Tamiya 1/48th Grumman F-14A Tomcat late variant (item#61122) with detailed wings (flaps, slats etc.)

[ElectroSoldier]

On 10/25/2021 at 2:45 AM, a4s4eva said:

To be fair the RRP is pretty close to the other boxing so the diorama stuff is effectively free.

It should be, its really stretching it to call it a carrier launch set on the basis of a piece of printed card.

Considering what it would have taken to make it a full up 3D carrier deck I think a piece of cardboard is lacklustre to say the least.

 

The rest of the kit is really nice though so cant say I care about the cardboard.

 

The way they mount the wing did make me chuckle though. I remember watching Phil Flory slate the AMK F-14D kit for providing 3 wing positions...

The moving wings on a Tomcat model is every bit as gimmicky as the moving nozzles on a Harrier.

 

 

[Niels]

12 hours ago, GW8345 said:

The only time a white bottomed Alpha did air to ground ordnance was when the prototypes were conducting the initial testing (early 70's) and no one makes the bomb racks/rails needed to depict that configuration.

There was also some F-14D's in commemorative color schemes that likely carried dummies during the Tomcat farewell flights back in 2006. VF-213 and VF-31 both had some if I recall correctly. 

[tomthegrom]

1 hour ago, Niels said:

There was also some F-14D's in commemorative color schemes that likely carried dummies during the Tomcat farewell flights back in 2006. VF-213 and VF-31 both had some if I recall correctly. 

Pretty sure the Vf213 retro jet was overall fs36440 gloss gull gray. 

 

VF-32,VF-11 and VF-101 did have retro jets in white bottom with gull grey over the top near the end of their tomcat time. Vf-31 had a tomcat sunset marked jet in grey over white also 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by tomthegrom

[Niels]

Thanks Tom 

[GW8345]

I've never seen any pictures of, or know of, the commemorative schemes Delta's carrying any air to ground ordnance. Those birds were painted for photo ops when the squadrons were transitioning to super bugs, by that time the squadrons were dropping anything from their Tomcats since they had to save everyone in their NCEA for SH training. That is the reason why I stated that the only white bottom Tomcat's to do A/G ordnance was the test prototypes.

[jonbryon]

 

Taken 1996.

 

 

Taken 1997.

 

[serendip]

Seeing as the conclusion seems to be that operational A's wired for the ground attack role were all grey, can anyone suggest more colourful A schemes than supplied in the (very nice) Tamiya boxing?

 

Thanks,

 

Marc.

 

 

[arnobiz]

1 hour ago, jonbryon said:

 

Taken 1997.

 

Interesting picture with the white panel under the cockpit, quite cool mix with the usually immaculate LGG/white scheme 🤩

[serendip]

Thanks Jon. Possibly I may be unusually dense this morning (got up early due to Daylight Savings) but is your point that there were A's operationally painted in grey over white?

 

Thanks,

[jonbryon]

2 hours ago, serendip said:

Thanks Jon. Possibly I may be unusually dense this morning (got up early due to Daylight Savings) but is your point that there were A's operationally painted in grey over white?

 

Thanks,

Simply that this appears to be a white-bottomed D(R) from 1996/1997 with A/G ordnance.

 

Jon

[Niels]

The grey over white was only flown during the 70's besides the already mentioned commemorative color schemes. And in the 70's the Tomcat didn't carry anything A2G operationally. 

 

There is plenty of schemes whereby you have a lot of color, yet on a gray basis. But if you want a grey/white Tomcat with A2G you'll have to go WIF, or one of the commemorative schemes. 

[serendip]

Thanks Niels / Jon,

 

I don't usually buy AM decals but seeing as this is going to be one of those damn the cost kits, I'm wondering if you could recommend some good AM decal manufacturers and schemes (for a colourful grey paintjob).

 

Thanks again.

 

Marc.

 

 

[viper730]

3 hours ago, serendip said:

Thanks Niels / Jon,

 

I don't usually buy AM decals but seeing as this is going to be one of those damn the cost kits, I'm wondering if you could recommend some good AM decal manufacturers and schemes (for a colourful grey paintjob).

 

Thanks again.

 

Marc.

 

 

If you like red try Fightertown Decals Big Red Fighter Squadrons 48091. If you're into orange Furball Aero Design has an anthology sheet for VF-114 Aardvarks 4820 and they also have sheet 4816 with a really cool VF-14 80th Anniversary A/C plus many others.

