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Tamiya 1/48th F-14 Sept 2016


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The Tamiya 1/48 Mustang isn't a parts tree forest. It just happens to be accurate, highly buildable and competitively priced. Perhaps that's what the company is aiming for here - the great middle class - people willing to pay for modern tooling, accuracy, good fit, engraved lines x 3-4 kits, versus the plentiful heritage 'good-enough' kits x 10 already in everyone's closet or the expensive, fiddly, problematic kits x 1.

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Tamiya is ideal kit for weekend builders (i nicknamed this styla a manager modeling - ideal kit for relax)

Only why i canĀ“t understand is abscence of weapons in Tamiya box. (/>

The Tamiya 1/48 Mustang isn't a parts tree forest. It just happens to be accurate, highly buildable and competitively priced. Perhaps that's what the company is aiming for here - the great middle class - people willing to pay for modern tooling, accuracy, good fit, engraved lines x 3-4 kits, versus the plentiful heritage 'good-enough' kits x 10 already in everyone's closet or the expensive, fiddly, problematic kits x 1.

If so, I am wondering will this simplification affect the price... I somehow doubt.

Edited by skuki
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Btw, I can't see much from the pictures to conclude that they did "simplify" things and surface details, apart for no flaps and slats, and the pictures of the finished model are often missleading. I doubt it will be any less detailed than F-16. I can remember some previous examples of tamiya anouncement that didn't look so promising but at the end everything turned out as it shoud be and up to tamiya standards. e.g. when I first saw 1/32 Mustang it seemed like a step back, but we all know it wasn't.

After such a long time of raising the bar, I somehow doubt that they changed the policiy and decided to issue a "weekend" build, and on such subject. But then again, this is Tamiya, you can never know what you can expect.

Conclusions from the pictures are maybe rushed a bit

Edited by skuki
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So, is there a way to mold an F-14 wheel well with detail on every interior surface without doing it in multiple parts? What a strange thing to complain about.

Multiple piece main gear wells..... LAME.

... It's also interesting that they went with multi-piece main gear bays...

Edited by andrew.deboer
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It's strange, but I am not as excited as I thought I would be... I was much more excited by AMK's announcement. Probably would buy one of each anyway, but it feels too little too late by Tamiya.

I was going to say the nose looks too pointy, but I looked at my F-14 photo and realised its my brain thats too pointy and the kit is fine!

Well, at the risk of being chastised big time, I had a similar thought especially after seeing this picture:

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13177100_10153759437117874_5646738397909637206_n.jpg?oh=528ad569e5fd8e0e29f6afc898f27b16&oe=57D6C419

Can't tell if it is the lens distortion, but it looks too pointy to me. I am not bashing the kit, just sharing an observation that I see someone else also had for a moment.

Edited by Janissary
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The Tamiya 1/48 Mustang isn't a parts tree forest. It just happens to be accurate, highly buildable and competitively priced. Perhaps that's what the company is aiming for here - the great middle class - people willing to pay for modern tooling, accuracy, good fit, engraved lines x 3-4 kits, versus the plentiful heritage 'good-enough' kits x 10 already in everyone's closet or the expensive, fiddly, problematic kits x 1.

Yes. This.

I'm an obsessive Mustang and Tomcat lover. They are my favorite two aircraft. This is the main reason why I've NEVER been able to build a Tomcat, because I've just never been happy with the end result. I've tried three or four Hase kits, no dice. Revell Monogram, nothing. Even the big Trumpeter and Tamiya kits...negative. On the other hand, I was able to crank out a Tamiya Mustang. Why? Because it simply fell together. I even put an aftermarket cockpit in that thing and I was thrilled with it. I would gladly sacrifice some accuracy for a kit that is easy to build and fits well, a la the Tamiya Mustang and Viper (I'm not saying the Mustang and Viper aren't accurate, I'm getting at the "easy to build" thing). I will gladly admit that I just don't have the talent and the ability to deal with the fit issues that the Hasegawa and Revell/Monogram kits have. Filling and sanding just isn't my strong suit. I can crank out a decent looking detailed cockpit, and I can do a halfway decent job of weathering gear bays and such, but I just don't have "it" when it comes to dealing with fit issues like some of you guys here. I really wish I did, because if that was the case, then I'd have about 20 Hasegawa Tomcats on the shelf, because there's no doubt that they do look good when they're finished.

