AMK 1/48 F-14!!!

[Mstor]

1 minute ago, Don said:

And the next number is...

LOL! I'll leave now...

 

Happy modeling all!

 

Thanks, now that's information I can use! I'll check back after I do 3 in case I need further assist.

[ElectroSoldier]

How does it rate against the Academy Bombcat kit?

 

Its also twice the price of the newer Italeri kits, is it twice the kit?

Edited December 16, 2019 by ElectroSoldier

[erik_g]

1 hour ago, ElectroSoldier said:

Its also twice the price of the newer Italeri kits, is it twice the kit?

It depends on what you value, it´s easily twice the part count. More details, more options, like clean or dirty wings, more weapons and so on.
If you want clean wings, already have resin exhausts and a resin cockpit, or does't care about those things, well, then the extra money maybe wasted on an AMK or even a Tamiya.
Can't say if the AMK is easy to build. There are conflicting views represented in the thread. It looks to me like it will go together with not too much fuss. But it is a more complicated kit than the Italeri, so it might not be for the novice.

[Darren Roberts]

2 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:

How does it rate against the Academy Bombcat kit?

 

Its also twice the price of the newer Italeri kits, is it twice the kit?

 

The AMK kit is head and shoulders above the Academy Bombcat release and the Italeri. If people think the AMK has shape issues, the Academy and Italeri kits are even more egregious. I'm just about at the point of painting the AMK kit. While fiddly, the fit is still about an 8 out of 10. I've had to sand a couple of areas and use a spot of putty here and there, but nothing like on the Academy, Italeri, Hasegawa, or Monogram kits, which I've all built. I haven't built the Hobbyboss kit yet, but it looks like it goes together relatively well. Does the AMK kit touch the Tamiya kit for ease of build and accurate shape? No. But what it does provide is a very good Tomcat model with lots of extras that aren't found in other kits. Of all the 1/48 Tomcat kits on the market, the AMK ranks second in regards to overall build. That may change if GWH releases a 1/48, which they're supposed to. I've taken a look at their 1/72, and that seems pretty nice. If the 1/48 offering is of the same quality, that may usurp the AMK kit for second place. 

[Propellerhead]

[Tapchan]

3 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:

How does it rate against the Academy Bombcat kit?

 

Its also twice the price of the newer Italeri kits, is it twice the kit?

 

Seems like they go head to head.

[TankerTweaker]

To help get this thread to 300 pages, a question about Tomcat flight controls. When I build mine, I'll have it in dirty wing configuration and the speed brake open. Other than at touchdown, are there times on the ground when the wing is dirty and speed brake open and nobody in the cockpit? If yes, are there safety locks installed on spoiler and speed brake actuators with RBF flags? Have not been able to find any pics on internet with safety locks installed.

 

Thanks

[GW8345]

50 minutes ago, TankerTweaker said:

To help get this thread to 300 pages, a question about Tomcat flight controls. When I build mine, I'll have it in dirty wing configuration and the speed brake open. Other than at touchdown, are there times on the ground when the wing is dirty and speed brake open and nobody in the cockpit? If yes, are there safety locks installed on spoiler and speed brake actuators with RBF flags? Have not been able to find any pics on internet with safety locks installed.

 

Thanks

Having the wings out, spoilers/brakes open was a requirement when the aircraft was washed so it would be very common to see an aircraft parked with everything "down and dirty" in preparation for the aircraft to be washed. Another time is when the aircraft was going into Phase maintenance and when the spoilers, flaps/slats had to be rigged.

 

As far as safety locks, there wouldn't be any for the spoilers and we rarely put them in for the speed brakes (except when the aircraft was going in for "extended" maintenance) so I wouldn't worry about replicating them unless you are going to put the bird in a hanger with half the panels laying all over the deck.

 

The spoilers didn't have "safety interlocks" but did have timing pins that were installed when the Airframers were rigging the spoilers, they would have RBF's attached to them. Again, those were only used when the spoilers were being rigged.

 

hth

GW

[ElectroSoldier]

5 hours ago, erik_g said:

It depends on what you value, it´s easily twice the part count. More details, more options, like clean or dirty wings, more weapons and so on.
If you want clean wings, already have resin exhausts and a resin cockpit, or does't care about those things, well, then the extra money maybe wasted on an AMK or even a Tamiya.
Can't say if the AMK is easy to build. There are conflicting views represented in the thread. It looks to me like it will go together with not too much fuss. But it is a more complicated kit than the Italeri, so it might not be for the novice.

 

Its been 20 odd years since I built the Italeri version, I wouldnt like to say if thats for a novice either... I cant honestly remember.

