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1/72 F-14D kit with Model Graphix magazine


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Magazine is out today in Japan.

This is a new tool from Fine Molds. Kit is spread over three issues of Model Graphix Magazine: the July, August and September issues (on sale late May, June and July respectively). Price per issue will be 2,130 yen (publisher's list). Kit will have over 200 parts.

Edited by LanceB
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Huh. Do we really NEED a new 1/72 F-14 kit?

Always good to have more choices available as technology progresses. I'd be interested to see if it can match the much vaunted accuracy of the Hasegawa while being easier to build.

By the way, I've noticed that companies that come out with one-off prototypes (F-16XL, F-20) get blasted for not choosing popular subjects. Then when someone comes out with a kit of a popular subject like the Tomcat, they now get hammered either way for choosing something that's been done to death. I guess you just can't win! :rofl:

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Huh. Do we really NEED a new 1/72 F-14 kit?

I'm not a 72nd scale builder, however I couldn't agree more. Hasegawa's 1/72 F-14D is a great representation of the tomcat already...not sure another one is really needed...same with 1/48th.

Hobby Boss's attempt at the F-14 was chocked full of errors and while easy to build, still (to me) doesn't trump the Hasegawa F-14 by any standards.

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Always good to have more choices available as technology progresses.

Even with so-called "modern molding technology" (which hasn't really changed at all...), it would be *really* hard to beat the Fujimi 1/72 F-14.

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Do I understand this correctly, they are including part of the kit with each issue of the magazine and you need to buy three issues to get the entire ki? If so, I would hope they would issue a whole kit at some point later. I would assume so. I do like the F-14 and a Fine Molds version of it would probably be very good. Everything else I have build or seen built from them has been really nice.

Tom

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Always good to have more choices available as technology progresses. I'd be interested to see if it can match the much vaunted accuracy of the Hasegawa while being easier to build.

By the way, I've noticed that companies that come out with one-off prototypes (F-16XL, F-20) get blasted for not choosing popular subjects. Then when someone comes out with a kit of a popular subject like the Tomcat, they now get hammered either way for choosing something that's been done to death. I guess you just can't win! :rofl:/>

Sometimes those one-off are effin expensive for what they offer,sometimes are in the wrong scale and sometimes well would be better if they ignored it completely

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Even with so-called "modern molding technology" (which hasn't really changed at all...), it would be *really* hard to beat the Fujimi 1/72 F-14.

Couldn't agree more with you on this one. Say what you will about the Hasegawa kit, but for that kinda money to be forced to buy 70's tooling missle sets to arm your Cat is total BS! I have 18 mixed between the two companies and doubt I'd buy another unless it has something extra over these and kinda doubt it will.

Regards,

Chris the cabbie

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That's gotta be the Hobby Boss kit..the gun vent panels give it away...save your pennies

Errr... No. As stated above, and as printed in the magazine (in Japanese for those who can read it), FINE MOLDS.

NEW TOOL.

That is all.

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Do I understand this correctly, they are including part of the kit with each issue of the magazine and you need to buy three issues to get the entire kit?

That is correct.

If so, I would hope they would issue a whole kit at some point later.

Won't happen I don't think, for the same reason you don't see Fine Molds Zeros in Fine Molds boxes - they made the molds under contract to Model Graphix, and can't box the kit under their own brand.

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Even with so-called "modern molding technology" (which hasn't really changed at all...), it would be *really* hard to beat the Fujimi 1/72 F-14.

Not that hard. The Fujimi kit is nice and all, as long as you are building an A model (their F110 exhausts are a joke, and no NACES, no correct cockpit panels), preferably with intake covers as the Fujimi kit lacks the variable intake ramps which were always drooped down to some degree on every Tomcat I ever saw. It is easier to assemble than Hasegawa, and is shaped correctly, but it is nowhere near as nice a kit overall as Hasegawa is. Even given that pilot figures and weapons are included.

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So, I'm a 1/72 modeller, and I really like to build new and classic highly regarded kits. I've built several F-14s, including the Fujimi and Hasegawa kits.

Hasegawa

4Q2.jpg

Fujimi

4X3.jpg

I've also built two Model Graphix/Fine Molds zeros, as well as the Tamiya and Hasegawa Zeroes.

8E08_zps0096223a.jpg

(The closest is Tamiya, furthest right is Fine Molds, the left and furthest back are Hasegawa)

So this morning when I saw this thread, I immediately sent off a few emails to see if I can get one or two (I even have an unbuilt Hasegawa of VF-31, which is what the FM kit seems to offer). Why? Because the Fine Molds Zeroes are hands down, the best 1/72 kit I've ever made. Its even better than the Tamiya Zero, which is probably the second best 1/72 kit I've ever made. They fit fantastically well, with amazing details and features. The other kits in the Model Graphix series are just as good. Another really nice thing is the magazine itself. They are generally chock full of really useful information and techniques, even in Japanese.

Anyway, I'm super excited and pumped... hopefully I can get a few. I think if you are a fan of F-14s and/or great kits, I really think you should be too.

Edited by -Neu-
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That is correct.

Won't happen I don't think, for the same reason you don't see Fine Molds Zeros in Fine Molds boxes - they made the molds under contract to Model Graphix, and can't box the kit under their own brand.

Can't even begin to argue with that, but it does seem a little surprising that FM can make any commercial sense out of tooling an all-new F-14 for a magazine 3-parter... :dontknow: They must know what they're doing!

Nope. The NLG doors are molded separately in this one so definitely not the HB kit.

Mark

Neither does the HB kit have front fuselage panel openings as clearly visible on the sprues shown (at least, not on the 1/72 one).

Actually I'd love one of these, but it will probably cost a fortune if I can even find one. :crying2:

(I can't even find the darn thing on HLJ's Facebook page -they mock me, they MOCK me!)

Edited by ChippyWho
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Can't even begin to argue with that, but it does seem a little surprising that FM can make any commercial sense out of tooling an all-new F-14 for a magazine 3-parter... :dontknow:/> They must know what they're doing!

When Suzuki-san was developing the first 1/72 Zero, and was showing folks at our company a test-shot, he said he was facing a dilemma. In order to make a Zero the way he wanted, he was facing making a lot of molds, which cost a lot of money, and he estimated if he boxed the Zero himself and tried to sell 5000 to make his money back he'd have a kit more than twice as expensive as anything else on the market. That would impact sales. So he recalculated at 3000 and all that did was force his selling price up. Vicious circle.

So he sold the kit to a magazine company, with a monthly circulation of a many thousands of copies. Then did it again with the Zero 32, 22 and 52. Then he sold thousands of all those same kits again through a different publisher (Kodansha) when they did their "Weekly Eternal Zero" series of 20 volumes, each of which had 2-3 sprues of one of Fine Molds Zeros, or the Hasegawa refueling truck, or some diorama bits.

Suzuki-san knows what he's doing - he makes kits that sell tens of thousands of copies, only he isn't the one selling them. But everyone knows they are his, he gets wonderful advertising, makes a healthy profit, and ends up with zero worries about marketing the kits.

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Errr... No. As stated above, and as printed in the magazine (in Japanese for those who can read it), FINE MOLDS.

NEW TOOL.

That is all.

Interesting..The fwd fuselage breakdown looks just like the HB kit..I'm not up to par with my Japanese these days I'm afraid..

In that case, it'll be interesting to see what the outcome of the kit is.

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