Darren Roberts Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 The Steel Beach conversion to make an early F-14 should be available later this week at Sprue Brothers. I did some digging to see what schemes can be done using this, and was surprised to find there is a wide variety. Essentially, you can build up through BuNo 159025. Check your BuNo's. If it's 159025 and smaller, it will have the early beaver tail. Here are some schemes I found: - Ferris scheme for both VF-1 and VF-2 - the delivery scheme for VF-84 on the Furball sheet - original VF-1 and VF-2 - VF-14 - VF-32 (including some from the '89 cruise when they shot down the Libyan MiG's) - VF-301 - VF-302 - VF-11 - VF-124 - VF-211 - VX-4 Paint schemes run the full spectrum of gull gray/white, overall gull gray, and TPS. I'm sure there are other squadrons as well, but these were the ones I found pictures for. The best way to tell is to know the BuNo, because it's hard to tell in pictures if it has the original beaver tail without the perfect angle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk174 Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 HI Darren thanks for the update. I will see what the Bu. No. is for the scheme on the Furball sheet for VF-1 in the gully grey/white scheme. Also been trying to find out if it had the tail stiffeners but I think I don't need them for that time period. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
achterkirch Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Didn't VF-191 and VF-194 have some early boat tomcats attached to them during their relatively short life? I know at least VF-194 did for sure with 159000. It's on one of fightertowns sheets number 48075. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 5 minutes ago, achterkirch said: Didn't VF-191 and VF-194 have some early boat tomcats attached to them during their relatively short life? I know at least VF-194 did for sure with 159000. It's on one of fightertowns sheets number 48075. Good catch. There's two more choices. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Will the tail conversion include the gun vent as well? Don't forget also that some of the early wide beaver tail jets did get converted to standard tail very late in life as part of the Block 135 Upgrade sometime in the mid 1980s. So even though it might have a candidate number, it might still be a standard tail with two grill gun vent configuration (usually the way to tell would be to see if the jet has the ECM blisters in front of the main gear doors). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tomcatfreak Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Any chance to see a beaver tail in 1/32? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 45 minutes ago, Jay Chladek said: Will the tail conversion include the gun vent as well? Don't forget also that some of the early wide beaver tail jets did get converted to standard tail very late in life as part of the Block 135 Upgrade sometime in the mid 1980s. So even though it might have a candidate number, it might still be a standard tail with two grill gun vent configuration (usually the way to tell would be to see if the jet has the ECM blisters in front of the main gear doors). It will have the beaver tail, gun vent, and IRST. In regards to the Block 135 upgrade, I'm curious if it got the new boat tail but kept the early gun vent. The reason I ask is that 159013 was with VF-32. In Dave Brown's book, there is a picture of it landing in the same markings as the Libyan shooters. It has the early gun vent. So I'm going to assume that it still had the beaver tail in 1989. I've also seen a picture of a VF-33 jet taking off from the late 80's/early 90's, and it still had the beaver tail. It's hard to imagine just how long that setup lasted into the Tomcat's life! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 (edited) I looked at that and some kept the old gun vent (some got new vents), but the new beaver tail was a requirement as I understand it for the ECM fit since the rear ECM bulge and chaff/flare dispensers needed to be added. So the old beaver tail went bye bye near as I can tell. But not all beaver tail jets were upgraded to Block 135, like the VF-32 Swordsman jets which stayed original beaver tail for that infamous 1989 Gulf of Sidra cruise. Best way to tell from what I can see is the ECM bulges as that is part of the Block 125/135 equipment package. Edited November 15, 2016 by Jay Chladek Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 Okay then. It looks like 159013 doesn't have the ECM upgrades, so that means it probably still has the old beaver tail. Very interesting! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 The early beaver tail sets are now available at Sprue Brothers. I hope they are helpful in finishing some projects. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 3 hours ago, Darren Roberts said: Okay then. It looks like 159013 doesn't have the ECM upgrades, so that means it probably still has the old beaver tail. Very interesting! Yes, she was still original configuration for that 1989 Gulf of Sidra cruise. Plus she got scrapped not long after. I don't believe any of the VF-32 jets from that cruise ever had the block 125 ECM fit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Falconxlvi Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Order placed Darren! Thanks for making these sets. I'm looking forward to building an early VF-1 Tomcat! