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Grumman F-14A Tomcat "Rough Landing" - 1/48 Hobby Boss


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US_Navy_030415-N-4142G-106_An_F-14D_Tomcat_assigned_to_the_ldquoBounty_Huntersrdquo_of_Fighter_Squadron_Two_VF-2_makes_a_har_zps39024fb9.jpg

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INTRODUCTION

Hello and welcome to my accurise build of the Hobby Boss 1/48 Grumman F-14A Tomcat.

My objective is to portray a 1970s high visibility scheme F-14A from Fighter Squadron 1, VF-1 Wolfpack, in a dramatic carrier landing pose.

If you examine the photographic inspiration above you can observe that the slats and flaps are deployed (as would have been the wing spoilers), the horizontal stabilisers are at odd angles, one landing gear is compressed, the others fully extended, the airbrakes are deployed, the rudder appears to be swept to port and the intake ramps are set in the subsonic position. On the whole, a nice display of the aircraft in flight.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The kit and accessories

Kit walk around

Cockpit

Ejection seats

Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer

Nose landing gear

Front fuselage

Canopy

Air intakes

Engine exhausts

Main landing gear

Upper fuselage

Airbrakes

Glove vanes

Lower fuselage

AIM-54 Phoenix pallets

Wings

Wing gloves and bladders

Horizontal stabilisers

Vertical stabilisers

External stores

Weapons stations

Fuselage assembly

High visibility paint scheme

Decals

Weathering

AIM-54 Phoenix

AIM-7 Sparrow

AIM-9 Sidewinder

Carrier landing

Final assembly

Gallery

Kit review

Credits

References

I will update the Table of Contents as the build progresses.

A brief word about me

I got back into the hobby in February 2013. Whilst I built models as a teenager, they weren't particularly good. In short, I don't have a lot of experience but I am enthusiastic. This will be the first accurise build that I've undertaken. It will also be my first 1/48 scale aircraft. I am looking forward to working in a more manageable scale as my imagination usually exceeds the possibilities.

Input is welcomed from more experienced modellers and Tomcat experts if something could be done a better way or if something needs correcting.

Edited by Air-to-Air
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THE KIT AND ACCESSORIES

The kit

The subject of this build is the Hobby Boss 1/48 F-14A Tomcat, product no. 80366

IMG_1030_zps8ba4db7e.jpg

If you want to see more detail about the kit, use the following links:

Cybermodeler Online provides a review of the kit.

Hobby Search has a copy of the assembly instructions and images of the contents of the box.

Aftermarket accessories

I will be evaluating/using the following accessories on this build. I will provide a more detailed review of each accessory when it is time to use it.

Aires 1/48 F-14A Tomcat Cockpit Set for Hobby Boss kit, product no. 4519

Hasegawa 1/48 U.S. Pilot/Ground Crew Set: B, product no. 36005 I am aware that there is a U.S. Navy Pilot and Deck Crew set. However, the U.S. Pilot set offers better options for positioning hands on throttle and stick.

Eduard 1/48 F-14A S. A. (Self Adhesive) for Hobby Boss kit, product no. 49570

Eduard 1/48 F-14A/B Seatbelts for Hobby Boss kit, product no. 49575

IMG_1061_zps02082388.jpg

Aires 1/48 F-14A Tomcat Exhaust Nozzles – Closed Position for Hobby Boss kit, product no. 4517

Aires 1/48 F-14 Tomcat Wheel Bay for Hobby Boss kit, product no. 4565

Eduard 1/48 F-14A Exterior for Hobby Boss kit, product no. 48706

Quickboost 1/48 F-14 Tomcat Air Brake, product no. QB48595

Master 1/48 F-14A Early version – nose tip & Angle of Attack probe, product no. AM-48-048

Scale Aircraft Conversions 1/48 F-14 Tomcat (HB) Landing Gear for Hobby Boss, product no. 48131

Fightertown Decals 1/48 VF-1 F-14A Tomcat Wolfpack "1973-1978", product no. 48014

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Eduard 1/48 AIM-54A Phoenix, product no. 648097

Eduard 1/48 AIM-7E Sparrow, product no. 648062

Hasegawa 1/48 Aircraft Weapons: C U.S. Missiles & Gun Pods, product no. 36003 This set has the AIM-9D which was visually identical to the AIM-9H.

Two Bobs 1/48 US Air-to-Air Missile Markings, product no. 48-086

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References

I will be using these published reference works:

DACO Publications, Danny Coremans uncovering the Grumman F-14 A/B/D Tomcat, product no. DCB003

SAM Publications, The Grumman F-14 Tomcat A comprehensive guide, Andy Evans, ISBN 978-0-9551858-6-1

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If you are serious about building an F-14 in any scale at some time in your life, I recommend investing in a copy of Danny Coremans uncovering the F-14 Tomcat. The value of such a purchase is immediately apparent when you consider how long, and possibly fruitless, your search may be for high quality, detailed images of an F-14 aircraft.

I will make extensive use of Internet based resources. I will link to those as the build proceeds.

One of the best is Home of M.A.T.S. The Grumman F-14 Tomcat Reference Work.

I may add to these references as the build progresses.

Edited by Air-to-Air
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Awesome idea for a diorama! One thing I wanted to mention before you get too far is that the wing spoilers were not deployed during approach. Only the "bow-tie" speed breaks (top and bottom) were used as drag devices to keep the engines spooled-up.

However, with DLC engaged the inboard spoilers would have gone to the "neutral" position, sticking up about 5-10 degress - like this and this. If the pilot wanted to lose a bit of altitude rapidly, he/she would roll the stick's thunbwheel forward and the inboard spoilers would pop up depending on how far the thumbwheel was rolled - like this and this. But, since that guy looks like he's low and catching a 1-wire, I doubt he would have rolled-in any DLC, so the spoilers would have remained at the neutral position.

Now, all that being said, you can tell from the horizontal stabs that he has darn near full left stick deflection in - trying to level his wings. That would mean that the spoilers on top of the left wing would be deployed to roll the jet left.

So, after all that - the most accurate way to portray the spoilers for that particular landing would be to have the right wing with the inboard spoiler in the neutral position, while the left wing has all three spoilers up.

Hope I didn't bore ya, but I love talking Tomcats.

Edited by Micro
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Ok, I'm hooked after an introduction like that! I'd bring out the popcorn if I didn't hate that vile food stuff :P/>

I'm with you Janne -always been a sucker for a good dissertation! Is that salt & butter popcorn? Well if you're not gonna use it... :popcorn: (I'll get the sodas, OK?)

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If you build the VF-1 of the first years of service, then pay attention to the external differences of the first copies:

1. grille cooling gun

2. detection systems sweat radar

3. compartment between the nozzles.

4. at the beginning of the service aircraft did not carry fuel tanks, but the pylon was.

There is VF-1 of the early series on foto. Possibly foto was done during the first USS Interprise's cruise.

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Well, it looks like I'm in the right place for this sort of build. I'm happy about that.

Janne, Shaka HI, Joel, ChippyWho, lyn and Taiidan Tomcat, thank you for your enthusiasm, it's much appreciated.

Micro, feel free to drop in with analysis like that anytime, I couldn't ask for more. I had no idea how the spoilers would have been positioned, just that I had seen them in the "up" position on other landing photos. It was a question I was going to ask much later in the build but you've answered it already. Many thanks!

Memphis, thank you for the input. These are exactly the things that I have been researching about and examining on the kit over the last few weeks. I am in the process of writing up my Kit Walk Around at the moment.

I feel like I am among people that have the same enthusiasm and interest in the Tomcat - happy days!

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  • 7 years later...

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