Tamiya F-14B Conversion - Best Method?

[Captain Tyler]

Might be interested in having an F-14B done, and I wanna use the Tamiya kit. 

 

Is using the A or D kit the best method? What parts are recommended or required? 

[Brian P: Fightertown Decals]

There’s 10+ threads of the exact thing here… either way you start, you need parts from the other kit. Starting with a D is easier I think. Or if you want dropped wings, the late A gives you everything but the daily engine doors, front fans and some exhaust parts. 

[Cbk57]

I was looking at this, and for me the best answer is to plan on building two kits or do some trading.  The f-14a late kit gives you the most options with the exception the wing position is fixed and the D of course gives you the late options so if you have one of each you can build about any version you want from what I can see and either build two kits one fixed wing and the other wings back.  Other option is do some trading for the left overs for something else.  I recently purchased a nice carrier launch base at a show so am thinking of doing two builds one a plane rolling into position to launch, then later convert the scene and do one where it is ready to launch.  Set up the parts so the planes can be changed out, If you get two A model planes you could do the same plane in two different moments.  I won:t do that it will be two completely different planes. 

[Swordsman422]

My current F-14B project I am backdating the Tamiya D kit. There is are ebay sellers that part kits out, including the Tamiya F-14s, so I was able to get the F-14A's cockpit panels and ejection seats in styrene. The instrument panels will make a good base for 3D printed decals. I went with Phase Hangar resin for the ECM bumps, TCS pod, RIO PTID, and assorted other B-specific parts.

 

When I do this again, I'll likely be doing it with the Tamiya Late F-14A. All that you'll really need for that one to convert into a B are the engine nozzles, and those can be gotten aftermarket pretty easily. The aft engine fairings are already included, as are, I think, the fan faces.

[JEN722]

FWIW the exhaust nozzles from the Tamiya F-16C fit the F-14 almost perfectly.

 

Jens

[Niels]

I bought the F-14A late model, and bought exhaust and retracted wing sprues separately on Ebay, so have everything I need for the F-14B. Thanks to kind soles, I have finally also learned how to distinguish those who has round vs. square rear IP 

 

 

[Scooby]

Buy the D kit and use this to convert.....https://phasehangarresin.com/products/48083-f-14b-tomcat-cockpit-and-external-enhancement-wit-gru-7-seats-and-ecm-blisters-tamiya?_pos=1&_sid=abe65848d&_ss=r

[GW8345]

I recommend that you get a Late A and just replace the exhausts (and front fan blades if possible), that phase hanger resin set does not have all that is required to change a Delta into a Bravo (for one it's missing the chin pod and the RIO's vertical consoles are missing).

 

It's easier to update a late Alpha to a Bravo then to try and back date a Delta to a Bravo IMO.

 

Just don't forget to putty over the oil drains on the engine nacelles (weekly doors), the Bravo's (and Delta's) didn't have those. There's one other difference but only a rivet counter or someone who worked on the bird would know what that is so I won't worry about it.

[bushande]

Well, I would go with the Delta variant as a base for a conversion into a Bravo. Mainly because of the slight differences in the layout of the weekly doors. TF-30 engined birds needed a slightly different weekly door. As far as I can reckon, the Tamiya Alpha kits do not contain a suitable part for a weekly door that suits the nacelles for GE-110 equipped versions. Or you just sand off the details there and rescribe it.

Edited November 15, 2022 by bushande

[Niels]

@bushande - what is a "weekly door"?

[Specter1075]

Here I thought changing exhaust nozzles and using the Phase Hangar set would get me a B. Oops.

GW8345, using a late A as a base, is the cockpit the same? Is it really as simple as just a change in exhaust and fan blades? Or what else needs to be done? 

Edited November 15, 2022 by Specter1075

[bushande]

deleted, double post, see below ...

Edited November 15, 2022 by bushande

[habu2]

25 minutes ago, Niels said:

@bushande - what is a "weekly door"?

 

Assume those are engine access panels for maintenance checks done on a weekly basis.

 

(edit: ninja'd by mere seconds...)

Edited November 15, 2022 by habu2

[bushande]

28 minutes ago, Specter1075 said:

"Maybe that was supposed to be Wheel doors? "

No, I haven't misspelled - it's really "weekly door" (ref just GW8345s post just above mine. He also makes reference to it recommending to sand of the oil drains).

It's not the professional terminology by Grumman but a common reference by the maintainers. There are different access panels on the F-14s engine nacelles and according to how often you would open them for inspections/maintenance etc. the maintainers would call them "daily doors", "weekly doors", "monthly doors".

The smaller panel with the round fire access panel on it and the little cooling vent has a slightly different layout due to the different engines. It's really no big deal and as GW8345 already said, only nerds and rivet counters would realize. Most folks don't even know or care. It's basically just "choose your plaque" I guess.

 

You can take a late Alpha and put GE-110 burners in it and do some other little tweeks and be done and if you really want sand the weekly doors clean and rescribe them to properly reflect a weekly door suitable for a GE-110 (or just give a rat's @$$ and leave it the way it is as most people won't notice).

Or you take a Delta version and replace the cockpit and seats, add a double chin pod (IRST plus TCS), leave the little ECM bumps away.

 

Using a late Alpha's cockpit should do just fine. There have been very slight changes in the layout of the gauges between a Bravo and an Alpha (regardless whether early or late Block) but in 1/48 no one will ever notice.