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CJ Martin Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 We had two jets in VF-33 with the beaver tail when I was there 85-88, 159010 / AB 207 and 159015 / AB 206. They had different paint schemes - 206 was in the overall gloss gray, with full color markings including the solid black star and yellow lighting bolt on the tails. The older of the two, AB 207 had just been through NARF and came to us in the low vis TPS scheme. The tail markings were dark gray outline star & lightning bolt. We shot a Phoenix off 207 during my last missile shoot with -33, it was the oldest active east coast Fleet tomcat at that time. Note that on both birds the side dielectric panels had been removed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 3 hours ago, CJ Martin said: We had two jets in VF-33 with the beaver tail when I was there 85-88, 159010 / AB 207 and 159015 / AB 206. They had different paint schemes - 206 was in the overall gloss gray, with full color markings including the solid black star and yellow lighting bolt on the tails. The older of the two, AB 207 had just been through NARF and came to us in the low vis TPS scheme. The tail markings were dark gray outline star & lightning bolt. We shot a Phoenix off 207 during my last missile shoot with -33, it was the oldest active east coast Fleet tomcat at that time. Note that on both birds the side dielectric panels had been removed. I just saw a picture of AB 207 in a book I was looking through last night. That's cool that AB 206 was still in overall Gull Gray. I did my first Tamiya Tomcat in VF-33 markings. I have my next one (with the beaver tail) all painted in Gull Gray. I think I might have to do that in VF-33 markings as well! My original choice was going to be a VF-11 jet. Guess what the BuNo was? 159010. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CJ Martin Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Just remember that Modex's change so you really need to know the date. We had at least two different jets wear 207 while I was there. I don't remember the BuNo of the first one but it was most likely Gull gray. It went to NARF shortly after I got there, and we got 159010 right before the '86 cruise. When jets went to NARF they didn't always return to the squadron they came from. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 I'm assuming the pic in the book of 207 was 159010 because it was a rear quarter shot and the beaver tail is clearly on it. That's what caught my attention. I hadn't realized that the beaver tail had made it to late in the life of the Tomcat. I learn stuff all the time! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I would think VF-142 and VF-143 in their earliest scheme (pre VF-41 and VF-84) would also have the early tail as they were the FIRST east coast squadrons. First working up with AJ tail codes before switching to AE. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 I found another one. VF-102 had a couple of jets with the beaver tail. I'll have to do some digging to find out about -142 and -143. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CJ Martin Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 At least by the mid-80's most east coast squadrons had a mix of blocks. I can't speak to the west coast squadrons but I suspect it was the same. So yes, -102 had some older jets too, at one time I think one of their BuNo's was 159006 or 159007...all I remember for sure is that it was lower than our 207. In 33 we had a couple of block 75s, two block 110s and the rest were a mix in between. We got a third block 110 right before cruise (the ill-fated AB 213). After cruise we turned a couple of birds into NARF and got two brand spanking new Block 140s, new car smell and all. I probably have a complete list of our BuNos during that time in a box somewhere. I still have a couple of the Grumman BIT books, my old cranial and some flight deck jerseys. Funny how you hang onto stuff from another life. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 Great stuff CJ! I love when guys who were there chime in with info. That's the best! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 BTW, I composed a hand out list of blocks and features which I did for a presentation I gave to the local club last night. I'll likely be posting that on ARC by this weekend. Hopefully it can be used as a cheat sheet of sorts to help determine which jets had which features from the factory at least (of course some equipment like Alpha probes were retrofitted later in the 1980s even if gun vents and beaver tails didn't change). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bozothenutter Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Following this as I want to make a VF-1 bird as used on enterprise in Vietnam '74. What block would those have been ( using the Hase wolfpack kit) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 That would likely be a block 65-70 airframe. The Hasegawa Wolfpack kit is perfect for it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 2 hours ago, Jay Chladek said: BTW, I composed a hand out list of blocks and features which I did for a presentation I gave to the local club last night. I'll likely be posting that on ARC by this weekend. Hopefully it can be used as a cheat sheet of sorts to help determine which jets had which features from the factory at least (of course some equipment like Alpha probes were retrofitted later in the 1980s even if gun vents and beaver tails didn't change). You should have told me. I could have saved you time and sent you mine. :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 6 minutes ago, Darren Roberts said: You should have told me. I could have saved you time and sent you mine. :-) :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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