 

I noticed the interesting way AMK saw fit to do the wings...
From what I know of the F-14 there are three major wing positions, fully forward, fully swept back and then over sweep for stowage on a carrier. What position are the wings in in the kit?
From what I understand and the little Ive seen on youtube carrier operations have them moving about the deck with them over swept back, is this how the kits swept wings are?

[TankerTweaker]

9 minutes ago, GW8345 said:

Having the wings out, spoilers/brakes open was a requirement when the aircraft was washed so it would be very common to see an aircraft parked with everything "down and dirty" in preparation for the aircraft to be washed. Another time is when the aircraft was going into Phase maintenance and when the spoilers, flaps/slats had to be rigged.

 

As far as safety locks, there wouldn't be any for the spoilers and we rarely put them in for the speed brakes (except when the aircraft was going in for "extended" maintenance) so I wouldn't worry about replicating them unless you are going to put the bird in a hanger with half the panels laying all over the deck.

 

The spoilers didn't have "safety interlocks" but did have timing pins that were installed when the Airframers were rigging the spoilers, they would have RBF's attached to them. Again, those were only used when the spoilers were being rigged.

 

hth

GW

Thanks for the information GW8345. Having this information with make the build easier

[Ventris]

20 hours ago, Zactoman said:

Just more proof of shity quality control.

I really can not understand how anyone can defend this kit anymore. 

[Darren Roberts]

30 minutes ago, Ventris said:

Just more proof of shity quality control.

I really can not understand how anyone can defend this kit anymore. 

 

I'm curious what you mean by "defend this kit"? Does that mean that nothing good should be said about it? I'm finding there's a lot to like about it. Does that mean not saying anything negative about it? There are definite areas that could have been improved upon, one seemingly being QC. My example had none of the posted problems. It was packaged well and all parts were fully molded and usable. Does that mean no one should buy it? It's a great value for the plastic you get in the box. Does that mean the company should be taken to task for mistakes? I would agree with that, if only to give them the chance to improve. I can remember when Kinetic's QC was just like AMK's, yet they grew from it and improved, at least from the kits I've built. Does it mean shutting down anyone who's opinion is that it's a good kit? I can't agree with that.

[Darren Roberts]

1 hour ago, ElectroSoldier said:

 

Its been 20 odd years since I built the Italeri version, I wouldnt like to say if thats for a novice either... I cant honestly remember.

 

I noticed the interesting way AMK saw fit to do the wings...
From what I know of the F-14 there are three major wing positions, fully forward, fully swept back and then over sweep for stowage on a carrier. What position are the wings in in the kit?
From what I understand and the little Ive seen on youtube carrier operations have them moving about the deck with them over swept back, is this how the kits swept wings are?

 

There are three parts provided that allow you to choose the three different positions. The same goes for the horizontal stabs. The caveat is that you have choose those positions and build it that way. The wings and stabs are not movable.

[ElectroSoldier]

45 minutes ago, Ventris said:

Just more proof of shity quality control.

I really can not understand how anyone can defend this kit anymore. 

 

6 minutes ago, Darren Roberts said:

 

I'm curious what you mean by "defend this kit"? Does that mean that nothing good should be said about it? I'm finding there's a lot to like about it. Does that mean not saying anything negative about it? There are definite areas that could have been improved upon, one seemingly being QC. My example had none of the posted problems. It was packaged well and all parts were fully molded and usable. Does that mean no one should buy it? It's a great value for the plastic you get in the box. Does that mean the company should be taken to task for mistakes? I would agree with that, if only to give them the chance to improve. I can remember when Kinetic's QC was just like AMK's, yet they grew from it and improved, at least from the kits I've built. Does it mean shutting down anyone who's opinion is that it's a good kit? I can't agree with that.

 

Darren I think you're wrong, I think Ventris is absolutely spot on. In fact he doesn't go far enough, I think the guys at AMK should apologize for making this kit, in fact they should apologize for daring to think they were allowed to make a model of the F-14, and once they have finished apologizing I think they should, along with all the people who like this kit, some of the family and friends of the people involved should be taken outside for a public flogging. Preferable in front of a real F-14D so it can see punishment done and justice served and TeamAMK should be hung in a basket in front of said F-14 to reflect on the error of their ways and so they dont imagine they can think about something similar in the future!

 

Meanwhile, back in the real world...

 

Ive been building kits since the very early 80s. A lot of those kits were from the 70s and they were at the time pretty good, very nice to be able to build a quarter scale Tamiya A-10A, it was god like at the time, but so was the price!
Then time goes by Italeri came along and they were regular but nice and then we jump to today and in all honesty this kit looks pretty amazing, sure it might need some modelling skill to make it, it might even need the dreaded filler but that is what sorts the men from the boys. Or more accurately the model makers from the kit assemblers.

