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prototype F-14D question


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Yes, I know. I don't have all the answers to Tomcat questions! On the initial F-14D prototype, did it have the dual chin pod and ECM antenna on the boat tail and the leading edges of the wing glove, or was it simply an F-14A with GE motors?

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I assume you're asking about the actual D prototype and not the Super Tomcat, aka YF-14A 157986 ?

 

If so, there were four D prototypes which were converted A-model airframes, and the Super Tomcat was used for engine evaluations.

 

The first flight was 161865 (aka PA-1) on 23 Nov 1987, it had the APG-71 radar and the full digitized cockpit but had TF30-PW-414 engines.

 

PA-2 (161867) had the same avionics as PA-1 and also had the F110-GE-400 engines.

 

PA-3 (162595) and PA-4 (161623) both retained their TF30 engines. These two airframes were used for IRST and TCS integration. 

 

The above is from Jon Lake's Tomcat book. It implies the "first" D prototype may not have had the IRTS/TCS shape installed.  Not sure about the ALQ-165 on the tail.

 

Doing an image search on the mentioned BuNos may reveal what lumps and bumps they were fitted with.

.

Edited by habu2
typos
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Thanks all! I'm looking to do the Super Tomcat markings on 157986. It's interesting that the pictures of it above don't show it having the ECM antenna under the wing glove or on the left front gear door, yet the picture from M.A.T.S.shows a full ECM suite. It looks like it's essentially a B.

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3 minutes ago, Darren Roberts said:

Thanks all! I'm looking to do the Super Tomcat markings on 157986. It's interesting that the pictures of it above don't show it having the ECM antenna under the wing glove or on the left front gear door, yet the picture from M.A.T.S.shows a full ECM suite. It looks like it's essentially a B.

 

I believe that would be due to the fact that 157986 was used as the "Super Tomcat" prototype twice in it's lifespan. The first becoming what would be known as the A+ or B, then the second time being the D. So there are pictures of it in different stages. Anyone have a correction to that?

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5 hours ago, Whiskey said:

 

I believe that would be due to the fact that 157986 was used as the "Super Tomcat" prototype twice in it's lifespan. The first becoming what would be known as the A+ or B, then the second time being the D. So there are pictures of it in different stages. Anyone have a correction to that?

 Also researching this bird for a 144 build with the wicked loadout of 4x Mk84 & 2x HARM. Indeed when in the final stage for the D prototype, dual chinpod, no lumps and bumps on glove vane. The pictures i have of this loadout do have the bump on the left front gear door as well als the ecm antenna on the tail.

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11 hours ago, stu_fishing said:

 Also researching this bird for a 144 build with the wicked loadout of 4x Mk84 & 2x HARM. Indeed when in the final stage for the D prototype, dual chinpod, no lumps and bumps on glove vane. The pictures i have of this loadout do have the bump on the left front gear door as well als the ecm antenna on the tail.

Excellent! Did it still have the GRU-7 seats?

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I am 99% sure the above pic labeled "NF-14D 161865 " is actually F-14A 159455. Spent many hours on this jet and the two "D minus" aircraft while on active duty at Pax. The D minus jets are the pair with Delta avionics and TF-30's. All three are on display on base, with SD 202/159455 in front of hanger 115, SD 220/161623 at the Museum, and SD 221/162595 in front of the Aviation Physiology building.

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I've been a student of 157986 through all it's various configurations. It changed a LOT over the course of it's off-and-on service life. My eventual goal was to build the jet in the 3 major configurations it appeared in.

 

If you're wanting to build the jet in it's final test configuration (before it went to the intrepid, which does not reflect a service configuration the jet flew in), it had the ECM bump on the door, the ECM bumps on the wing glove leading edges, and the bump on the boat tail, all were painted white. 986 only had the bumps on the sides of the intakes/wing gloves during the testing in the late  80s (a good rule of thumb is: if it had the Dual chinpod, the glove vane bumps were gone by then). The jet always had an F-14A cockpit (closer to the NASA configuration, it had the large artificial horizon in place of the center display), and often carried the dual IRST pod underneath (though it was just as often photographed without)

Edited by Skull Leader
edited for more clarification
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34 minutes ago, swimmer25k said:

I'm thinning the model herd and have the Hasegawa Super Tomcat decals, instructions, and test boom for sale.  The kit has been scavenged over time and only good for parts.

 

PM me if interested. 

 

Chris

Oh, now you tell me! I just dropped $ on the crappy Fujimi kit to get the decals and test boom. :crying:

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47 minutes ago, Darren Roberts said:

Oh, now you tell me! I just dropped $ on the crappy Fujimi kit to get the decals and test boom. :crying:

The decals in the fujimi kit are just fine (having used them myself), and the boom isn't really any better or worse than the hasegawa offering.

 

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29 minutes ago, Skull Leader said:

The decals in the fujimi kit are just fine (having used them myself), and the boom isn't really any better or worse than the hasegawa offering.

 

Phew! Thanks for making me feel better. At least I'll have another Tomcat to build, even if it's just the Fujimi kit.

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On 09/04/2018 at 10:21 PM, swimmer25k said:

I'm thinning the model herd and have the Hasegawa Super Tomcat decals, instructions, and test boom for sale.  The kit has been scavenged over time and only good for parts.

 

PM me if interested. 

 

Chris

Hi Chris!

Did you got my PM ?

Thanks,

Erwan

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Related question:

 

I bought the 1/72 version of the Hasegawa "Super Tomcat" way back when, and ended up painting it up as a what-if due to my long disagreement with white paint. The decal sheet ended up in a box, which I found a little while ago and since I can now actually get white paint to remain white.... maybe it's time to use it.

 

Problem is, I no longer have the instructions, and I think the kit may be too old for them to have been scanned and put on 1999.co.jp where I usually get replacement instructions. And I remember that the kit came with two sets of gun vents, neither of them the modern NACA vents, but I don't remember which of them you were supposed to use and I don't know for sure if they're still in the more modern releases. 

 

So my question is, do Hasegawa's F-14B and F-14D kits come with the right parts to make a valid 157986 aside from the data probe? Or would I need to get an F-14A and an F-14D kit to mix-and-match bits to make the configuration that sits on Intrepid's deck right now?

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36 minutes ago, Air one said:

Hi Sebastian,

I can send you the kit instruction and check with all the boxes I have which one is the best ...

Got tens of it...

Let me know 

Regards,

Erwan

 

Thanks for the offer, but it's not really necessary I think. :)

 

I just noticed that 157986 as displayed on the Intrepid has the NACA gun vents, which is what I had installed on my current F-14B kit during assembly. Which immediately leads to the question "when were they installed", and "did 157986 ever have them at the same time as the F110 engines?" 

 

Because if it did, I can just finish my current kit up in white and use the old decal sheet as is...

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