crackerjazz Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share Posted March 13, 2016 (edited) Thanks, falcondriver! : ) I'm having a fun (ulp!) time fitting the Aires pit in. All I can say is -- messy but fulfilling. Edited March 13, 2016 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 It was an amusing day today -- For weeks I'd been haunting old shops for another Hasegawa Tomcat. But having no success I'd been thinking that ebay would be my only recourse. Then today I decided to look for private sellers and, lo and behold, I found someone selling a Hasegawa F-14A that was practically a neighbor. A 20-minute drive, actually, but still amazing. And for a good price, too. He had the ad up since early February without any takers - I guess because his ad was titled "MG Gundam." Why that was is a mystery to me - but would have explained the lack of buyers and thus my luck. When he showed me the box it looked old and yellow. But these are the finds that excite me. They bring me back in time. I don't know if "New Tool" meant anything different from the original 1981. But it was a 1988 boxing. The old manual showed those side panels that weren't on the new manual. I doubt it will help with the fit, though. The parts looked really good -- all intact and complete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
falcon20driver Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 What a neat find. Are you building both cats together? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Hi Falcon20driver, yes I'll try to build both cats simultaneously. This cat gets the kit cockpit -- as only the underside will be visible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tomthegrom Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 That boxing was my first ever 1/48th hase tomcat way back in 1992 when I was seven years old. I slapped it together with glue everywhere and sundowners markings. It was AWESOME. I think I kept the box art. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) Hey, Tom, good to see old boxings, right? I should have framed some of my old stuff -- the box art were fantastic. Some progress with the Aires pit: Those firing handles -- I got lazy --- I excised them from the kit seats and glued them onto the Aires. When I start on the other kit I'll paint more firing handles. Also started fitting the legs into the Aires pit. Hey I noticed from this side by side photo that my IP painting has improved a bit. The one on the left looks like it came fresh from the boneyard :) This new one ---- also from the boneyard but wiped down! :) Edited March 18, 2016 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 After some surgery: Will have some patching/re-sculpting work to do for the flightsuit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
falcon20driver Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Looking awesome Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Great looking pit! :D 1981? Wow, tbe kit that old? My first ever hase cat was that very boxing, I bought it in a hobby shop in Dundee, Scotland back in 1990. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Great job on the aircrew and cockpits so far crackerjazz, this display should look pretty sweet when it's all finished. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 Thanks falcon20driver, Steve, Aigore! My mistake -- I don't know where I got "1981" from. The product timeline from here mentions initial release as 1988, but I've seen same boxings that don't say "new tool" -- so there must have been an initial one? But I read VF-154 didn't get their Tomcats until 1983 so, yeah, it couldn't have been 1981. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/115184-hasegawa-07018-grumman-f-14a-tomcat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tomcatlover11 Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Hey Crackerjazz, Great build up on the F-14 so far. This is one of my favorite aircraft to build. One question though, does your kit come with the extra sprues of the different versions of Beaver tails and Vertical Stabs you cane use? If so I was wondering which one's you would not be using and if I could aqquire them from you. Thanks and keep the pics coming. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 Hi Chris, thanks! My kit comes with optional parts for the beaver tails but not the vertical stabs. I don't need the beaver tails with ECM bumps -- I can send those to you. PM me your address. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tomcatlover11 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Thanks Crackerjazz, E-mail Sent. Chris. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tomcatlover11 Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Hey Crackerjazz, let me know if you got my E-Mail address Ok or not and I will send it again. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) More work on the figures... One hand on the grab handle and the other hand on the canopy while trying to get a veiw of the the agressor's position. My RIO figure's pose won't be this extreme, though, so I'll try to put his right hand on the canopy rail. Had to cut the legs too as they just won't fit around the RIO console. Edited March 26, 2016 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
falcon20driver Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Ah manot, that's some seriously awesome work. I think I'll just ship you my F-14 cockpit to build! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Wow, pretty cool jazz, nice job. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jinxter13 Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 (edited) You're gonna do WHAT?!?!. :lol: That is some serious surgery and planning on the scenario, and in case I missed it, this is going to be a gear up build correct?. Edited March 27, 2016 by #1 Greywolf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tomcatsforever Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Can't wait to see how this turns out!! Nice job on the cockpit!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted August 9, 2016 Author Share Posted August 9, 2016 Hi tomcatsforever, Greywolf, thanks! :) Yes, I'm planning on an in-flight build. I've managed to get the main gear covers on but now I know Darren's Steel Beach gear covers would have saved me a lot of hassle. The pitfalls observed by others who have built the Hase 1/48 are slowly becoming clearer to me now and I'm anxious to see what other issues there are. But somehow I'm not as worried as before -- because I recently discovered the Tamiya and AMK threads! :) (where have I been hiding!) It gave me the courage to plod on with the Hase and not be too worried about building a perfect model, knowing there's a new line of Tomcats. In the course of examining the Hase parts, I observed that the panel lines on the Hase look hand-scribed. I didn't really notice until I took a magnifying lamp to it. It's not really something you will notice on normal viewing but I guess it's something you won't see on modern kits. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
falcon20driver Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Good work. Glad to see you back on this project. I can't recommend Darren's wheel plugs enough. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Awesome work on those figures...you're like a styrene Dr. Frankenstein :lol:! This will be a very cool display when done. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
my favs are F`s Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 If it`s only that... it looks to me at the edge of the acceptable issues... After painting and weathering it should not be visible even from close... I mean that it`s not worth it to rescribe all these tiny miniature elements, but if it is all over the model... hm, interesting. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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