F-14B/D: question about the engine panels

[colargol]

Hello,

 

My name is Hervé, I am new on the forum even if I read a lot of the post. Generally speaking, I am focusing on 1/72 aircrafts and helicpoters from the modern period.

 

I have a question for the Tomcat specialists. I am currently building an Academy F-14. I have chosen to make a F-14B but the engine body are the one for the F-14A. Some differences can be corrected by rescribing the styren, but I have doubt about 4 small openings just behind the main landing gear.

 

This openings are visible on the picture from the link below

 

frouch_f-14b_22.jpg (960×1280) (cybermodeler.com)

source: Cybermodeler Online Scale Modeling Magazine

 

What is the purpose of these openings ? They seem to be sometime open, sometime closed...

 

Thanks for your help

 

Hervé

 

[GW8345]

Those openings are the bolt access panels for the forward fix "mini" cowl panel (the small square panel that wraps around the aft end of the forward fix cowl just aft of the main landing gear). They cover the bolts that hold the forward fix "mini" cowl on and are usually installed.

 

They should not be missing (open) like they are in the pic you provided so you don't need to scrip or worry about them.

 

On rare occasions some squadrons would leave them off, most of the time they were installed and you won't not see them.

 

The only panel difference between an F-14A and F-14B/D is the aft engine shroud fairing just aft of the horizontal stabs and the forward fix cowl (the injector air intake is in a different position). The engines are different so you will need new engine shrouds and new exhaust cans (afterburner nozzles). If you really want to get into the weeds the engine compressor face (1st stage compressor blades and engine "bullet") are different between the F-14A and F-14B/D (the A had a different shaped bullet and only 28 1st stage compressor blades while the B/D had 32 blades).

 

For 1/72 scale you can get away with not worrying about the injector air intake, no one would know unless you point it out to them. Just change the aft engine fairing, get new exhaust shrouds and burner can's and you should be good to go (depending on time frame you are doing).

 

hth

GW

Edited May 7, 2022 by GW8345
Correct the panel the missing panels are for

[colargol]

Thanks a lot ! The Academy kit includes the 1st stage compressor of the TF30 and the one for the F110 so its going to be ok on that point. The rear fairing is also included in the kit except that I want to represent the exhausts in closed position (in flight) and Academy proposes only the open one, so I will use Hasegawa kit parts.

 

And I will just rescribe the bolts covers in closed configuration.

 

Thanks again !

 

Colargol

Edited May 7, 2022 by colargol