[Brian P: Fightertown Decals]

Fightertown Decals makes a lot of Tomcat sheets. For Tamiya F-14A options - 48083 Tomcats at War, 48091 Big Red Fighter Squadron are currently available. Look at a ton of the older sheets and most that were sized for Hasegawa will work just fine on Tamiya. 
brian

[John B]

19 hours ago, jonbryon said:

 

Taken 1996.

 

 

Taken 1997.

 

Dang.   I still remember seeing that jet on the washrack at NAS Miramar.  They hadn't gone on the Connie for cruise yet, so the paint was still immaculate.  VF-2 painted up the F-14 gateguard by the gas station in those matching colors.  That F-14 gateguard was still in VF-2 colors after NAS Miramar became MCAS Miramar.

Thanks for trip down memory lane Jon!    

[Niels]

On 10/31/2021 at 12:06 PM, serendip said:

Thanks Niels / Jon,

 

I don't usually buy AM decals but seeing as this is going to be one of those damn the cost kits, I'm wondering if you could recommend some good AM decal manufacturers and schemes (for a colourful grey paintjob).

 

Thanks again.

 

Marc.

 

 

Hi Marc 

Here is a link to various Tomcat decals in 1/48 scale, including Fightertown  

[Curt B]

I JUST got my order from Scalehobbyist, which included two Tamiya F-14A Late Model (Carrier Version)!!!!!!  I am SOOOOOOO excited!!!!!

[FlyAndFight]

Ha!  I just received my Tamiya F-14A (carrier version) as well.   Will be opening it up and checking out the sprues later this evening.  Beats what's on TV, that's for sure... 😎

 

Also in the shipment was the Eduard P-51D Mustang (profi-pack) which I did unbox and reviewed (as it was not shrink-wrapped.)   Great looking kit.

[Curt B]

6 minutes ago, FlyAndFight said:

Ha!  I just received my Tamiya F-14A (carrier version) as well.   Will be opening it up and checking out the sprues later this evening.  Beats what's on TV, that's for sure... 😎

 

Also in the shipment was the Eduard P-51D Mustang (profi-pack) which I did unbox and reviewed (as it was not shrink-wrapped.)   Great looking kit.

Cool!!!  Lucky guys we are, huh???  😋

[Curt B]

And, talk about a cool looking stack of boxes...  I have six 1/48 boxes in a very nice little (well, not so little!) stack of Tamiya model kits.  Two F-14A Late Models, one F-14D, one F-4B, one P-38F/G and one P-38H.  Wow, what a pile of perfect plastic if ever there was one!!!!!  Woohoo!!!

[FlyAndFight]

7 minutes ago, Curt B said:

And, talk about a cool looking stack of boxes...  I have six 1/48 boxes in a very nice little (well, not so little!) stack of Tamiya model kits.  Two F-14A Late Models, one F-14D, one F-4B, one P-38F/G and one P-38H.  Wow, what a pile of perfect plastic if ever there was one!!!!!  Woohoo!!!

 You won the Tamiya lotto there!  

[habu2]

1 hour ago, FlyAndFight said:

.Beats what's on TV, that's for sure... 😎

 

 

What?  Game 6 starts in just a few minutes!!!

[FlyAndFight]

1 minute ago, habu2 said:

 

What?  Game 6 starts in just a few minutes!!!

😎

[serendip]

On 10/31/2021 at 10:29 AM, Niels said:

The grey over white was only flown during the 70's besides the already mentioned commemorative color schemes. And in the 70's the Tomcat didn't carry anything A2G operationally. 

 

There is plenty of schemes whereby you have a lot of color, yet on a gray basis. But if you want a grey/white Tomcat with A2G you'll have to go WIF, or one of the commemorative schemes. 

Thanks!

 

Any idea if VF84 or VF2 were outfitted for A2G with the schemes depicted in the original Tamiya Tomcat boxing but painted all grey instead of grey on white as offered in the Tamiya boxing? I have that one also but finished it as a VF-111 bird so still have the original (VF84 and VF2) decals.

 

Hope that still makes sense.

[Niels]

VF-84 never flew A2G, only A2A. VF-2 didn't fly A2G until aquiring the F-14D. So sorry, no - non of them did.