Best 1/48th F-14B

[Darren Roberts]

Darren,

Assuming that I do not have any scratchbuilding capability, and that I do not want to build my Hasegawa Tomcat with her canopy closed, I can always spend some additional money and buy an aftermarket cockpit.

On the other hand, and keep assuming that I do not have any scrathbuilding capability, would you please let me know where can I buy some accurate air-intakes? I do not know about any aftermarket release, but in case, do you think they would cost more or less than a cockpit detail set?

Happy modelling,

I'm going to assume that you're trying to support your position that the HB has no merit when placed against the Hasegawa kit. If you are simply asking the questions out of curiosity, then I apologize for taking it the other way. Either way, I'll respond with my opinion. Yes, you can pick up a resin cockpit to improve the Hasegawa kit. But now you have even more money invested in an already expensive kit, and have to deal with resin, which can be a PITA to work with. There are no F-14 intakes because, I think, of the complexity of the design. There's no easy way to get seamless intakes. There is an easy solution to the HB intakes, though. Intake covers. Those are a whole lot cheaper than a resin cockpit!

In the end, it still comes down to what you want in a model. I've built dozens upon dozens of Tomcats in all scales from just about every manufacturer. They all have their issues. Hasegawa is a wonderful kit, but it's still not the best "period". It may be the best for accuracy, but not for ease of build and detail. That's all I'm trying to say. The HB kit is not a bad kit, even with it's problem areas. If you want to see a bad F-14 kit, build the Testors/Fujimi 1/48 scale kit, or even worse, pick up the original Revell (not Monogram) kit. Then you'll see a bad kit. They make the HB kit look like gold!

Edited September 21, 2014 by Darren Roberts

[ChesshireCat]

Jennings if your anti Chinese manufacturer posts are to be believed it would be awesome if you could base it off having seen the kit.

Oh just for you a 737.

People generally want the truth when they ask a question not one eyed biased rubbish.

D.H., we've cussed each other in the past but hopefully in a friendly way. I call a spade when I see one, and will call out what's right from what's wrong (then head to the bomb shelter). That is one fine Tomcat Sir! I have a thing for early F14a's, but not much interest in the "B" model. The "D" does interest me somewhat. Now I have one F14a from Hasegawa in my stash (1/48) and one H.B. as well. I like the H.B. better as I may not live long enough to get the Hasegawa right. Still (as I have often said) I prefer the 1/72 scale in big jets, and rank them Fujimi, H.B., and then Hasegawa. I am kinda wanting to see Tamiya do a 1/72 Tomcat series, but would rather they did the Intruders and Skyhawks as the Fujimi's are seriously getting hard to find these days.

Please tell us folks about your excellent Tomcat!

gary

[boom175]

Jennings if your anti Chinese manufacturer posts are to be believed it would be awesome if you could base it off having seen the kit.

Oh just for you a 737.

People generally want the truth when they ask a question not one eyed biased rubbish.

Can you please point out for me where Jennings said anything anti-Chinese? He and most others are talking about the continuing practices of the hobby companies Trumpeter and Hobby Boss of not putting out accurate scale models of the subjects they have chosen to produce. However it seems that you are determined to turn this in to a racist rant.

[Fly-n-hi]

Can you please point out for me where Jennings said anything anti-Chinese? He and most others are talking about the continuing practices of the hobby companies Trumpeter and Hobby Boss of not putting out accurate scale models of the subjects they have chosen to produce. However it seems that you are determined to turn this in to a racist rant.

He said "Chinese" not "Asian." Chinese is not a race its a nationality. Learn the meaning of the words before you go accusing people of being racist. And apologize to him while you're at it.

[gb_madcat_sl]

He said "Chinese" not "Asian." Chinese is not a race its a nationality. Learn the meaning of the words before you go accusing people of being racist. And apologize to him while you're at it.

Erm. "Chinese" is actually a race. I live in Singapore but I am ethnically Chinese.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Chinese

Mark

[Fly-n-hi]

Erm. "Chinese" is actually a race. I live in Singapore but I am ethnically Chinese.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Chinese

Mark

Erm. Chinese is an "ethnicity" not a "race." It even says so in the link you provided. But I'm still correct in that Chinese is in fact a nationality as well.

And anybody with half a brain knows what Jennings was saying. When he refers to "the Chinese" he's refering to the companies Trumpeter and Hobby Boss. Indirectly accusing him of being racist is childish and simple minded as well as very serious.

