part.  Like a decal, the Quinta placard was cut off the decal sheet, soaked in warm water.  After it slid off, I dried it.  It is flexible but much stiffer than a decal due to the material thickness.  The reverse side of the placard was white.

 

 

I used PVA glue (white glue) rubbed on the Quinta part to attach it to the console. It fit perfectly.  Pretty impressive I must say, with each individual knob and button sanding proud.  Based on this singular application and result, this looks significantly better than any phototech without the painting/decal effort of a resin set.

 

 

The only drawback I could see from this piece is that the red color of some of the knobs is very much faded.  Perhaps they could touched up with some careful brush painting.  Just to test my previous observation, I sprayed this with a light satin coat (2:1 flat/gloss mixture) to remove a bit of shiny glare.  Can't really see any difference in the photos but I think it looks a bit better after this treatment.

 

 

[Uncarina]

Oh I am so looking forward to this John! I built the kit in Wolfpack markings as a foray into 1/48 as well but not with the Quinta set. I am very intrigued! In any case, you’ll knock this out of the park for sure.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Uncarina]

1 hour ago, Jennings Heilig said:

I have the Quinta set for my Tomcat(s), so I’m watching with interest!   Looking good so far.

 

It astounds me that nobody has yet availed themselves of the opportunity to produce 3D printed, highly detailed gear wells for the Tamiya kitty cat (or any other model for that matter).  You could literally do every single pipe, wire, tube, spring, or whatever doo-dad you wanted to if you 3D printed them.

I don’t want to sidetrack John’s build but that’s a great idea! I could also see Quinta making wheel well 3d decals.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Thunnus]

The state-of-the-art in the aftermarket goodies is definitely moving forward.

 

I went ahead and did the other side consoles this evening following the same procedure.  You can see in the 2nd photo the sheen that I wanted to dial back.

 

 

After misting a semi-flat clear coat, the panels look a little better. Some of the red details were touched up with a fine paintbrush.  I think I was mistaken about the faded red on that first part... I think they are supposed to be yellow or orange.

 

 

Here are the completed panels mounted in the unpainted cockpit tub...

 

 

I'll be working on the more complicated instrument panel and radar display panel next.

[Uncarina]

That’s looking quite nice, and even in this scale the 3d effect is very apparent.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[D.B. Andrus]

[Martinnfb]

This is going to be epic, I can feel it

[Thunnus]

Thanks guys!

 

59 minutes ago, Jennings Heilig said:

I haven’t had time to mess with models recently... do you remove the Quinta panels by soaking like a normal decal? I know you’re supposed to use glue to attach them. Superglue? Gator glue?

 

Yes!  The Quinta panels are loosened from their backing sheet by soaking in water just like a decal.  After removal, I dry them off with a clean cloth and then use PVA (white) glue to attach.  The instructions say that you can also use CA glue but to be very careful in placement.  PVA glue seems to work well and I have the luxury of pushing them into position.

 

I'll try and get some better close-up shots of each panel.  The 3D effect is quite impressive especially given how small these pieces are.

[Thunnus]

Thanks guys!  As promised here are some additional shots of the Quinta Studios side consoles.

 

 

The labels and markings alongside the knobs and switches are short of being legible but the effect is very convincing nonetheless.  And keep in mind how small these pieces really are.

 

 

The next set of parts to be enhanced with the Quinta decals.

 

 

The instrument panel and radar panel were not given a semi-matte coat.  Each individual dial has a glossy face to simulate a clear lens and I didn't want to remove that effect.  The fit of the Quinta panels has been perfect on all of the parts so far.  Some of the Quinta decals have a slight white edge, which can be touched up with careful painting.

 

[scvrobeson]

Hey wait, this isn't a WW2 German plane!  I kid, I kid.  Great progress so far, those decal side panels really look like an excellent investment.

 

 

 

Matt 

[Thunnus]

On 5/19/2021 at 10:58 AM, Jennings Heilig said:

That’s looking fantastic!

 

All props to Quinta Studios since I'm just placing their products on the pieces at this stage in the build.

 

 

 

On 5/19/2021 at 12:34 PM, scvrobeson said:

Hey wait, this isn't a WW2 German plane!  I kid, I kid.  Great progress so far, those decal side panels really look like an excellent investment.

 

 

 

Matt 

 

Thanks Matt!  Gotta break out of the set routine once in a while, right?

 

Thank you gentlemen!  Appreciate the input as always!

 

The painting of the cockpit components continues.  Here are some other parts including the rear bulkhead and the cockpit sidewalls, which will be difficult to make out due to the acute angle in which they are installed.  The foot pedals look like an afterthought and that's how I'm treating them but I don't they will be visible at all.

 

 

A mock-up of the cockpit with the painted components in place.  After looking at the previous photos, I thinned out the side shrouds on central base of the pilot's instrument panel.  I also fashioned a throttle lever using a bit of scrap plastic.  It's a bit overscale but better than the lump it replaced.

 

 

Working on the seats now.