What 1/32 Trumpeter F-14?

[ScottsGT]

The changes I made while building the Revell:

1. Landing gear. My used kit came with an abundance of Tamiya sprues. I grafted the top of the Revell gear to the bottom of Tamiya’s

2). Ordnance. Revell parts looked a little “soft”. Again, Tamiya provided 

3). I decided I wanted closed exhaust. Used the Tamiya closed exhaust mated with Revell exhaust I cut down so they would fit. 
4) Cockpit.  I used a Quinta set designed for the Trumpeter kit. Had to trim a little here and there, but much more punch than the Revell lifeless cockpit. 
5). Ejection seats are Tamiya parts as well. As are the pilots. 
6). Decals. These are the “Final Countdown” movie decals. Splurged extra for the helmet decals. 
EDIT 7). Reskit wheels and tires. 
 

I built this one out as it was in the movie with ordnance and decals.  I made it a little dirtier than it was in the movie since they had a spit shine and polish job for the movie.  No weathered aircraft here!  I must have watched the dog fight scene with the Zero’s two dozen times trying to pick up little details. (Like the tops of the ailerons are gray and not white). 
 

EDIT FOR A PRO TIP! 
Pay close attention to the wings on the Revell kit. You might wind up building them upside down because Right and Left are mislabeled.  I had to cut the fuse apart and swap them around and touch up the paint work. 

Edited February 3 by ScottsGT

[Tony T]

On 2/1/2024 at 6:04 AM, CRAZY IVAN5 said:

Looks as though we need an accurate , state of the art big scale Tomcat. They're all over the place in 48th, how's about us? 

 

That's been the perennial concensus for a good ten years, with everyone dreaming of a Tamiya new tool. 

 

Alas, we probably have the best of what we're ever going to get as a traditional mainstream kit, so should simply get stuck in and buy an available option + aftermarket. I plan, next year, on reworking the Trumpeter inlets to match the Zactomodels inlet geometry, and then will have that inlet set spare for whatever destiny awaits it. 

 

This year I'm beating — more thrashing really — two misshapen Trumpeter SLUFs into something better resembling an LTV A-7B and E and am eager to see how ResKit and Aerocraft progress with their correction sets...

...and if they do more Tomcat-tweaking stuff. 

 

After that, let's hope the forthcoming Trumpy Hoover is more of a shake-the-box build like their amazing Iron Tadpole. 

 

With Zactomodels hors de combat all eyes are on Aerocraft and ResKit at this time,

 

Tony 

[Confusionreigns178]

1 hour ago, Tony T said:

With Zactomodels hors de combat all eyes are on Aerocraft and ResKit at this time,

 

There's a possibility that Alistair (Aerocraft) feels he's done what he needs to on the big Tomcats (he can confirm or deny this here, on everyone's favourite website, of course). I guess anything is possible. 

 

I'm not obsessive when it comes to putting more detail in cockpits. To my way of thinking, the bang-seat is the central focus of most cockpits, as IP's and side panels are often fairly difficult to see, once the fuselage is all made-up. Other users' experience may differ, of course. 

 

I wish the OP all the best in his F-14 build.

 

Cheers.

 

Chris. 

 

PS: The Reskit Phoenix missiles are SUPERB and not too much Dollar, all things considered. Their resin seems to be just about the best you can buy...

[Confusionreigns178]

On 1/31/2024 at 8:59 PM, Ginja Ninja said:

I didn't consider the Tamiya F-14 as I thought it would be a bit long in the tooth although it would certainly give me a lot of practice rescribing.

 

It is VERY long-in-the-tooth, that's true - but it provides the foundation to build something absolutely show-stopping. I've always thought of it as the first of the true 1/32nd "Super Kits". (No, Hasegawa kits are very good, but they all have their various issues - what kit doesn't?). Hassy and Tammy were the two makers leading the pack by a big margin, back in the 1970's. 

 

It's a shame the company couldn't have used recessed panel-lines on the entire 'Cat, but I guess doing a 20/80% mix of recessed- and raised-lines made tooling a bit cheaper (not something you would associate with the Tamiya brand, normally). 

 

Cheers. 

 

Chris.  

[chrish]

41 minutes ago, Confusionreigns178 said:

 

 

PS: The Reskit Phoenix missiles are SUPERB and not too much Dollar, all things considered. Their resin seems to be just about the best you can buy...

Agreed! As well, there’s more decals on the Reskit weapons than the entire rest of the F-14 build (ok possibly a slight exaggeration) but, if you’re getting the Reskit weapons definitely get the gear (with wheels) while shopping for mine I noted they make the gear for all current offerings by all the manufacturers….and tail pipes….ok anything by Reskit actually

just one man’s opinion

[Darren Howie]

Id just buy the Trump Cat.

Has flap down option, fully scribed, the intake “issue” has been overblown unsurprisingly like most Trump criticism.

Now ive got Zactos intakes but to be honest they are a major amount of work for something you can only see when looking at kit level from nose on and even then its no biggie.

As for Phoenix palettes well you cant even see them.

Having spent a pile of money on aftermarket right now a Trump F-14 wings spread flaps down canopy open with resin seats and a Quinta cockpit may be all ill use, possibly burners.

Wouldnt touch any other kit as they all require huge work to even get close to the Trump kit.

Plenty of examples here and online places of gorgeous Trump F-14’s done many with no aftermarket.