And for the record I disagree with Jennings. I happen to like Hobby Boss kits. But I call BS when I see it. And accusing him of racism (based on this thread) is BS.

For anyone interested:

Difference between ethnicity and race

Edited September 22, 2014 by Fly-n-hi

[Skull Leader]

Actually, there is no match.

When it comes to the Tomcat in 1/48, the Hasegawa offering is by far and large superior under - any respect - to ANY other 1/48 Tomcat released so far. Period.

Aaaaaaand here you go again.

Short of having a more accurate shape in one or two small areas (and i stress SMALL, I'm sorry Jennings, but a 2 degree offset on the intakes does not qualify as a huge accuracy error) there is very little that hasegawa has to offer over the HB kit. Detail is just as good, full loadout in the box, a better cockpit, and ease of build alone put the HB kit on a higher plateau. When it can be had for the same cost as the hase kit, it's very hard to make a comparison. (That said, I have HB, Hase, Revell, and Academy cats in my stash and I'm happy to build all of them)

Galfa, No matter the thread that comes up you seem to be on this crusade to shame every tomcat kit but the hasegawa. It's a hobby, man. Get past it and get over yourself.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Skull Leader

[Jennings]

I can pretty much guarantee that maybe one person in a hundred would even notice any inaccuracies in either kit. Its just a hand full of people on the modeling forums that make a big deal out of it.

So? What's the point? Does that mean it's not inaccurate? Just because you or anyone else doesn't notice it doesn't mean it's not there.

[Skull Leader]

So? What's the point? Does that mean it's not inaccurate? Just because you or anyone else doesn't notice it doesn't mean it's not there.

Well, no... but subjectivity and perception of the human eye can makes things very much not worth worrying about (except for those select few who simply can't sleep at night knowing their model isn't a 100% accurate representation)

Edited September 22, 2014 by Skull Leader

[Jennings]

Aaaaaaand here you go again.

Aaaaannnnnnd there *you* go again.

Your entire point boils down to the fact that you think your opinion is more valuable or more correct than someone else's, and that therefore their opinion is not as valid as yours. Here's the thing: something like inaccuracies in a kit may not matter one tiny little bit to you. You may LOVE this (or whatever) kit, and fondle it, build it, admire it, and do whatever you want to do with it. And there's NOTHING wrong with that whatsoever. That's a perfectly valid point of view.

On the other hand, some people may have a different view. To them, the time, effort, and expense they put into a kit is better spent on a kit that they find to be more accurate. And you know what? That's perfectly okay too. They may think the kit you love is a piece of garbage. The good news is, nobody is forcing anybody to buy, fondle, build, admire, or anything else any kit they don't want to. The fact that to some people things matter a great deal that don't matter to other people is perfectly fine. It's a perfectly valid point of view. And there's NOTHING wrong with that whatsoever.

That fact that you disagree with someone (over, let's face facts here, little plastic toy airplanes - this isn't a cure for cancer or an end to world poverty we're talking about) only means that you disagree with them. It doesn't mean you're wrong and they're right or that you're right and they're wrong. Two diametrically opposed viewpoints can coexist.

[Fly-n-hi]

So? What's the point? Does that mean it's not inaccurate? Just because you or anyone else doesn't notice it doesn't mean it's not there.

My point is that you and about 8 other people care. Nobody else does so give it a rest already. You don't like Hobby Boss. WE GET IT!

News flash...all kits have some level of inaccuracy.

[Skull Leader]

Two diametrically opposed viewpoints can coexist.

They most certainly can. However there is such a thing as gross misrepresentation, and to call something horribly inaccurate when the angle of the intake lips is off by 2 degrees and there are a few more rivet patterns than necessary on the surface is precisely that. When someone is looking for an informed opinion about whether a kit is worth getting or not is totally the wrong time for sarcasm and exaggeration.

You're absolutely right, these are little more than toy planes, so I'm not losing any sleep over this, but what is the point of a bulletin board about models if we cannot wax philosophical about the properties of a given kit?

[Manuel J. Armas S.]

Hobby Boss wasted the chance to do a decent F-14, I prefer Revell over Hobby Boss

[Check Six]

My only gripe with the Hasegawa kit is how they have the fuselage halves set up.

Too many unnecessary seams ! !

I wish they would have taken a lesson from Revellogram on how the fuselage halves should be.

