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Hi,

 

There are some really awesome threads in this GB. I hope you Tomcat experts can help me out a bit.

I'm going to convert a Tamiya F-14D into an F-14A+ (F-14B).

I'll make a list of what I think is neccesary. Please let me know if I overlook anything. 

I don't have the conversion sets that were made by Steel Beach or Phase Hangar Resin, but I think it can be done without them. 

 

*A coaming for the front Instrument panel. Replace Tamiya parts N3, N4, N9, L6 and L7, with a coaming for an A or B model. I'm pretty sure I'll find a spare part in the stash.

*Replace the ejection seats by GRU-7 type seats.

*For the rear IP, use Tamiya parts N16, N25 and J2.

*Find the ECM blisters that were under the glove vane location, a small one and a big one on each side. I think I can find them in the Hasegawa kits. I have a Hasegawa early version kit that won't need them.

*Find a TCS pod. Also in the Hasegawa kit. I know there are resin replacements. Is the Hasegawa part not the right size?

*I'm not sure what to use for the main wheels P3 and P4 from the D-model, or E8 and E9 from the A-model that are still in the box?

 

Did I overlook anything?

 

Cheers, Stefan.

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Thanks, Geoff.

 

I forgot to mention the obvious...leave off parts N1 and N2 from the top of the rear IP coaming. These will go into the spares box for a Hasegawa F-14D.

I don't think I'll ever again build a 1/48 Hasegawa F-14 with the landing gear down. I hope they'll be more fun to build as in-flight models. Anyway, the ECM blisters are also present in the Hasegawa F-14D and not to be used on a D-model. So, that's a good source as well.

 

Cheers, Stefan.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, 

 

Here's a picture of the kit and the decals. 

7LHY9bV.jpg

 

I found some other small things that aren't to be used for a 1991 Tomcat: the GPS dome (part M22, just use part B19) and the Sidewinder rails with the BOL launchers (part P9, just use part E20).

I gather from Brian Plescia's post in another topic here that parts P3 and P4 are to be used for the main wheels. 

 

Cheers, Stefan.

Edited by Stefan buysse
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Cool project. On the wheels, Tamiya hasn’t made the ‘standard’ A/B/D wheel. Only the early pre-1980 one and the late post 1994 one. So if you want that correct, you’ll need AM. Eduard, DEF, Halberd all make great versions of it and I highly recommend them. ResKit, True Details, Wheeliant are all lesser quality or have size issues. 
 

For TCS, get Phase Hangar. It’s the only correct sized one. Quickboost also makes a nice one. 

Edited by Brian P: Fightertown Decals
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Thanks, Brian.:thumbsup:

 

I'll get the Eduard wheels.

 

I gather that the gentleman behind Phase Hangar Resin took a break for a while, but that he is back. The 48'ers will send me a notice once some of his products are back in stock. I'll add the TCS to that list.

 

Cheers, Stefan.  

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27 minutes ago, Thadeus said:

Nice one. Are You building it as the one that got downed during ODS - the 161430? I seem to recall it was TARPS configured, but on a regular escort mission.

Hi, Thadeus.

 

I'm going for the one that was shot down.

I hope to some day also build the FLIRCAT from this sheet. The RIO's name on that one is LCDR Larry Slade, who was shot down and captured. I'd love to place these 2 Tomcats next to each other for a number of reasons...2 types of VF-103 markings...a kind of display that there is always hope...

I've been thinking about it...when I assemble the GRU-7's for this one, I'll be building the only seats that were used in a combat ejection from a US Tomcat.   

 

Cheers, Stefan.

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Funny you would post this - I just acquired another Tamiya D model, and expect a third Tamiya 'Cat in the next couple months. I have a specific B model I want to build, and was going to pose the question as to which is the better starting point to building a B - the A or D model.

 

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It’s easier to go from D to B, than A to B. If you go A to D, you’ll need to get the full Phase Hangar B conversion. And engines and GE engine doors. And wheels. Plus the stuff no box has. 
 

Start with the D. The D gives you engine doors,  exhausts and front fan. Tails, ECM on gear door, boat tail and above intakes (but not the 4 others), wheels (post 1994), BOL rails, all the bomb racks, Lantirn and GPS dome. You’ll need an A cockpit sprue or aftermarket cockpit. And the TCS and the 4 under intake ECM bumps - which currently aren’t in any Tamiya box. If you’re doing a Late B with HUD, Phase Hangar makes the cockpit parts. 
 

brian 

Edited by Brian P: Fightertown Decals
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4 hours ago, Brian P: Fightertown Decals said:

It’s easier to go from D to B, than A to B. If you go A to D, you’ll need to get the full Phase Hangar B conversion. And engines and GE engine doors. And wheels. Plus the stuff no box has. 
 

Stet with the D. The D gives you engine doors,  exhausts and front fan. Tails, ECM on gear door, boat tail and above intakes (but not the 4 others), wheels (post 1994), BOL rails, all the bomb racks, Lantirn and GPS dome. You’ll need an A cockpit sprue or aftermarket cockpit. And the TCS and the 4 under intake ECM bumps - which currently aren’t in any Tamiya box. If you’re doing a Late B with HUD, Phase Hangar makes the cockpit parts. 
 

brian 

 

Brian - thanks for the info. I just picked up sprue "H" from a Tamiya A kit - I couldn't tell from the pic if the front IP's were in there.

 

Curious - your set 48083, for VF-143, what markings (if any) are on the starboard side forward fuselage? I'm looking to do Modex 100, with the Pentagon markings up front - I have Aeromaster's 48-605, but am looking for the Pentagon commemoration decal.

 

(BTW I'm using your "Domination" sheet to do "The Tomato" - I'm almost at decal phase.)

