F-14B TOMCAT 'VF-103' Jolly Rogers Christmas Special - 1:72 Hasegawa

[Guest]

That choice looks like a nice alternative Derek, well done on the research i thought all tomcats were 'navalised' !

Hi Colin, You get the choice of two 'Blue', two 'Desert' and two 'Gray' paint schemes with the decal set I mentioned. See details below. They are available in 1:72; 1:48 and 1:32. Left me in a bit of a quandary for my 1:32 Trumpeter Tomcat. Derek

Buy Fightertown FT72002 1:72 scale from Hannants. We sell Aircraft decals (military), models, decals, paints & books.

[Guest]

Finally made a start on this kit. First a couple of shots of the kit parts for the cockpit, and a close-up of the seats.

[ATTACH]56518.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]56519.vB[/ATTACH]

Filed off the moulded safety harness, and a few other items; re-scribed the back rest, and fitted the Eduard Zoom set. I am using this site as a guide for the seats - HOME OF M.A.T.S. - The most comprehensive Grumman F-14 Reference Work - by Torsten Anft!

[ATTACH]56520.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]56521.vB[/ATTACH]

A few shots of the cockpit Tub, again using the Eduard Zoom set. To be fair the kit provides the option of unpainted embossed photo etch or decals.

[ATTACH]56522.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]56523.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]56524.vB[/ATTACH]

Have a feeling this model could be a real tail sitter, so have packed the space between the tub and bulkhead with some blue tack, as well as the nose cone.

[ATTACH]56525.vB[/ATTACH]

Cheers Derek

[ATTACH]58566.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58567.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58568.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58569.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58570.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58571.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58572.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58573.IPB[/ATTACH]

[Guest]

what a good start to this really nice paint job on the detailing

mobear

[Guest]

The cockpit areas has two panels at the Cannon location which are poor fits, don't know why they are provided as separate panels as there is no cannon provided. Masked off surrounding area to protect the very shallow panel line and rivet detail before filling.

[ATTACH]56683.vB[/ATTACH]

Been cutting the various sub-assemblies off the sprues and cleaning them up. The kit provides for open or closed exhaust nozzel petal options, internet photos suggest the F-14 is parked with the peals open, so will adopt this option.

[ATTACH]56684.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]56685.vB[/ATTACH]

You have a choice with the wings of either closing or deploying the wings leading edge slats and flaps, I will be closing them as I am going for the swept back wing configuration, which is the norm for parked aircraft of this type I believe. For this chosen config. you have to cut off the leading edge slat support runners and the hinged brackets.

[ATTACH]56686.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]56687.vB[/ATTACH]

The cockpit canopy comes with a longitudinal seam, this has been removed, and the canopy treated with Klear.

[ATTACH]56688.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]56689.vB[/ATTACH]

Cheers Derek

[ATTACH]58731.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58732.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58733.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58734.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58735.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58736.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]58737.IPB[/ATTACH]

[homechild]

Okay Mr Smarty-pants, how did you get rid of the seam on the canopy?

[Guest]

Okay Mr Smarty-pants, how did you get rid of the seam on the canopy?

Hi Drew, I was going to put a reference to my TF-104G Starfighter, where I explained how I did it, but it seems to have disappeared from this site.

Anyway I took an X-Acto knife, placed it perpendicular to the seam and carefully scrapped the seam off, I find you have more control if you pull the blade towards you. I then took some Halfords Gr 1500 wet and dry paper, used it dry and buffed up the area. Did the same with Gr 2000. I then took some toothpaste onto a tissue and buffed it up for a minute, and finished off by buffing up with dry toilet tissue. Dunked the canopy in Klear and placed it on some kitchen paper towel to dry under a lid from a small plastic box to keep it dust free. I like to leave it for at least a week before I mask it off for painting. Hope this helps Derek

[yak face]

Great looking cockpit derek , I'd be tempted to stick a good few lead shot in the blu tack as well, tomcats can be tail sitters especially with the wings at full sweep, cheers tony

[MORIARTY1177]

I doth my cap to you sir! That cockpit is amazing, knocks the spots of my recent effort and yours is 1/72. Cracking work Derek.

Shall watch with interest.

Kind regards

Chris

[homechild]

Thanks Derek, will keep this in mind if I find myself with a seam on a canopy.

[Ian M]

Here it is Derek

http://www.scale-models.co.uk/under-construction/9697-starfighter-tf-104g-1-48-hasegawa.html

and the finished model is here http://www.scale-models.co.uk/aircraft-pictures/9841-tf-104g-starfighter-1-48-hasegawa-finished.html

Ian M

[Guest]

Wow Derek that office is awesome,great job getting rid of that pesky canopy seam too!

[Guest]

Around about now the Kit instructions tell you to close up both halves of the fuselage, but for me I think it better to fit a few more items before-hand.

Below you can see I have fitted the Glove Vane to one half of the fuselage, also I have cemented the rear end of the air intakes to the body of the fuselage. I left the remainder of the intake loose at this point until the cement dried. I then used plastic weld to fix the remainder of the intake; this way you can cement from the inside of the fuselage to give a clean joint on the outside. Must say this is the best fitting intake I have ever had on a kit; intakes on jets are usually one of the harder areas.

[ATTACH]57084.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]57085.vB[/ATTACH]

Once the intakes were cemented I fitted the compressor blade section followed by the intakes variable geometry baffles and the wing stub weapons pylons.

[ATTACH]57086.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]57087.vB[/ATTACH]

I them fitted the fuselage halves together and cemented the nose/cockpit section.

[ATTACH]57088.vB[/ATTACH]

I then fitted the wing gloves; the wings; arrestor hook housing, and dorsal missile rails.

[ATTACH]57089.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]57090.vB[/ATTACH]

I am leaving off the tail at the moment to make it easier to do the undercarriage gear. Derek

[ATTACH]59054.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]59055.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]59056.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]59057.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]59058.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]59059.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]59060.IPB[/ATTACH]

[Guest]

does this work on all the model f14`s,the way you put the 2 halves together?if so thnx for the tip

mobear

[flyjoe180]

Good progress Derek, it's looking great.

[Guest]

does this work on all the model f14`s,the way you put the 2 halves together?if so thnx for the tipmobear

Hi Ole, This is the first F-14 I have built so am no expert; like all kits I treat the instructions for guidance only; if I find an easier way to do it I take it. I am sure everyone does this. I assume the main body of your kit is split horizontally like my one, see part copy of my instructions below. You will see that Hasegawa are showing the fuselage halves coming together at Step 7. As I said before by doing it in the sequence I have chosen

a) It is easier to hold the intake/lower body directly while the cement dries.

b) You can cement from the inside which makes the joitn neater when viewed externally.

If you look at the first photo in my last posting; the Glove Vanes are only extended during supersonic flight for stability. Because my model will be shown parked, they are retracted, imagine trying to cement these in position after the fuselage halves are closed. How would you hold them for cementing, and if they fell into the body how would you get them back?

I am leaving the airbrakes closed on my kit, so I have cemented them in position before I join K3 to K4 etc etc.

Think of it as an erection sequence.

Hope this helps, but if you are still not sure, post the pages of your instructions and I will have a look.

Cheers Derek

[ATTACH]57162.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]57163.vB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]59132.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]59133.IPB[/ATTACH]