nzsabredogfan Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 (edited) Hi all, just really starting to build some models after a number of years out of the hobby, and just building a higher stash pile. Been wondering which kit would be the eastest to use as a base for a F14b in OEF, a Hasegawa or Trumpter boxing? Are the likes of the Wolf-Pack conversion set needed, and which kit would the Wolf-Pack conversion for example best suit? Also not sure which boxing of the Hasegawa kits is the closest to a B. Hoping someone also knows of a decal company that has markings for VF143 ( CV-67) or VF102 (CVN-71). Many thanks cheers Steve Edited January 27, 2013 by nzsabredogfan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ishthe47guy Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Decal-wise, look at Fightertown Decals #s 48-036 for VF-102 and 48-003 for VF-143. Aeromaster 48-605 has VF-143 markings from the 2002-2003 time frame. CAM Decals #48-098 has markings for both squadrons on that one sheet. Kit-wise, I’ve never laid eyes on the Trumpeter kit, so I can’t offer anything in that respect. Have you considered the Monogram F-14B released a few years ago? It’s a very complete kit that represents an F-14B from that time frame, especially compared to earlier Mono F-14 kits. Hasegawa F-14B boxings differ pretty much only by decals and whatever special resin/white metal/weapons sprues are included with that particular boxing, but the plastic for the aircraft is the same. It’s a B right out of any boxing. Difficult build, beautiful when completed. Nowhere near my stash right now, so I can’t tell you what F-14B boxings have the LANTRIN pod and bomb racks need for what you want to do, but there are Hase kits that are complete for a late F-14B right out of the box. This is a very informative link on what sprues are included in most of the Hasegawa F-14 boxings: http://modelingmadness.com/splfeat/kr/has48d.htm Steel Beach has a pretty complete line of resin and vinyl accessories for the F-14. It just really depends on what kit you end up getting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
#1 Tomcat Fan Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Steve, lets starts from the beginning....first of all Trumpeter does not offer Tomcats in 1:48 scale, you would have to go to 1:32 for that. On the other hand, there have been several discussions here on ARC about which brand makes the "best" 1:48 F-14 kits. Being a Tomcat lover and kit collector I have spent huge amount of time researching about this very same issue and so I have bought at least one kit (or more in most cases) of every single brand available to find the best possible answer to this dilemma. The first thing I learned is that you will find tons of different opinions because not everybody defines the word "best" the same. Every individual judges model kits according to what matters most to them. Some builders care a lot about pieces fitting together without much work, others prefer kits that don't include gazillion pieces, others appreciate the quality of the kit itself. Some have more or less skills than others and this is a huge factor that influences decisions. Another very important factor is price, those who are on a tight budget will prefer Monogram, Fujimi or Italeri kits. Those who don't care much about it will hunt for Hasegawa or Hobby Boss. Anyway, my point is that you will find as much points of view as builders itself. Now the good news....after all my research and analyzing the pros and cons of every single 1:48 F-14 Tomcat kit available I have come to the conclusion that, regardless of the preferences or choices from the mentioned factors, if your specific goal is to achieve the BEST LOOKING and MOST ACCURATE out of the box replica of a real life F-14 Tomcat, then the Hasegawa kits are your choice to go, period. Some people may claim that fitting Hasegawa's parts together require too much work, others will complain about the high prices. Some others will not get along with the 250+ parts. They all have their points and I support each one. But again, leaving aside all these facts, in the correct hands Hasegawa kits are the most accurate models to replicate a Tomcat !!! Hasegawa offers 10 different boxings for 1:48 F-14B. All are the same kits except for different box cover, decals and markings so any one you choose will be a safe choice. You will be able to find some of them on several on-line stores and eBay as well. If you want to achieve a contest winning Tomcat there are plenty of aftermarket stuff you could buy but your wallet will not like it. If you don't want to take home a trophy/medal but would like to impress your social circle then all you really need is a good resin cockpit (Aires and Black Box are the best choices though I usually go with the first one) and an Alfa Probe from Master. Both are available from various on-line stores and eBay. If you don't want to spend the extra $35 for the cockpit then get a pair of Verlinden seats which are the most accurate replicas of the GRU-7A seats. You will find them on eBay for a very reasonable price @ http://www.ebay.com/itm/Verlinden-1-48-MB-GRU-7A-F-14-Tomcat-Ejection-Seats-413-/180309761363?