 

Just for curiosity's sake: What most modellers don't realize as well is that Tamiya got some panel lines on their Delta-version wrong as well. Newly built Deltas had a slightly different panel line structure on their LEX area that once housed the glove vanes on older Versions. They put some new equipment in there instead of the then already long deleted glove vanes and that led to slight changes in the panel structure there. Most people don't even realize. In your case, there's no need to change anything though regardless which kit you eventually use.)

Edited November 15, 2022 by bushande

[Niels]

Thanks @bushande and @habu2

[Captain Tyler]

So what Im getting at is that the usage of the D is more "accurate" off the bat, but requires more drop in parts for the A.

 

Besides the Phase Hanger set, dont I also need the single FLIR? 

[Niels]

2 minutes ago, Captain Tyler said:

Besides the Phase Hanger set, dont I also need the single FLIR? 

Yes. Only the D had the double. 

[Swordsman422]

If you mean the AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN, it is required only if you want to include GBUs in the loadout, though after 1998 it was often left on the pylon and not downloaded regardless of mission.

 

If you mean the TCS chin pod, yes, the F-14B used the same TCS pod as the F-14A. Only the F-14D used the combined TCS and IRST on the chin.

Edited November 15, 2022 by Swordsman422

[GW8345]

8 hours ago, bushande said:

Well, I would go with the Delta variant as a base for a conversion into a Bravo. Mainly because of the slight differences in the layout of the weekly doors. TF-30 engined birds needed a slightly different weekly door. As far as I can reckon, the Tamiya Alpha kits do not contain a suitable part for a weekly door that suits the nacelles for GE-110 equipped versions. Or you just sand off the details there and rescribe it.

The only difference between the A and B/D weekly doors was the oil drain port, other than that, the doors were the same.

 

 

8 hours ago, Niels said:

@bushande - what is a "weekly door"?

A "weekly door" is the large engine nacelle access door with the rear part of the ventral fin attached.

8 hours ago, Specter1075 said:

Here I thought changing exhaust nozzles and using the Phase Hangar set would get me a B. Oops.

GW8345, using a late A as a base, is the cockpit the same? Is it really as simple as just a change in exhaust and fan blades? Or what else needs to be done? 

Depending on the time frame the cockpits would be virtually identical. The only difference between an A cockpit and a Bravo's cockpit is the engine start panel (which no one will be able to tell), in later times it would be the PTID and the Sparrowhawk HUD, so it really boils down to what time frame you are doing.

8 hours ago, bushande said:

No, I haven't misspelled - it's really "weekly door" (ref just GW8345s post just above mine. He also makes reference to it recommending to sand of the oil drains).

It's not the professional terminology by Grumman but a common reference by the maintainers. There are different access panels on the F-14s engine nacelles and according to how often you would open them for inspections/maintenance etc. the maintainers would call them "daily doors", "weekly doors", "monthly doors".

The smaller panel with the round fire access panel on it and the little cooling vent has a slightly different layout due to the different engines. It's really no big deal and as GW8345 already said, only nerds and rivet counters would realize. Most folks don't even know or care. It's basically just "choose your plaque" I guess.

 

You can take a late Alpha and put GE-110 burners in it and do some other little tweeks and be done and if you really want sand the weekly doors clean and rescribe them to properly reflect a weekly door suitable for a GE-110 (or just give a rat's @$$ and leave it the way it is as most people won't notice).

Or you take a Delta version and replace the cockpit and seats, add a double chin pod (IRST plus TCS), leave the little ECM bumps away.

 

Using a late Alpha's cockpit should do just fine. There have been very slight changes in the layout of the gauges between a Bravo and an Alpha (regardless whether early or late Block) but in 1/48 no one will ever notice.

 

Just for curiosity's sake: What most modellers don't realize as well is that Tamiya got some panel lines on their Delta-version wrong as well. Newly built Deltas had a slightly different panel line structure on their LEX area that once housed the glove vanes on older Versions. They put some new equipment in there instead of the then already long deleted glove vanes and that led to slight changes in the panel structure there. Most people don't even realize. In your case, there's no need to change anything though regardless which kit you eventually use.)

Correct, the only clarification I have is that there was no "monthly doors", just daily doors, weekly doors, forward fix cowl, aft fix cowl, mini-cowl and banana link panels for engine doors/access panels. (also, single TCS for the A and B)

7 hours ago, Captain Tyler said:

So what Im getting at is that the usage of the D is more "accurate" off the bat, but requires more drop in parts for the A.

 

Besides the Phase Hanger set, dont I also need the single FLIR? 

IMO, it would be easier and more accurate to convert an Alpha to a Bravo then try to back date a Delta to a Bravo, again, depending on what time frame you are doing all you may need to do (when converting an Alpha to a Bravo) is to change the exhaust, sand off the oil drain port on the weekly door and (if you want) replace the engine's front fan blades. Changing a Delta to a Bravo you need a whole new cockpit, new seats, new Chin Pod, new weapons rails (Phoenix pallets) and if you want to open the radome - new radar dish.

6 hours ago, Swordsman422 said:

If you mean the AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN, it is required only if you want to include GBUs in the loadout, though after 1998 it was often left on the pylon and not downloaded regardless of mission.

 

If you mean the TCS chin pod, yes, the F-14B used the same TCS pod as the F-14A. Only the F-14D used the combined TCS and IRST on the chin.

There was no requirement to have a LANTRIN Pod when GBU's were loaded, another aircraft could "buddy-lase" when carrying LGB's and you could drop JDAM's without it (but it helped to have it for JDAM's).