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1/32 Trumpeter F-14D build


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Couldn't keep it boxed up any longer. Here we go.

Updates will be small and somewhat far in between I suspect.

First update is a quicky. Just some cockpit assembly. Detail is great I think, not resin but that's to be expected. There's a couple of smaller bits that have to be added, not shown here. And once it has color it really comes to life.

Progress-1.jpg

Progress-2.jpg

Progress-3.jpg

I'm heading to the airbrush now, next update will be the completed ejection seats.

Edited by THX1138
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Cool!! I`m glad someone decided to dive on in!! I picked one up today and despite all the nega...... never mind. This kit looks really good in the box, looking forward to your build. Thinking of doing one for the Dropping iron GB. Have you decided what markings you will use?

Don

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Personally, after taking a long, hard look at the pit, I think this is one of the best injection molded jobs. Ever. I pulled out the DACO book and lined up each panel next to the picture, and I'm going, "OK, so this switch is gray and this one should be silver. Oh, look! This should be yellow with black stripes. And that's not a button, that should be a dial." I would venture to guess that they around got 80-90% of the switch, button and display screens in the right place. That being said, however, HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU NOT NCLUDE RUDDER PEDALS FOR THE PILOT ^_^?!?!?!

I'm glad to see in your picture how those bottom pieces on the pilot's IP get placed. The instructions are very vague.

Edited by TomcatFanatic123
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It's an omission indeed (got mine from Hannants on the 31st of December, what a great way to finish 2009). Yet, I don't think that they'd be much visible on the finished model. The option is "scratch". It shouldn't be that hard.

Ricardo

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Small update.

Cockpit parts first coat of paint. Grey looks too dark on photo. It's XF-54. Probably should've gone with XF-19 or XF-20. The great thing about all the separate cockpit parts is that a wash is easier to clean with thinner. Not easy on a single piece of resin. But then again, a wash for the cockpit should not be overdone.

Progress-4.jpg

In the meantime I started the engines. They look nicely detailed, but alas, you won't see it. It's all inside the body. The inner part of the exhaust can be painted easier. They decided to open up the tubes to get inside. Downside is more joins you need to fill up, which once they are put together is not easy anymore. This is one place I'd wish I could call Rick Moranis, so he could shrink me. I'd crawl inside the exhaust :thumbsup:

Progress-5.jpg

Hopefully more interesting shots later this week.

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In the meantime I started the engines. They look nicely detailed, but alas, you won't see it. It's all inside the body. The inner part of the exhaust can be painted easier. They decided to open up the tubes to get inside. Downside is more joins you need to fill up, which once they are put together is not easy anymore. This is one place I'd wish I could call Rick Moranis, so he could shrink me. I'd crawl inside the exhaust :thumbsup:

Good progress there. I'm also working on my Trump Tomcat's cockpit, and have been worrying about working those inner seams in the engines. What I have in in mind is I'll fill them with Mr Surfacer 500, then sanding them with sandpaper wrapped around a stick. It's still difficult, but a lot easier than sanding regular putty. I'd be interested to hear how you plan on tackling those seams.

Cheers,

Terry

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Good progress there. I'm also working on my Trump Tomcat's cockpit, and have been worrying about working those inner seams in the engines. What I have in in mind is I'll fill them with Mr Surfacer 500, then sanding them with sandpaper wrapped around a stick. It's still difficult, but a lot easier than sanding regular putty. I'd be interested to hear how you plan on tackling those seams.

Cheers,

Terry

Yeah, I'm interested as well...this part is coming up for me rather soon. Although I may just throw some FOD covers on...

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If I had a hand in it, I'd tell Trumpy to skip the outside engine detail itself, and give us seamless exhaust tubes as seperate parts with only bumpy detail on the inside of the tube.

The turbine is located somewhere in the middle of the entire tube, as you can see in the shot. So you only need to fill in the seams on the business end. There's 2 ugly alignment-pins in full view at the end that I already removed, since the tube itself is thick enough to hold together with glue.

But as for closing the seams, it's a tough one. If you stick-sand it too much, you loose the bumpy detail, even if you remember to sand parallel to it. Using thinned Mr Surfacer filler and a brush with the help of gravity and not sand it out at all might be the only solution. It's a question of what's more visible; a seam or a thick layer or Mr Surfacer thas wasn't sanded off fully.

I really need to get a Dremel tool with lots of handy low grit bits. It would help. Thank god this is 1/32 so there's a bit more room to move.

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Every tube has 4 seams, since they consist of 4 pieces. If you put together 2 pieces at a time, you can at least get to that seam. So in the end you end up with 2 seams that are hard to reach instead of 4. This way you can also spray paint the banners of dark and light perpendicular to the 2 pairs of parts and have a more consistent banner. Otherwise you have to spray paint 4 parts with banners and hope they line up.

I'll try to get a shot of what I mean tonight or tomorrow.

Yesterday evening I also had a look at the exhaust tailpipes, for both closed and open. The closed ones are 1 piece, and might just hide the 2 remaining seams of the tube further inside. The open exhaust consist of a ring with 6 elements that make up the pipe in the open position. And for both the open/closed pipes there are inner parts that consist of 4 pieces. Which means 4 more seams.

I think spending time on those 4 seams (or 8 if you count both engines), and the 6 (or 12) for the open exhaust is mandatory. The 2 remaining seams deep down the tube are a lot of work, and you won't see it as much as you might see the other seams.

I'll get some shots of this tonight too.

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I won't be making any pedals, that's for sure.

Something completely different, now that I'm putting together the exhaust. Does the F-14D close just one exhaust pipe while powered down, lust like the A model with the TF-30's ?

I think not.

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I won't be making any pedals, that's for sure.

Something completely different, now that I'm putting together the exhaust. Does the F-14D close just one exhaust pipe while powered down, lust like the A model with the TF-30's ?

I think not.

When the D is powered down, both exhausts are opened unlike the A model.

Did you know that Aires makes a F-14D exhaust with seamless inner tubes? Even though it's for the Tamiya kit, I'm tempted to try it on the Trumpeter kit. Unfortunately it's a $50+ set so it's not a cheap gamble.

Cheers,

Terry

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When the D is powered down, both exhausts are opened unlike the A model.

Did you know that Aires makes a F-14D exhaust with seamless inner tubes? Even though it's for the Tamiya kit, I'm tempted to try it on the Trumpeter kit. Unfortunately it's a $50+ set so it's not a cheap gamble.

Thanx.

I'm obligated by law to finish this Cat OOB :coolio:

Here's the 4 parts of the tube with the indication of which seam I think I can fill and which will stay like it is. The painting is test, I'll be spraying the banners later. Along the red lines, you could fill the seam.

Progress-6.jpg

Here's the open and closed exhaust. And 2 of the 4 end pieces with the inside detail of the exhaust end. This is 4 more seams you need to close. And on the open version, 6 more seams. The closed version is a single piece, that I frankly find a bit to flat. It lacks depth.

Progress-7.jpg

Flash gun on the other side, so you can see the seams on the inner tube. The blue seams numbered 1-4 are the area where you can close 2 seams like in the 1st picture above. The 2 red seams are easier to close.

Progress-8.jpg

Clear ?

This is the route I'm taking. I don't see any other way of doing it OOB.

Cockpit still not done. I will unveil that when it is. Gotta make this a bit more exciting for you :whistle:

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Yikes! After looking at your post and examining my kit's parts, I promptly placed an order for the Aires exhausts. I think I'll try my luck with Aires than to mess with those crazy seams! Good luck with yours.

Terry

Edited by loftycomfort
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