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1 hour ago, MA Cooke said:

 

Brian - thanks for the info. I just picked up sprue "H" from a Tamiya A kit - I couldn't tell from the pic if the front IP's were in there.

 

(BTW I'm using your "Domination" sheet to do "The Tomato" - I'm almost at decal phase.)

 

Hi,

 

The front IP and its coaming are on sprue K of the Tamiya A-model.

I'm pretty sure that I can use that for my Desert Storm F-14B.

 

At some point in time (unknown to me) some (maybe all?) F-14B's had a "true HUD" installed that is different from the HUD of a D-model.  

Possibly the only one who makes that kind of HUD is Phase Hangar Resin.

 

I also hope to build the Tomato some day.🙂

 

Cheers, Stefan.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/19/2021 at 11:58 AM, Thadeus said:

Nice one. Are You building it as the one that got downed during ODS - the 161430? I seem to recall it was TARPS configured, but on a regular escort mission.

Correct.

212 was carrying 3xAIM-7M, 2xAIM-9M and 2x AIM-54C, 2 buckets of 10flare/20chaff and 550 rounds of HEI plus 2 x drop tanks.

 

During DS I was in VF-103 QA and help launch out 212 on the mission she was shot down.

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Hi,

 

I had always planned to build this one with a TARPS pod. If I ever knew that they were on an escort mission, I had forgotten about it a long time ago.

I'd still love to build her with the beautiful Tamiya TARPS  and ALQ-167 pods.

She was lost on day 5, I believe. Would she have flown any DS missions with the TARPS pod? Or would she have flown with the TARPS pod during the cruise prior to DS? 

 

 

Edited by Stefan buysse
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4 hours ago, Stefan buysse said:

Hi,

 

I had always planned to build this one with a TARPS pod. If I ever knew that they were on an escort mission, I had forgotten about it a long time ago.

I'd still love to build her with the beautiful Tamiya TARPS  and ALQ-167 pods.

She was lost on day 5, I believe. Would she have flown any DS missions with the TARPS pod? Or would she have flown with the TARPS pod during the cruise prior to DS? 

 

 

IIRC Slugger 212 (I know the real callsign was Clubleaf but the only one's who used that callsign was the aircrew, the maintenance department used the Slugger callsign for our birds) did fly a few TARPS missions the first few days of DS but we didn't fly the Bullwinkle pod (ALQ-167) during the war. We did fly the Bullwinkle pod during Desert Shield but once the war started we didn't fly them.

 

For a Desert Storm TARPS mission the load out would be empty weapons rail on the station forward of the pod, so you would only have one Phoenix loaded on the left forward station, 2 Sidewinders and 2 Sparrows out on the wing, 40 chaff and 20 flare along with 550 rounds of 20mm (HEI), and two tanks.

 

For Desert Shield we flew the ALQ-167 pod on the right forward weapons rails but we didn't have the BRU-32 bomb rack so you'll need to scratch build the BRU-10 bomb rack we used back then. For TARPS mission during Desert Shield we would only fly 1 Sidewinder and 1 Sparrow with one missile on one wing and another missile on the other side and off course, two tanks (we always flew tanks for that cruise).

 

Here's a link to the cruise book for that cruise;

 

https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv60-91/index.html

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Thanks, Gerry.

 

Tamiya provides us with a nice Bullwinkle pod, but no BRU-10 indeed. I had been wondering how I was going to attach it to the F-14. My conclusion was that I was going to shave away a bit of the BRU-32 to get the Bullwinkle to fit and not too much of the BRU was going to be visible on the finished model.

 

Didn't the A-6E squadrons use the Bullwinkle during DS? I'm hoping to build a VA-65 one some day.

 

I'm going to build Slugger 212 with the TARPS pod. 

 

Sorry for the many edit's, guys, I'm having trouble posting images right now.

 

Cheers, Stefan.

Edited by Stefan buysse
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On 3/20/2021 at 3:16 AM, Brian P: Fightertown Decals said:

It’s easier to go from D to B, than A to B. If you go A to D, you’ll need to get the full Phase Hangar B conversion. And engines and GE engine doors. And wheels. Plus the stuff no box has. 
 

Start with the D. The D gives you engine doors,  exhausts and front fan. Tails, ECM on gear door, boat tail and above intakes (but not the 4 others), wheels (post 1994), BOL rails, all the bomb racks, Lantirn and GPS dome. You’ll need an A cockpit sprue or aftermarket cockpit. And the TCS and the 4 under intake ECM bumps - which currently aren’t in any Tamiya box. If you’re doing a Late B with HUD, Phase Hangar makes the cockpit parts. 
 

brian 

 

Another question (sorry - I have many) - Phase Hangar is out of stock of the A/B conversions for the Tamiya Cat. Is it at all feasible to use A+ or B model IP's and coamings from a Hasegawa kit (while using everything else from Tamiya)(I do have an A cockpit with side consoles, Sprue H) ?

 

Otherwise, I'm looking at an Eduard resin/PE A cockpit for Tamiya.

 

Thanks for all your insight, Brian.

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  • 6 months later...
  • 2 months later...
On 10/10/2021 at 9:13 PM, A-10 LOADER said:

At this point, I'd think it just be easier to order the new Tamiya kit #61122 with some aftermarket nozzles.

Steve

 

Hi,

 

Thanks, Steve. I now have one of those new Tamiya kits (#61122).

It's somehow a good thing that this build got neglected for a while. :whistle:I was going to use the Hasegawa TCS pod, the Tamiya pod is indeed noticeably bigger.

I'm going to persist in using this D-model, take the relevant parts from the #61122 kit and build that one as an earlier A-model.  

 

Cheers, Stefan.

 

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