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Tamiya 1/48th F-14 Sept 2016


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Wheels changed in 1977. L shaped rudder stiffeners started in late 1977/early 1978.

Tamiya Tomcat is valid for 1975-1977 (some jets continued to have the old original wheels until 1980. I believe they were completely out of the system prior to 1981.

-brian

-brian

So, to make a typical 80s low-viz Tomcat from the Tamiya kit I will need these items:

  • TCS
  • Mid style main wheel hubs
  • Tail stiffeners

Anything else to add?

As much as I look forward to Tamiya's new Tomcat I can't see myself building any of those 70s high-viz birds as IMHO they all look more or less hideous (sorry)!

And although it would be great to see Tamiya release later versions of the Tomcat I figure it can happen next year as well as ten years from now or never, going by their release history for other subjects. :unsure:

Edited by Anders_Isaksson
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Anders,

Steel Beach will very likely follow this release with an update kit including most or all of the post-Block 125-GR updates. We just aren't sure yet whether a fret of photoetch is included that will have tail stiffeners and which ones. Sprue shots don't show a TCS but I doubt it will be there.

We really could use a good tutorial on the F-14A and its various major iterations, with images showing what changed. F-14Bs and Ds are easy to pick out, but the differences between a -125-GR and a -140-GR are more than just a little fuzzy.

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We really could use a good tutorial on the F-14A and its various major iterations, with images showing what changed. F-14Bs and Ds are easy to pick out, but the differences between a -125-GR and a -140-GR are more than just a little fuzzy.

There used to be one, either here or on Z5. Don't remember which forum, and I think it has been removed. Too bad as I remember it as having lots of useful information.

Jens

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Anders,

Steel Beach will very likely follow this release with an update kit including most or all of the post-Block 125-GR updates. We just aren't sure yet whether a fret of photoetch is included that will have tail stiffeners and which ones. Sprue shots don't show a TCS but I doubt it will be there.

...

Thanks for the info, that sounds good! :thumbsup:

Had a look in my spares box and found these two styles of wheels from Royal Resin.

I believe the wheel (mid style) I need is the one I don't have... 🙄

B74893C1-5EA3-45A5-8D62-52CBDB3D469C.jpg

Edited by Anders_Isaksson
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I'm not sure anyone has done a mid-style wheel. All I've ever seen are the two types shown above. On a 1/48 scale model, it's really hard to tell the difference between the mid and late style hubs. I'm a Tomcat nut, and I can't really tell the difference. And yes, Steel Beach while have update sets to get a post Block 125 and an earlier set as well. I'm even going to try and do the old style beaver tail with the dialectric panels.

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The Royal Resin wheels shown above look like a mid and an early. Hasegawa has included the midlife wheels in white metal with many of their kits. I'm not sure they have done the late ones. Maybe Wolfpack...

I'm not sure anyone has done a mid-style wheel.

Edited by andrew.deboer
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The Royal Resin wheels shown above look like a mid and an early. Hasegawa has included the midlife wheels in white metal with many of their kits. I'm not sure they have done the late ones. Maybe Wolfpack...

Are those mid or late? I guess I don't know the difference.

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There used to be one, either here or on Z5. Don't remember which forum, and I think it has been removed. Too bad as I remember it as having lots of useful information.

Jens

It was on Z5... anyone know why it was removed? As I recall, it was an excellent resource.

Thanks,

Jamie

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I'm not sure anyone has done a mid-style wheel. All I've ever seen are the two types shown above. On a 1/48 scale model, it's really hard to tell the difference between the mid and late style hubs. I'm a Tomcat nut, and I can't really tell the difference. And yes, Steel Beach while have update sets to get a post Block 125 and an earlier set as well. I'm even going to try and do the old style beaver tail with the dialectric panels.

Thanks, looks like I'm all set regarding the wheels then. :)

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Feel free to copy and paste:

Here's a quick and dirty listing of all the F-14 block and BuNo's along with a description of what they looked like in regard to chin pods, ECM gear, gun vents, etc. I had fun perusing some books, and was kind of surprised to find how many Tomcats carried the early style gun vent. There are definitely some "never say nevers" in pictures, also! Hopefully this trivial information will be of some aid.