It's kind of interesting how I'll accept the discrepancy on the intake set up on the Hobby Boss F-111s yet not accept their F-14's intake discrepancy.

I guess it comes down to having a major a/c design that the model company got incorrect vs a minor a/c design modification that was incorrect. One being waaaaay more noticeable than the other.

If I come across a Hobby Boss F-14 at a crazy reduced price, I'll pick one up.

[habu2]

... a 2 degree offset on the intakes does not qualify as a huge accuracy error...

Yet people here and everywhere else criticize the crap out of Academy and Kinetic F-16s over the accuracy of their intakes. How is this any different?

[Skull Leader]

Because 2 degrees over a couple of millimeters isn't a very drastic change... 2 degrees over the course of several centimeters is a little different and far more noticable.

[Brian P: Fightertown Decals]

Here's my take on the Hasegawa/HobbyBoss - which is better/more accurate thread -

Personal opinion having built both -

Hasegawa in almost every way.

Both kits require a certain amount of advanced building skills. I've learned a few things that makes the Hasegawa kit go together much better than if you follow the instructions and I personally don't have the issues that a lot of people seem to have with this kit. It takes some planning and effort but as far my experience is, it's no more than most other kits out there. I use the Aires cockpit or modify the kit cockpit every time. If you build it as shown, it has issues. I've got 2 threads out there that show the changes in building the stock cockpit. I love the Aires cockpit and once you know how to sand and fit it in, it fits perfectly. In my opinion (and yes, I've spent a lot of time around the real thing) this is the most accurate kit currently on the market. It captures the shape better than any of the others. The things that are off are either easily fixed or don't matter enough when I look at it (and we designed decals so that they fit the space) I really enjoy building this kit and don't feel that I need to modify the body/shape to make me happy.

Hobby Boss - What I like about it is the well detailed stock cockpit except the pilot instrument coaming shape is strangely long and narrow.(though I'm still adding the Aires cockpit to it). If you're building all the panels open, then this is a great option kit. It does have some great landing gear and gear bays (where Hasegawa are troublesome) and has the 3rd generation wheel hubs.

Cons: (these are the problems that really bother me and affect how I personally see the kit. YMMV): Nose shape looks off and the blend to the windscreen is an off angle - the whole nose section is too flat and the upwards angle on the nosecone is too great. The aft canopy rake angle is too slanted. The boarding steps are the wrong shape and misplaced. The riveting is fictional and way more on the model than the real thing. The intakes are at the wrong angle in all directions and squared off. As molded, if you want the ramps not fully deployed you have to add the inboard wall. The leading edge slats actuators extend straight out and not slanted/curved like the real thing. Bending the plastic results in breakage. The rudder chord is too narrow and the vertical tails are vertical and not slanted like the real thing. The Phoenix rails under the fuselage are too flat (and on the Hasegawa they are too rounded but a closer height). Some of these are easily fixable and some aren't. I found that the time to putty over the rivets, get the open panels fit closed and correct some of the above to be greater time and effort than building the Hasegawa kit. If I thought the Hasegawa kit was over engineered, then my personal opinion is that HobbyBoss took it another step further. Lots of people are of the opinion that Hobby Boss goes together easier and quicker and I say that's great. I find it to be the opposite.

Depending on where you buy the kits from, they seem to range from $35-$90 for Hasegawa and $55-$100 for HobbyBoss. Personally I'm buying Aires cockpits and aftermarket exhausts for both. So build cost is in the same ballpark.

So to the OP question, that is my answer. Decide what matters to you, what you want to build and then go do it. Take pictures, make notes and share your experience.

-brian

[Aigore]

Here's my take on the Hasegawa/HobbyBoss - which is better/more accurate thread -

Personal opinion having built both -

Hasegawa in almost every way.

Both kits require a certain amount of advanced building skills. I've learned a few things that makes the Hasegawa kit go together much better than if you follow the instructions and I personally don't have the issues that a lot of people seem to have with this kit. It takes some planning and effort but as far my experience is, it's no more than most other kits out there. I use the Aires cockpit or modify the kit cockpit every time. If you build it as shown, it has issues. I've got 2 threads out there that show the changes in building the stock cockpit. I love the Aires cockpit and once you know how to sand and fit it in, it fits perfectly. In my opinion (and yes, I've spent a lot of time around the real thing) this is the most accurate kit currently on the market. It captures the shape better than any of the others. The things that are off are either easily fixed or don't matter enough when I look at it (and we designed decals so that they fit the space) I really enjoy building this kit and don't feel that I need to modify the body/shape to make me happy.