 

The kit might well be for model makers rather than kit assemblers which is what is wrong with it and why people dont like it. They wanted an easy road to an amazing F-14... Who knows, either way AMK dont need to apologize for anything, they dont even need to explain what if anything went wrong, they did it, they released it, you buy it or you dont, you talk about it or you dont but you dont get to tell me that I cant defend the kit, or if I can or cant buy it.

 

Same as this whole thing about getting to 300 pages...
Why?
I could understand if it was 300 pages of useful content. But it isnt. A fair portion of it isnt worth reading at all, which really lets the site down as it is in general a repository of useful content and worthwhile modelling information. This is a 150 page thread for the most part.

 

Thats only my opinion of course, except for the first paragraph which is a joke just to show Im not without humor 🙂

27 minutes ago, Darren Roberts said:

 

There are three parts provided that allow you to choose the three different positions. The same goes for the horizontal stabs. The caveat is that you have choose those positions and build it that way. The wings and stabs are not movable.

 

Yeah I dont mind that, I find moving parts in a static model something of a gimmick for the most part and tends to take away.
Remember how thick the leading edge of the Airfix 72nd kit was in order to get the mechanism in?

[madmanrick]

2 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:

 

 

Darren I think you're wrong, I think Ventris is absolutely spot on. In fact he doesn't go far enough, I think the guys at AMK should apologize for making this kit, in fact they should apologize for daring to think they were allowed to make a model of the F-14, and once they have finished apologizing I think they should, along with all the people who like this kit, some of the family and friends of the people involved should be taken outside for a public flogging. Preferable in front of a real F-14D so it can see punishment done and justice served and TeamAMK should be hung in a basket in front of said F-14 to reflect on the error of their ways and so they dont imagine they can think about something similar in the future!

 

Meanwhile, back in the real world...

Yeah pretty much captures the thought processes of the "completely hate it" crowd. The only thing missing is a reference to the fact that most, if not all of these very same individuals don't and won't own the kit. Which makes their hollow "crying in the wilderness", all that much more ridiculous. I might be able to understand the gnashing of teeth, IF these gnashers had laid out hard earned money, but they did not.

 

The most ironic thing about this whole thing is that you would have thought that AMK had pulled a Kittyhawk Banshee blunder, but in reality the "mistakes" that are present on AMK's Tomcat are VERY difficult to see, even when pointed out and appear to be spotty in many cases (i.e. present in one box and not in others). In fact, reminds me a bit of the Zoukei Mura Phantom "mistakes." I still can't see those, despite having seen countless red line drawings etc. Both of the kits I mentioned look like what they are purported to be, they seem to be great builds and are close to, if not the best kit of the type in quarter scale. Many similarities to me. If hyperbole were a crime, I can think of more than a few politicians that should be hoisted by their own petard for that "crime". Alas, hyperbole is but a "crime" of hubris and the receiver should be the judge and jury of the veracity of said claims, not some self-appointed internet pundit on behalf of the unwashed masses.

[niart17]

"The wheel in the sky keeps on turning!"

[habu2]

“I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow “

[erik_g]

8 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:

Same as this whole thing about getting to 300 pages...
Why?

The first to post on page 300 was promised two free Tomcats by AMK, that´s why! 😄

[shion]

9 hours ago, Darren Roberts said:

 

I'm curious what you mean by "defend this kit"? Does that mean that nothing good should be said about it? I'm finding there's a lot to like about it. Does that mean not saying anything negative about it? There are definite areas that could have been improved upon, one seemingly being QC. My example had none of the posted problems. It was packaged well and all parts were fully molded and usable. Does that mean no one should buy it? It's a great value for the plastic you get in the box. Does that mean the company should be taken to task for mistakes? I would agree with that, if only to give them the chance to improve. I can remember when Kinetic's QC was just like AMK's, yet they grew from it and improved, at least from the kits I've built. Does it mean shutting down anyone who's opinion is that it's a good kit? I can't agree with that.

 

Oh the irony.

[Jonathan_Lotton]

17 hours ago, madmanrick said:

In fact, reminds me a bit of the Zoukei Mura Phantom "mistakes." I still can't see those, despite having seen countless red line drawings etc. 

odd that they completely retooled their entire fuselage to correct a non-existent error then, eh? 

[Hubbie Marsten]

16 hours ago, madmanrick said:

The only thing missing is a reference to the fact that most, if not all of these very same individuals don't and won't own the kit. Which makes their hollow "crying in the wilderness", all that much more ridiculous. I might be able to understand the gnashing of teeth, IF these gnashers had laid out hard earned money, but they did not.