F-14A-60 (158612 158619)

F-14A-65 (158620 158637)

F-14A-70 (158978 159006)

-- no alpha probe

-- early beaver tail

-- IRST/ALQ-100 chin pod or just ALQ-100

-- 7-holed gun vent

-- Notes of interest: 158621 had the short gun muzzle with no gun vent. Some jets had the 7-holed gun vent replaced by the standard 2-holed gun vent later in life, even while retaining the original beaver tail. They also received the nose alpha probe later in life, even if they didn't have a Block 135 upgrade.

F-14A-75 (159007 159025)

-- no alpha probe

-- early beaver tail

-- ALQ-100

-- 7-holed gun vent

-- Notes of interest: Many of these jets retained the early beaver tail and gun vent throughout their life. Some were upgraded to Block 135 and had the standard beaver tail installed. They also received the nose alpha probe later in life, even if they didn't have a Block 135 upgrade.

F-14A-75 (159421 159429)

F-14A-80 (159430 159468)

-- no alpha probe

-- standard beavertail

-- ALQ-100

-- 7-holed gun vent

F-14A -85 (159588 159637)

-- no alpha probe

-- standard beaver tail

-- ALQ-100

-- Notes of interest: The early 7-holed gun vent was installed up 159611. Starting somewhere within 159612 - 159615, the standard 2-holed gun vent was installed. The first definitive picture is of 159615.

F-14A-90 (159825 159874)

F-14A-95 (160379 160414)

F-14A-100 (160652 160696)

F-14A-105 (160887 160937)

F-14A-110 (161138 161168)

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

-- standard 2-holed gun vent

-- ALQ-100

F-14A-115 (161270 161299)

F-14A-120 (161416 161445)

-- ECM blisters under glove vanes and beavertail

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

-- standard 2-holed gun vent

-- ALQ-100

F-14A-125 (161597 161626)

F-14A-130 (161850 161873)

F-14A-135 (162588 162611)

F-14A-140 (162688 162711)

-- TCS/ALQ-100 chin pod

-- ECM blisters under glove vanes and beavertail

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

-- standard 2-holed gun vent

F-14B-145 (162910 162927)

F-14B-150 (163215 163229)

F-14B-155 (163407 163411)

-- TACAN antenna

-- ECM blister on left nose gear

-- ECM blisters on sides of intakes

-- NACA gun vents

-- GE F110 engines

-- TCS/ALQ-100 chin pod

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

F-14D-160 (163412 163418)

F-14D-165 (163893 163904)

F-14D-170 (164340 164604)

-- dual IRST/TCS chin pod

-- new cockpit layout and seats

-- TACAN antenna

-- ECM blister on left nose gear

-- ECM blisters on sides of intakes

-- NACA gun vents

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

-- GE F110 engines

-- ECM blisters under wing glove removed

Overall notes of interest: The above info is how they came out of Grumman. As the airframes aged,many were upgraded to Block 135 standards. Late in life, A's began being upgraded with the ECM gear found in Bs. This means the only way to tell the difference between a late A and a B is the engine

nozzles and the glove vanes (As had them, Bs didnt). The early 7-holed gun vent/beavertail arrangement could be found up to as late as 1989, if not even into the early 90s with the reserve squadrons.

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Darren, thanks for the rundown.

Quick question did Fast Eagle 102 have the rudder stiffeners installed during the first Gulf of Sidra Incident?

I might have to look at my dad's cruise book from 1980-1982 USS NIMITZ Med.Cruise to confer, but would be nice to get a quick answer.

TIA!

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Darren, thanks for the rundown.

Quick question did Fast Eagle 102 have the rudder stiffeners installed during the first Gulf of Sidra Incident?

I might have to look at my dad's cruise book from 1980-1982 USS NIMITZ Med.Cruise to confer, but would be nice to get a quick answer.

TIA!

IIRC, 102 still had the hexagon shaped stiffeners. 107 had the newer inverted L shaped stiffeners. The Tamiya offering will be perfect for Fast Eagle 102.

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Isn't this kit supposed to be on display in full at some model show today?

Some of the sprues from the test shot will be on display for Hobbytown retail store owners, managers and employees at the HobbyTown National Convention starting tomorrow until Thursday in Lincoln, NE.

More to come for the IPMS National Convention in 22 Days!

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