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item29fb4c9d53 Regarding the decals....my first recommended choice is CAM 48-098 which would be perfect for you considering what you're looking for. It includes both VF-102 and VF-143 OEF markings but now a days is very hard to find. Lucky for you there is only 1 set left on Hannants so hurry up and get it !!! http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/CAM48098 However, if you don't wish to buy from them there are some other very good options I would recommend as well... for VF-102 my advice is go with Fightertown 48036 which includes markings for 5 different birds including the gorgeous AB-102 CAG. For VF-143 I would go with Aeromaster 48-605 (Kennedy's Tomcats 2002/03 Part I) and/or Aeromaster 48-606 (Kennedy's Tomcats 2002/03 Part II). The first one includes markings for CAG and 102 line jets while the second includes AG-114 jet markings. The 3 decal sets are available on eBay at very reasonable and affordable prices... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fightertown-1-48-VF-102-DIAMONDBACKS-F-14-TOMCAT-/150930704656?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item23242bc910 http://www.ebay.com/itm/SALE-F-14-USS-Kennedy-Tomcats-VF-11-VF-143-1-48-decals-Aeromaster-48605-/321048402286?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item4abff9d96e http://www.ebay.com/itm/SALE-F-14-USS-Kennedy-Tomcats-VF-11-VF-143-1-48-decals-Aeromaster-48605-/321048402286?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item4abff9d96e Hope this post helps you make the best decision. Good luck, Danny Quote Link to post Share on other sites
redcorvette Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 While I would agree that the Hasegawa kit argueably the most accurate F-14B kit on the market, it is far from the easiest to build and as is the norm for Hasegawa, offers no weapons. With a modest of amount of skill and patience, the Revell/Monogram F-14B kit builds up into a fine model with the bonus that it includes a wide variety of weapons. All for an affordable price. Mark Quote Link to post Share on other sites
toadwbg Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 If your relatively a newb, I'd recommend the Revell Tomcat. Check out some of Darren Roberts work here at ARC and some of the articles he's done for Fine Scale Modeler. You will see a spectacular model can be finished out of the Revell kit and it won't break the bank. Under the Steel Beach line Darren also has some great aftermarket stuff for this kit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
#1 Tomcat Fan Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 If your relatively a newb, I'd recommend the Revell Tomcat. Check out some of Darren Roberts work here at ARC and some of the articles he's done for Fine Scale Modeler. You will see a spectacular model can be finished out of the Revell kit and it won't break the bank. Under the Steel Beach line Darren also has some great aftermarket stuff for this kit. I agree that the Revell kit will be a much better choice if you're not an expert. However, if medals and trophies decorate your model room go with the Has kit without hesitation. You won't regret it after the hard work !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scapilot Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 If I'm not mistaken the Revell B model Tomcat is currently out of production. According to them, it won't be redistributed again until later this year. You may be able to find it on Ebay, but for what they were going for the last time I looked them up, you'd be better off spending another 15-20 bucks, and diving into the Has or HobbyBoss kits. I've not seen the Hasegawa kits with my own eyes, but there have been several really good topics on Hasegawa vs. Hobby Boss Tomcats here of late, one started by me, and I opted to go with the HB kit. As was already stated though...what one person defines a "good kit" varies from modeler to modeler. I heard that the Has was more accurate, but that the HB was more pleasant on the build side, and comparing pics of the two that I've viewed online, I tend to think that the HB kit is more detailed, thus, leaving out the need for additional aftermarket accessories. However, seeing them both built, they both look great, and I don't doubt that the Hasegawa kits are equally as great as people say it is. But again. It's up to the builder to find what suits them, and pursue from there. Good luck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jwest21 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Steve, lets starts from the beginning....first of all Trumpeter does not offer Tomcats in 1:48 scale, you would have to go to 1:32 for that. He is referring to the Hobbyboss 1/48th F-14s Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I'm tossing my tomcat knowledge in on this (decal wise). First off, I would NOT recommend the CAM VF-102/VF-143 sheet. It is riddled with errors, and the color call outs for the 143 jet and color demarcation lines for the TPS scheme for the 102 jet are wrong. FT's VF-102 sheet is the only accurate OEF VF-102 sheet on the market if you decide to go that route. Now, Aeromaster's