Edited by TomcatFanatic123
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So, is there a way to mold an F-14 wheel well with detail on every interior surface without doing it in multiple parts? What a strange thing to complain about.

I'm not complaining about it. I'm simply curious as to why they did it. Maybe there isn't a way to the detail all the way around the sidewalls and it's necessary to have a multi-piece wheel bay. As I said, if the fit is good, it really becomes a non-issue. This is going to be a great kit to build. Pricing will be interesting. I'm hoping it's in the $45-50 range.

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I will have to respectfully disagree with you. It doesn't look near as nice as their F-16. I'm somewhat of an F-14 aficionado, and I'm extremely intrigued by this release. There is no doubt it will be a very nice kit that fits extremely well and is easy to build. But looking at the sprue shots, the detail doesn't look near as crisp as the F-16. It's also interesting that they went with multi-piece main gear bays. That's one the of knocks on the Hasegawa kit. If they fit well, then that will negate some of the negatives of that. If you are saying that we don't need another 1/48 Tomcat because this Tamiya kit is the end all, be all, I'll have to disagree with you again. We have the AMK MiG-31 as a baseline. If we base what the AMK F-14 will look like on what the MiG-31 looks like, it is hands down better than the Tamiya kit. That's not to say the Tamiya kit is bad. In rank order, the Tamiya kit will be second IF the AMK kit lives up to expectations. AMK could very easily shut the project down. We'll just have to wait and see. As I posted earlier, the Tamiya kit looks to be a cross between the Hasegawa and R/M kits as far as engineering and detail. I think that's a good thing. We need an easy-to-build Tomcat. It will definitely sell well. I plan on buying a couple (although I've got a dozen Monogram kits to get through) as well as the AMK if/when it comes out.

About two and a half weeks back, I finally got to see the Mig-31 in the flesh. It's now on my bucket list! That kit may well be the finest modern era kit I've ever seen. Then we follow the proposed AMK F14a (early), and see the Tamiya kit. I don't even think it's any better than the Hasegawa, but with the exception of an easier build. The Mig retails for 79 Euros, and that's close to $90. The kit I looked sold for $83. Came with weapons that some of the finest I've ever seen from anybody period! With wings molded solid (as others claim), it will be a serious challenge to build control surfaces in a pose able position (important for me and many others).

I kinda figure the Tamiya kit will be over $100. Then you get A.M. from Eduard to fix the control surfaces, that will be over $15 (if your lucky under twenty dollars). Then you'll want weapons, and be looking at $30 on the cheap. I see an easy $140 kit that's substandard.

gary

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I'm hoping it's in the $45-50 range.

:rofl:/> really 40.00 to 50.00 :rofl:/> as I get up from my laughing fit This kit's MSRP is gonna push $90.00...I don't think it will crack the century mark but NO WAY it will be that low and thats before you buy the separate weapons kit...But man if it is 50.00 I'd buy 5 and be in Tomcat Heaven. I'd be so happy I'd have money left over to buy more AMK F-14 Kits Man I could build F-14's the rest of my life and be :yahoo:/> :nanner:/> :banana:/> :woo:/>

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Guys, just remember one thing, the sprues we are seeing in these pictures are of a test shot. Okay, so it is a Tamiya test shot (and it looks like a late test shot given the part numbers are stamped on the trees), but a test shot nonetheless. Why is that significant? I have a couple test shots of models. Indeed I am finishing up a build of one for a show early next month. Typically the metal used to make the molds hasn't been hardened while it is in the test shot stage, assuming we are talking steel molds. I'm not sure what the approach is to the copper beryllium tooling process used by some manufacturers, but Tamiya might not be utilizing that due to the toxic nature of the metal and the (relatively) shorter shot life of the molds. So while the tooling steel is still soft, things can be tweaked and they can be tweaked by quite a bit. A new injection port might be needed to ensure a cavity gets filled properly. Or, alterations might need to be made due to thickness of a part because a thicker part cools at a different rate than a thin one and can result in a sink trench. Anyone remember the Accurate Miniatures Vindicator? The tail section had a bad sink trench. Point being is the changes to the tooling are a lot easier to make while the steel used in the molds is still soft. After hardening, changes can still be made, but it gets more expensive due to the work involved.

