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One more question on the Heather-Ferris Tomcat


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Two questions, both about very old Tomcat stuff.

 

- Was ever possible for the glove vanes originally mounted in the forward part of the wing glove to be extended while the plane was parked on the tarmac?

 

- I couldn't find any decals sheet for the F-14A VF-1: 158979/"NK100", an early Tomcat camouflaged in the dark variation of the famous Heather-Ferris splinter scheme. Any advice about where I can get the needed "00", "100", and national insigna?

Edited by galfa
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I found this on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-48-Microscale-Decals-F-14A-Tomcats-2-VF-84-Ferris-Scheme-Complete-48-57/142918109030?hash=item2146954766:g:8zMAAOSwvV1bZ8YP:sc:USPSFirstClass!53211!US!-1

 

It has 158978 for the airframe number or whatever the proper term is (brain not working, old age).

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I am by no means the Tomcat expert but I can tell you that the only photographic evidence I have seen of the glove vanes deployed is in-flight. That is not to say that they cannot be while on the ground, i.e. maybe for maintenance?

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7 hours ago, glorystomper said:

BuNo?

 

According "Home of M.A.T.S." (www.antf.net), both VF-1 and VF-2 had one each of their Tomcats painted in the  Heather-Ferris scheme:

 

VF-1: 158979 "NK100"

VF-2: 158985 "NK200"

 

Both BuNos are confirmed by web photos. So, giving an 8 instead of a 9, Microscale BuNo is  wrong but that is not a big deal (MSTOR thank you!).

What worries me is that Miscroscale 48-57 is a over thirty years old sheet probably disintegrating once droped in to the wather.

 

Do you know about any other option?

 

 

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4 hours ago, galfa said:

What worries me is that Miscroscale 48-57 is a over thirty years old sheet probably disintegrating once droped in to the wather.

 

You could give them a coating of Microscale Liquid Decal Film. That would hold them together. None of the decals for that scheme are very large so it shouldn't be a problem. From the photo there seems to be no yellowing, which would be my main concern with old decals.

 

P.S. I was tempted to buy those decals myself as I always wanted to do a ferris scheme F-14 (or F-4). That's how I knew where to look.

Edited by Mstor
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Test a decal that you won't be using from the sheet. Put it in some warm water and see what happens, if it breaks apart, do like galfa suggested and use the Microscale Liquid Decal Film. A good friend of mine uses it all the time on older decals and it works like a charm.

 

Steve

"TOMCATS FOREVER, BABY...!"

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7 hours ago, Mstor said:

P.S. I was tempted to buy those decals myself as I always wanted to do a ferris scheme F-14 (or F-4). That's how I knew where to look.

 

Hey, take a look here:

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10114632

 

In addition to the correct BuNo, Hasegawa is giving the canopy rails crew names. Now, how to get one ?

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3 hours ago, galfa said:

 

Hey, take a look here:

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10114632

 

In addition to the correct BuNo, Hasegawa is giving the canopy rails crew names. Now, how to get one ?

 

Well, it turns out I am a forgetful, dumb, old fool. I have this kit! Duh :doh:

Its been sitting in the basement. Stole the early beaver tail and gun vent from it to convert my Tamiya kit. Thing is, if I want to do the ferris scheme airframe, I need to find another early beaver tail and gun vent, which I have, but it is in the original Wolfpack kit with the early full color VF-1 decals that I am saving in case I never get updated VF-1 Wolfpack decals fitted to the Tamiya kit. There is a decal maker that is said he was going to do it, but its priority keeps slipping and slipping...

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Also see DMXdecals new VF-1 decal sheet.  It does not have the Heater Ferris scheme but has other useful items.  The Microscale decal was produced when the Fujimi F-14A kit first hit the market in 1979.   The markings were taken from I think a KoKu Fan photo and a drawing, plus some additional input from Chuck Heatly.  At the time there were no names on the canopy rails but were likely added fairly quickly.  

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3 hours ago, galfa said:

I guess the Heather-Ferris camouflage was painted over the white and gray scheme. Any chance that in that process, the red areas between the slats and the wings were oversprayed as well?

 

 

In the photos I have they don't show the underneath of the slats but the they show the underneath of the spoilers and it is still red.

