CD48168 - 1/48 F-14 Tomcat - The Early Years

[aircal62]

Paul another awesome build.  I remember when the Tomcat began hitting the fleet and Microscale did their first 72nd decal, we were all working to fix the Monogram 1/72 kit to a production standard.  Several IPMS articles were published showing what needed to be done.  Would be nice to have those articles today to help with the back dating process going the other direction now.   Those Monogram 72nd F-14 and F-15 kits were exciting fifty years ago and were years ahead of the Airfix and Matchbox kits and of course the early Hasegawa kits.  F-15's with the small squarish speed brake on the spine!  

[Loach Driver]

13 hours ago, Paul Boyer said:

I made my prototype (first flight) from the 1/72 scale Airfix kit with the top deck cut off an even older Monogram kit. I scratchbuilt the fairings on the fins and the instrumentation boom.

 

Lovely Tomcat, Paul. I always enjoyed your 1/72 builds in FSM.

 

Still not sure what kit to get, a Matchbox for Tomcat No.1 or the Airfix kit for one of the later prototypes. 

 

LD.

[Rod D]

On 2/22/2023 at 4:19 AM, aircal62 said:

Paul another awesome build.  I remember when the Tomcat began hitting the fleet and Microscale did their first 72nd decal, we were all working to fix the Monogram 1/72 kit to a production standard.  Several IPMS articles were published showing what needed to be done.  Would be nice to have those articles today to help with the back dating process going the other direction now.   Those Monogram 72nd F-14 and F-15 kits were exciting fifty years ago and were years ahead of the Airfix and Matchbox kits and of course the early Hasegawa kits.  F-15's with the small squarish speed brake on the spine!  

If you have Microscale 72-119, early F-14A Tomcats, they have rudimentary tips on converting the Monogram F-14 to a more accurate Tomcat.