This is an educated guess on my part admittedly, but based on my own experience with test shots, Tamiya might not be shooting the parts at quite the same pressure (or with precisely the same styrene recipe) as what they will use for the production kits. Comparing one of my test shots to a production sample of the exact same subject, I can see a difference in things and I'm not talking plastic color or obvious changes. Parts edges get crisper and the parts get a little glossier (because the tooling gets polished as well). The polishing helps take care of that bead blasted pebble finish seen on some model kits and I haven't seen that with Tamiya stuff. Plus, polishing will help with the mold life.

When the tooling is finalized with no more changes, it gets hardened and polished, then I have a feeling we will see that characteristic crispness to the parts that Tamiya is known for. Then they can shoot the production parts with their standard plastic recipe at the pressure and heat loads they are known for to give us nice, crisp, flash free parts in that uniform medium gray shade we all know and love.

Edited by Jay Chladek
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To me it looks as good as the F-16. Honestly, another 1/48 Tomcat is not needed anymore.

"needed" is such a pointless word. A Tomcat will sell well, and Tamiya don't have a 48th Tomcat in their range. So Tamiya decided they "needed" one. And as far as "need" goes THAT'S IT. That's the entirety of the "need" argument. It's a model. A toy made of plastic. Nobody but Tamiya "needs" it, and if you think you do, maybe you should reassess your priorities.

Sorry, modellers using the word "need" when actually they mean "want" is a pet peeve!

Edited by Dmanton300
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I have to say it is tough for AMK to continue with the 1:48 F-14 project, when you consider cost of new mold, new injection machine, new packaging etc. It is not feasible when Tamiya will release their officially licensed 1:48 F-14 first which will flood the distributors. A majority of people will buy whenever new release with the name "Tamiya". If AMK release theirs, it will become a niche product that I am not sure cover the financial risk. Some people said the Tamiya F-14 has no drop flaps etc, lack of details in some areas, but the Aftermarket guys will sure cover all these. I think it is wise if AMK can scale down the Mig-31 to 1:72, with fine recessed panels similar to the Hasegawa's Su-33/Su-35 series. Another option is to release 1:72 F-14 to avoid compete directly with Tamiya

Edited by Jeffrey
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I have to say it is tough for AMK to continue with the 1:48 F-14 project, when you consider cost of new mold, new injection machine, new packaging etc. It is not feasible when Tamiya will release their officially licensed 1:48 F-14 first which will flood the distributors. A majority of people will buy whenever new release with the name "Tamiya". If AMK release theirs, it will become a niche product that I am not sure cover the financial risk. Some people said the Tamiya F-14 has no drop flaps etc, lack of details in some areas, but the Aftermarket guys will sure cover all these. I think it is wise if AMK can scale down the Mig-31 to 1:72, with fine recessed panels similar to the Hasegawa's Su-33/Su-35 series. Another option is to release 1:72 F-14 to avoid compete directly with Tamiya

3p1a36.jpg

This has been discussed many time with many different kits. A 1/48 F-14 made by Tamiya will not make money for AMK. Their current level of detail like the MiG-31 kits will set this apart from the more basic appearing Tamiya kit. There are plenty of 1/72 F-14's of excellent quality and detail (Hasegawa and Fujimi).

Aftermarket costs money, which is a harder sell for modellers to justify. You already need to buy weapons now, how much more will other options add up to? I think that AMK should continue and not listen to the naysayers, their kit will certainly profit from the level of detail alluded to OOB, which is easier to justify spending on a comprehensive kit.

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I for one, will be buying the AMK kit, provided that they have the flaps and stuff separate, which I expect they will. This because I am planning on building a Tomcat with all the stuff hanging out. I could of course just build the HB one that I have, but I have already built one of those, and having built the Mig-31 from AMK I have really high expectations on their Cat.

