VF-211 Operation Southern Watch F-14A

[Whiskey]

Right then. So after a long time of not touching any kit with a purpose of starting AND finishing it, plus watching the two awesome Monogram F-14A builds by john53 and picknpluck, I'm going to start knocking this one out. What we have here is the 'Hunt For Red October' edition of Monogram's 1/48 F-14A Tomcat. Livery will be done in VF-211 colors for a line jet that flew on the 1997 cruise to participate in Operation Southern Watch over the skies of Iraq. This aircraft in particular is provided by FCM Decals.

 

 

 

So far for this build I have the decals, picked up the original Steel Beach LANTIRN set (comes without the hand control unit), True Details F-14A cockpit, A.M.U.R. Reaver photoetch tail stiffeners, Eduard pe (actually for the Revell F-14D but there's still usefulness for it), and a set of Aires exhausts. The Aires exhausts are actually for the Academy kit however after a lot of digging and asking questions I have concluded that the cans will fit on the Monogram but we will see. Still pending purchase are the following:

Steel Beach F-14 Tomcat Chin Sensor

Steel Beach F-14 Tomcat Ventral Strakes

Steel Beach F-14 Tomcat Nose

Steel Beach F-14 Tomcat ECM Blisters

Steel Beach F-14 Tomcat Nav Lights

CrossDelta F-14 Tomcat Step Area & Formation Lights

Steel Beach F-14 NACA Vent

 

What I do not know however is what else I need for this. The items I have in limbo on whether or not to get them are:

Steel Beach F-14 Tomcat BOL Rails (loaded)

Steel Beach F-14 Tomcat Wheel Halves

Steel Beach F-14 Tomcat Walkways Light Gray

Steel Beach GPS Domes

Steel Beach F-14 Tomcat Pylons Set

 

I think that's about it. I know it's a lot, and it's a lot for just a Monogram kit but I picked this up for $5 so it should be interesting. My biggest thing is with all of the AM stuff I just want to get the aircraft right and get it right the first time. I'll start posting pictures as soon as I can and when things arrive in the mailbox. I have fall classes beginning next week plus I'm a stay at home dad to two little ones so progress will be slow to say the least.

 

Oh here's the loadout:

[john53]

Nice choice , will be watching with interest. That's a lot of work you have chosen

to do but it should be well worth it. I don't have the time or room for 1/48 kits

but I am going to finish this one at least, that's why I chose to do mine a la

KISS. Good luck, will be watching!---John

[Collin]

FMU-140 fuzed MK-20 ROCKEYE in the forward bomb positions. I remember when those first came out and we started flying with them in the Gulf during OSW sorties. VF-154 carries this same load. Our S-3’s carried a TER with these MK-20’s. Hornets carries a GBU-12 , and Maverick. Some carried a MK-20 to vary the loadout among a section. 

 

The -211 lov-vis markings are sharp. 

Cheers

Collin

[phantom]

Good stuff, and welcome aboard.  You might have more resin then Revell plastic but its all good!

[Whiskey]

Ok so getting into this I have some questions maybe I can get some answers for. 

 

1) As a LANTIRN equipped F-14A with a PTID in the RIO's pit, would it still have the small screen on the left side console with the hand controller unit or no?

2) I did read that VF-211 used NOD's on this deployment but I just want to verify that the cockpit would be gray overall with black control panels.

3) Does anyone have any experience with any of the Aerobonus pilots in seats sets? I am leaning towards going with an in flight model and those look pretty decent just not really sure about them yet.

[Whiskey]

So, I am done with the semester for school and have roughly about a month before my next one starts. Spent the weekend relaxing and today grab everything together for this build to finally start. I go to open up the old tattered box containing the kit. Lo and behold what do I discover? That this is not a Monogram kit! This is actually the old Revell F-14A that someone stuffed in a Monogram box. 

 

I'm at a loss as to what I am going to do. For one thing I am not going to get rid of it as I can use to A) Practice some much needed fuselage painting, and 2) It'll look great with some other hanging from my kids ceiling. Until I get a replacement kit, and I know they're cheap, this is going to be on hold again. I've got plenty of other R/M kits to choose a new project though.

[Kurt H.]

Ouch ... tough break. Maybe you can do a quick slam on this one, I mean, how often do these get built? 

[Whiskey]

9 hours ago, Kurt H. said:

Ouch ... tough break. Maybe you can do a quick slam on this one, I mean, how often do these get built? 

 

I thought about that. I went through the kit do a lot of preliminary test fitting and it is truly horrible. The fuselage has massive fitting issues up and down it, the wings are either to big or to small in places when putting them together, and I'm not about to waste any decal sets on this. 

 

I pulled out my Monogram OA-4M and I think I'll work on that for this.

[Kurt H.]

That sounds like a really rough kit. Certainly not worth aftermarket decals. Might have been interesting if it had some kit decals with it.

 

Any way, the OA-4M is among the best monogram kits, I look forward to seeing you build it.