 

Well, Davie; I don't and won't own the AMK Tomcat kit because I realised early in its developing process what the awful shape of the rear hinds looked like. This was a hundred pages back, I think, but after the fat end was pointed out to AMK by several modellers, I hoped that AMK would fix this issue, eventually. They didn't; they dismissed the issue as an optical illusion and then said that those pictures were from quite a different life in the AMK Tomcat developing process: different iteration, older-pictures, previous-moulds, different-shows, and Godzilla-had-eaten-the-tools-we-need-to-use-in-order-to-create-the-new-molds-to-correct-the-fat-hips-on-the-definitive-kit; sorry.

Hence, the kit was delivered as is, in spite of all of the lame excuses and all the hypocrite lying. I knew they wouldn't fix anything, and that's why I didn't own the kit. In retrospect now, I'm sure that you, having bought the kit, are the one who would like to make your hollow crying in the wilderness for having been had, but you'd rather not by pretending that the kit is okay.

I´m really glad I avoided the AMK hook-line-and-sinker right from the start, as I'm certain that I would be more than gnashing my teeth now if I had been had by those people.

 

17 hours ago, madmanrick said:

The most ironic thing about this whole thing is that you would have thought that AMK had pulled a Kittyhawk Banshee blunder, but in reality the "mistakes" that are present on AMK's Tomcat are VERY difficult to see, even when pointed out and appear to be spotty in many cases (i.e. present in one box and not in others). In fact, reminds me a bit of the Zoukei Mura Phantom "mistakes." I still can't see those, despite having seen countless red line drawings etc.

 

Pfffftttt... That's ridiculous. The issue in the rear hinds are still there for all to see in the AMK kit whetehr you like it or not, same as the issue on the IFR probe panel. It's a very different thing if you choose not to see them, just as you fail to see the issue on the Zoukei Mura Phantom aft fuselage. So people at Hypersonic Models must have wasted their precious time and money in having devised a resin fix for that kit then? It'd explain a lot of things if you just admitted that you're better off ignoring those issues. But the issues won't go away just because of that.

[madmanrick]

1 hour ago, Jonathan_Lotton said:

odd that they completely retooled their entire fuselage to correct a non-existent error then, eh? 

Since when did ZM retool their Phantom II? I am going to need to see proof.

[madmanrick]

1 hour ago, Hubbie Marsten said:

 

Well, Davie; I don't and won't own the AMK Tomcat kit because I realised early in its developing process what the awful shape of the rear hinds looked like. This was a hundred pages back, I think, but after the fat end was pointed out to AMK by several modellers, I hoped that AMK would fix this issue, eventually. They didn't; they dismissed the issue as an optical illusion and then said that those pictures were from quite a different life in the AMK Tomcat developing process: different iteration, older-pictures, previous-moulds, different-shows, and Godzilla-had-eaten-the-tools-we-need-to-use-in-order-to-create-the-new-molds-to-correct-the-fat-hips-on-the-definitive-kit; sorry.

Hence, the kit was delivered as is, in spite of all of the lame excuses and all the hypocrite lying. I knew they wouldn't fix anything, and that's why I didn't own the kit. In retrospect now, I'm sure that you, having bought the kit, are the one who would like to make your hollow crying in the wilderness for having been had, but you'd rather not by pretending that the kit is okay.

I´m really glad I avoided the AMK hook-line-and-sinker right from the start, as I'm certain that I would be more than gnashing my teeth now if I had been had by those people.

 

 

Pfffftttt... That's ridiculous. The issue in the rear hinds are still there for all to see in the AMK kit whetehr you like it or not, same as the issue on the IFR probe panel. It's a very different thing if you choose not to see them, just as you fail to see the issue on the Zoukei Mura Phantom aft fuselage. So people at Hypersonic Models must have wasted their precious time and money in having devised a resin fix for that kit then? It'd explain a lot of things if you just admitted that you're better off ignoring those issues. But the issues won't go away just because of that.

The weight of ignorant comments has exceeded my capacity to deal with them...ignore.

Edited December 17, 2019 by madmanrick
added text

[Hubbie Marsten]

39 minutes ago, madmanrick said:

Since when did ZM retool their Phantom II? I am going to need to see proof.

 

Yes, Rickie is still out from the fact that Zoukey Mura is working on the long-nosed versions of Phantoms...

 

38 minutes ago, madmanrick said:

The weight of ignorant comments has exceeded my capacity to deal with them...ignore.

 

Most convenient, Rickie... Still the fat hinds are there to stay.

Edited December 17, 2019 by Hubbie Marsten

[Jonathan_Lotton]

1 hour ago, madmanrick said:

Since when did ZM retool their Phantom II? I am going to need to see proof.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/zoukei-mura-tba-f-4e-phantom-ii--1180315

Only the F-4E/ "Long nose" Phantoms are being retooled.  The short nose jets are keeping the old fuselage molds.