I would love to sink my teeth in to the Tamiya Tomcat as well, but Tamiya kit are ridiculously expensive here in Sweden. I expect it to cost > ā‚¬100. If AMK delivers what they delivered in the Mig-31, their kit will be just as easy to build, have more detail/parts, and it will be cheaper. If that is not enough reasons to put their Tomcat to the market, I donĀ“t know what is. The losers in this case would be Hasegawa and HB, but they have made profit on their molds long ago, so I wonĀ“t cry for them. :-)

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"This kit's MSRP is gonna push $90.00...I don't think it will crack the century mark but NO WAY it will be that low and thats before you buy the separate weapons kit...But man if it is 50.00 I'd buy 5 and be in Tomcat Heaven. I'd be so happy I'd have money left over to buy more AMK F-14 Kits Man I could build F-14's the rest of my life"

Sorry about that. I was thinking in terms of my cost. :taunt:

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HUGE Tomcat fanatic here and I'm not sure whether to be excited. I model 100% of my subjects in flight, so having pilots in the kit instead of having to scrounge them from the Hasegawa US Navy crew set I like. No Weapons is kinda WTF (tentative though, so they may change their minds). Wing sweep options means that I can display with wings open and store it with wings closed. VF-2 first cruise, which is a rare scheme to see, I'm happy about even if the other half of the sheet is bones (groan). I wonder if the TCS will be included or not, so I can go into the 80's with it?

Likely as anything I'll build one because it's an F-14 and I give every 1/48 F-14 kit a chance. How many will come down to the pricing and ease of building. I'm not expecting Revell-level cheapness, but if it isn't Hobbyboss expensive and goes together well, I'll get more than one.

Purchasing and building this won't prevent me from also getting the AMK kit as well. And my same rules apply to it also.

Edited by Swordsman422
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HUGE Tomcat fanatic here and I'm not sure whether to be excited. I model 100% of my subjects in flight, so having pilots in the kit instead of having to scrounge them from the Hasegawa US Navy crew set I like. No Weapons is kinda WTF (tentative though, so they may change their minds). Wing sweep options means that I can display with wings open and store it with wings closed. VF-2 first cruise, which is a rare scheme to see, I'm happy about even if the other half of the sheet is bones (groan). I wonder if the TCS will be included or not, so I can go into the 80's with it?

Likely as anything I'll build one because it's an F-14 and I give every 1/48 F-14 kit a chance. How many will come down to the pricing and ease of building. I'm not expecting Revell-level cheapness, but if it isn't Hobbyboss expensive and goes together well, I'll get more than one.

Purchasing and building this won't prevent me from also getting the AMK kit as well. And my same rules apply to it also.

Just a couple of tidbits of info. It's actually not for the first cruise for VF-2. They would have had the boat tail with the dialectric panels on it. The kit would be for around the '78 cruise. Also of note, without the alpha probe on the nose, there needs to be a small probe just below the windscreen on the left side. Steel Beach will have updates so you can do a later variant. I'll also have the original gun vent so you can backdate.

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Thanks, Darren. Yeah, I figured the kit itself would be akin to later variants. Truly early F-14s like 65-GR/70-GR would be neat to do. Being able to have the old beaver tail with the dielectric panels removed would be cool, too. Thank goodness for Steel Beach.

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Cool that this is finally announced. I'm sure it will be great and do well. I don't see it affecting any other Tomcat kit makers.

Personally I'm very happy to see a solid wing. Almost every Tomcat I build is overslept on a carrier and none of the kits open wings close that well.

I'm curious if anyone else noted that this can only be built as a 1974-1976 Tomcat. A very narrow window for this jet. Without the rudder braces you are limited to a very narrow timeframe. This is what I find disappointing. By all means put out an early A but have the rudder braces and wheels for post 1978 and also important, include the TCS. Hopefully Tamiya will have other variants and options. Not sure that I expect that to happen but I don't know what's in store so I can only hope. I'll buy one but I'll convert it to a later model. Very little about 1976-1978 interest me. Bro- VF-2 had rudder braces by 1978 so this kit represents a 1976 jet.

AMK will cover all variants and have more details I'm sure.

Brian

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