offerings are not that bad, but the jets from 143 and 11 should be in the 3 tone tactical scheme, not 2 colors which are called for on the instruction sheets. By far, Aeromaster's VF-11 CAG bird on the sheet is almost spot on. The nose numbers are slightly undersized but other than that, they did a pretty decent job. I was researching the hell out of this jet for a build at one time, and I ended up using the 2Bobs VF-11 sheet coupled with the tail markings from the Aeromaster sheet. That combo will give you an accurate VF-11 CAG jet from OEF. The 143 jets on the Aeromaster sheet are fairly well done, but I tend to question some of the colors used in the markings. Artwork wise, they seem fairly close, but I'd have to dig a little deeeper into researching them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 the eastest to use as a base for a F14b in OEF E-mail sent on an easy to build 1/48 F-14B I have for sale. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nzsabredogfan Posted February 2, 2013 Author Share Posted February 2, 2013 Hi all, many thanks for the gratefully recieved help. My main aim is to finish a F-14 kit, while enjoying the build and developing better modelling skills. At this stage it looks mostly that I will go for a Hasegawa kit, as the cost difference of getting the other kit companies offerings in New Zealand/or from overseas will help cover the decals, and possibly some cockpit updates. Many thanks, happy modelling Cheers Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
riggerray Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I'm tossing my tomcat knowledge in on this (decal wise). First off, I would NOT recommend the CAM VF-102/VF-143 sheet. It is riddled with errors, and the color call outs for the 143 jet and color demarcation lines for the TPS scheme for the 102 jet are wrong. FT's VF-102 sheet is the only accurate OEF VF-102 sheet on the market if you decide to go that route. Now, Aeromaster's offerings are not that bad, but the jets from 143 and 11 should be in the 3 tone tactical scheme, not 2 colors which are called for on the instruction sheets. By far, Aeromaster's VF-11 CAG bird on the sheet is almost spot on. The nose numbers are slightly undersized but other than that, they did a pretty decent job. I was researching the hell out of this jet for a build at one time, and I ended up using the 2Bobs VF-11 sheet coupled with the tail markings from the Aeromaster sheet. That combo will give you an accurate VF-11 CAG jet from OEF. The 143 jets on the Aeromaster sheet are fairly well done, but I tend to question some of the colors used in the markings. Artwork wise, they seem fairly close, but I'd have to dig a little deeeper into researching them. Have you contacted CAM Decals concerning the errors on sheet 48-098? I know the new owner welcomes information concerning corrections needed for the OLD CAM Decals that were done LONG before he bought the company. Rumor has it that most of the old CAM Decals are going to be re-released in a new format with full color instruction sheets and updated/corrected graphics. His direct email is; camdecals@gmail.com Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 (edited) Have you contacted CAM Decals concerning the errors on sheet 48-098? I know the new owner welcomes information concerning corrections needed for the OLD CAM Decals that were done LONG before he bought the company. Rumor has it that most of the old CAM Decals are going to be re-released in a new format with full color instruction sheets and updated/corrected graphics. His direct email is; camdecals@gmail.com No, but I heard the new owner is a helluva lot nicer than the previous owner. I'll shoot him an email! Edited February 26, 2013 by VFA-103guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
#1 Tomcat Fan Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 No, but I heard the new owner is a helluva lot nicer than the previous owner. I'll shoot him an email! Brian, his name is Ray Byers and he's a very nice guy. I have exchanged several mails with him and he always responds. riggerray is correct... I think you can be of great help to him because he told me he has plans to release several of his OOP decals. If you give him a hand CAM decals could become much more accurate than the original releases and we all be thankful for it !! Danny Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Good discussion. Thanks for all the kind comments about the SB line of products. I'm glad to hear they are useful.I'll only plug one of my SB items...intake covers! Make life easy on yourself and pick up a set of vinyl intake covers. They come in red, black, blue, and yellow, so they'll cover whatever squadron you need. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Yes!! Those intake covers are such a great item and they take decals very well in ase you wanted to customize them! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Manuel J. Armas S. Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Hasegawa.. I'm still waiting for another F-14A/B/D 1/48 or 1/32 but really accuracy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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