Edited by Mstor
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Yes, jointly developed by Cdr. Chuck "Heater" Heatly and Keith Ferris.  I remember visiting Top Gun back in the day, and meeting/visiting with Cdr Heatly when he was with Top Gun and discussing disruptive paint schemes and he showed me several models painted in the Heater-Ferris scheme in various colors (grays, blues mostly) as well as some other ideas, such as the false canopy.  He presented me with a strip of airframe aluminum about 8 inches wide and 24 inches long painted in the four colors used on the F-4's of the reserve squadrons.  The Tomcats were painted in different grays.  The colors were on the outer surfaces only, all flap wells etc were left as before as those areas were specified in safety regulations to be painted in certain ways and colors.      

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Back in the day I bought both of Cdr. Heatly’s books, “The Cutting Edge” and “Forged In Steel”, still have them.  Excellent photography of USN and USMC aviation in the ‘80s

 

https://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Edge-C-Heatley-III/dp/0934738173

 

https://www.amazon.com/Forged-Steel-Marine-Corps-Aviation/dp/0943231000

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13 hours ago, Darren Roberts said:

The Cutting Edge was what got me hooked on NavAir. Top Gun was fun, but The Cutting Edge sealed the deal. I'm building a Tomcat right now using DXM decals of VF-1 that are the same as in the book. VF-2 will be coming shortly!

Darren, you wouldn't be, by any chance, building a Tamiya F-14? Reason I ask is that I would like to know how well the DXM decals for the vertical stabs fit?

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2 hours ago, Mstor said:

Darren, you wouldn't be, by any chance, building a Tamiya F-14? Reason I ask is that I would like to know how well the DXM decals for the vertical stabs fit?

I'm not, but I can cut out the tail markings of the early scheme and see how it fits. I'll let you know how it turns out.

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1 hour ago, Darren Roberts said:

I'm not, but I can cut out the tail markings of the early scheme and see how it fits. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

That would be greatly appreciated.

On the outer tails, the nose of the wolf should just about touch the bare metal (or Coraguard (sp?)) leading edge and the curved back should just graze the hinge line of the rudder, without having to move the decal down too far on the tail. With all of the decals I have seen so far, you have to move the decal down too far in order to meet those requirements.

On the inside markings the "NK" should like up with and be at the same angle as the hinge line. Also, on some sets these decals are way too large from top to bottom.

I am sure you have pics and already know this stuff, but the tail markings on every other early VF-1 set out there do not meet those basic requirements. The old Microscale (or was is Superscale) set comes close but they are printed in a strange bright, almost day glow, red.

 

P.S. When I e-mail DXM a number of months ago they said they were making VF-1 decals that were fitted to the Tamiya kit, but on the released sheet they claim to fit just about every 1/48 scale F-14 model in existence. :hmmm:

Edited by Mstor
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On 9/12/2018 at 9:13 PM, habu2 said:

Back in the day I bought both of Cdr. Heatly’s books, “The Cutting Edge” and “Forged In Steel”, still have them.  Excellent photography of USN and USMC aviation in the ‘80s

Cool! Just added The Cutting Edge to my to-be-read book pile.

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On 9/14/2018 at 10:45 AM, Mstor said:

 

That would be greatly appreciated.

On the outer tails, the nose of the wolf should just about touch the bare metal (or Coraguard (sp?)) leading edge and the curved back should just graze the hinge line of the rudder, without having to move the decal down too far on the tail. With all of the decals I have seen so far, you have to move the decal down too far in order to meet those requirements.

On the inside markings the "NK" should like up with and be at the same angle as the hinge line. Also, on some sets these decals are way too large from top to bottom.

I am sure you have pics and already know this stuff, but the tail markings on every other early VF-1 set out there do not meet those basic requirements. The old Microscale (or was is Superscale) set comes close but they are printed in a strange bright, almost day glow, red.

 

P.S. When I e-mail DXM a number of months ago they said they were making VF-1 decals that were fitted to the Tamiya kit, but on the released sheet they claim to fit just about every 1/48 scale F-14 model in existence. :hmmm:

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here you go! The Tamiya tape represents where the Corogard leading edge is.

 

dsc-0025_3_orig.jpg

 

dsc-0026_3_orig.jpg

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