Hobby Boss - What I like about it is the well detailed stock cockpit except the pilot instrument coaming shape is strangely long and narrow.(though I'm still adding the Aires cockpit to it). If you're building all the panels open, then this is a great option kit. It does have some great landing gear and gear bays (where Hasegawa are troublesome) and has the 3rd generation wheel hubs.

Cons: (these are the problems that really bother me and affect how I personally see the kit. YMMV): Nose shape looks off and the blend to the windscreen is an off angle - the whole nose section is too flat and the upwards angle on the nosecone is too great. The aft canopy rake angle is too slanted. The boarding steps are the wrong shape and misplaced. The riveting is fictional and way more on the model than the real thing. The intakes are at the wrong angle in all directions and squared off. As molded, if you want the ramps not fully deployed you have to add the inboard wall. The leading edge slats actuators extend straight out and not slanted/curved like the real thing. Bending the plastic results in breakage. The rudder chord is too narrow and the vertical tails are vertical and not slanted like the real thing. The Phoenix rails under the fuselage are too flat (and on the Hasegawa they are too rounded but a closer height). Some of these are easily fixable and some aren't. I found that the time to putty over the rivets, get the open panels fit closed and correct some of the above to be greater time and effort than building the Hasegawa kit. If I thought the Hasegawa kit was over engineered, then my personal opinion is that HobbyBoss took it another step further. Lots of people are of the opinion that Hobby Boss goes together easier and quicker and I say that's great. I find it to be the opposite.

Depending on where you buy the kits from, they seem to range from $35-$90 for Hasegawa and $55-$100 for HobbyBoss. Personally I'm buying Aires cockpits and aftermarket exhausts for both. So build cost is in the same ballpark.

So to the OP question, that is my answer. Decide what matters to you, what you want to build and then go do it. Take pictures, make notes and share your experience.

-brian

I agree on the unfounded bad rep of the gawa kitty, as you said: with a wee bit of thought and planning it goes together with a minimum of fuzz.

[Eli Raphael]

As a mainly 1/32 jet builder, I'd like to get my hands on the Hase example.

In your opinion what would the kit need help as far as resin/ PE sets?

Thanks

[Janissary]

As a mainly 1/32 jet builder, I'd like to get my hands on the Hase example.

In your opinion what would the kit need help as far as resin/ PE sets?

Thanks

The answer depends heavily on personal prefs, there are many options. But 'my' thought would be Aires cockpit + exhausts. There is Aires wheel wells too, but I don't care too much about that. Resin wheels can be considered also. For PE, pitot tube and AoA probe could be useful. In general, the options I am mostly aware of:

- Cockpit (Aires)

- Exhausts (Aires)

- Wheel wells (Aires)

- PE: (Eduard and more recently Dream Model)

- Intake covers (Steel beach)

- Gun panels (Steel beach)

- Bombcat update set (Wolfpack)

- Pitot + AoA (I thought Wolfpack had this but not sure)

[Eli Raphael]

Thanking you!

[ChesshireCat]

Because 2 degrees over a couple of millimeters isn't a very drastic change... 2 degrees over the course of several centimeters is a little different and far more noticable.

OK, now trig out two degrees in two inches!

gary

[Brian P: Fightertown Decals]

The only thing that I'm set on as a necessity for my builds is the Aires cockpit. He exhausts are a great option as are the wheel bays but the bays are tough to install. I skip the PE sets since most of what I'd use is in the cockpit and already supplied by Aires. Wheels are a good addition , either Royal Resin or Wheeliant. If needing bomb racks and Lantirn, Wolfpack is the way to go. And Pitot tubes are a nice touch and much better option that the kit plastic. Finally, Fightertown Decals are necessity for me ;)

-Brian

[Check Six]

The only thing that I'm set on as a necessity for my builds is the Aires cockpit. He exhausts are a great option as are the wheel bays but the bays are tough to install. I skip the PE sets since most of what I'd use is in the cockpit and already supplied by Aires. Wheels are a good addition , either Royal Resin or Wheeliant. If needing bomb racks and Lantirn, Wolfpack is the way to go. And Pitot tubes are a nice touch and much better option that the kit plastic. Finally, Fightertown Decals are necessity for me

-Brian

Shocking !