Eduard 1/48 Danger Zone F14 Tomcat

20170906_125445 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

This will be a first for me resine parts The kit parts look really well detailed so not sure which i will use
I will work on the theory of using the resine parts and if i screw them up i have the kit parts to fall back on

20170906_125605 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_125701 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_125755 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

PE

20170906_125934 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Another first PE zoom set

20170906_125949 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Mask set

20170906_130040 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

I have bought a resine pilot figure and has there are no kit ones i will need to get another
I also know that this may not be the correct flight suit for the one that i plan to do but with the painting i hope this will be suitable

20170906_130125 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130133 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Cartograf decals

20170906_130337 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130413 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The instructions

20170906_130551 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130604 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130611 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130618 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130621 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130634 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130638 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130645 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130649 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130656 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130700 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130707 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130712 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130720 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130724 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130731 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130734 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130742 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130747 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130835 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130840 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130848 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170906_130859 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

I do appologise for the length of this post

Post by **ElCapitan** » Wed Sep 06, 2017 2:53 pm

Should be a fun build, good luck!

Any idea which paint scheme you'll do?

Post by **gaz45** » Wed Sep 06, 2017 3:01 pm

Here is some History

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after the collapse of the F-111B project. The F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters, which were designed incorporating air combat experience against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War.
The F-14 first flew in December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974 with the U.S. Navy aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 served as the U.S. Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor, and tactical aerial reconnaissance platform into the 1990s. The Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pod system were added in the 1990s and the Tomcat began performing precision ground-attack missions.
In the 1980s F-14s were used as land-based interceptors by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War, where they saw combat against Iraqi warplanes. Iranian F-14s reportedly shot down at least 160 Iraqi aircraft during the war, while only 12 to 16 Tomcats were lost; at least half of these losses were due to accidents.
The Tomcat was retired from the U.S. Navy's active fleet on 22 September 2006, having been supplanted by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The F-14 remains in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, having been exported to Iran in 1976.

1280px-US_Navy_051105-F-5480T-005_An_F-14D_Tomcat_conducts_a_mission_over_the_Persian_Gulf-region by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

A U.S. Navy F-14D conducts a mission over the Persian Gulf-region in 2005.
Role Interceptor, air superiority and multirole combat aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Grumman Aerospace Corporation
First flight 21 December 1970
Introduction 22 September 1974
Retired 22 September 2006 (United States Navy)
Status In service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Primary users United States Navy (historical)
Imperial Iranian Air Force (historical)
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Produced 1969–1991
Number built 712
Unit cost US$38 million (1998)

Development
Background

220px-F-111B_NAN7-65 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The F-111B was designed to fulfill the carrier-based interceptor role, but was found to have weight and performance problems, and was not suited to the aerial combat then becoming apparent in Vietnam
Beginning in the late 1950s, the U.S. Navy sought a long-range, high-endurance interceptor to defend its carrier battle groups against long-range anti-ship missiles launched from the jet bombers and submarines of the Soviet Union. The U.S. Navy needed a Fleet Air Defense (FAD) aircraft with a more powerful radar and longer range missiles than the F-4 Phantom II carried to intercept both enemy bombers and missiles. The Navy was directed to participate in the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) program with the U.S. Air Force by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. McNamara wanted "joint" solutions to service aircraft needs to reduce development costs, and had already directed the Air Force to buy the F-4 Phantom II, which was developed for the Navy and Marine Corps. The Navy strenuously opposed the TFX as it feared compromises necessary for the Air Force's need for a low-level attack aircraft would adversely impact the aircraft's performance as a fighter.
Weight and performance issues plagued the U.S. Navy F-111B variant for TFX and would not be resolved to the Navy's satisfaction. The F-111 manufacturer General Dynamics partnered with Grumman on the Navy F-111B. With the F-111B program in distress, Grumman began studying improvements and alternatives. In 1966, the Navy awarded Grumman a contract to begin studying advanced fighter designs. Grumman narrowed down these designs to its 303 design. Vice Admiral Thomas F. Connolly, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare, took the developmental F-111A variant for a flight and discovered that it had difficulty going supersonic and had poor carrier landing characteristics. He later testified before Congress about his concerns against the official Department of the Navy position and, in May 1968, Congress stopped funding for the F-111B, allowing the Navy to pursue an answer tailored to its requirements. The name "Tomcat" was partially chosen to pay tribute to Admiral Connolly, as the nickname "Tom's Cat" had already been widely used by the manufacturer, although the name also followed the Grumman tradition of naming its fighter aircraft after felines.

VFX
The F-111B had been designed for the long-range Fleet Air Defense (FAD) interceptor role, but not for new requirements for air combat based on the experience of American aircraft against agile MiG fighters over Vietnam. The Navy studied the need for VFAX, an additional fighter that was more agile than the F-4 Phantom for air-combat and ground-attack roles. Grumman continued work on its 303 design and offered it to the Navy in 1967, which led to fighter studies by the Navy. The company continued to refine the design into 1968.
In July 1968, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program. VFX called for a tandem two-seat, twin-engined air-to-air fighter with a maximum speed of Mach 2.2. It would also have a built-in M61 Vulcan cannon and a secondary close air support role.The VFX's air-to-air missiles would be either six AIM-54 Phoenix or a combination of six AIM-7 Sparrow and four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Bids were received from General Dynamics, Grumman, Ling-Temco-Vought, McDonnell Douglas and North American Rockwell; four bids incorporated variable-geometry wings.

220px-F-14_Tomcat_prototypes_in_flight_c1972 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr
Grumman's VFX entry was designed around the TF30 engines, AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 missile intended for the F-111B; this eventually became the F-14A
McDonnell Douglas and Grumman were selected as finalists in December 1968. Grumman was selected for the contract award in January 1969. Grumman's design reused the TF30engines from the F-111B, though the Navy planned on replacing them with the Pratt & Whitney F401-400 engines under development for the Navy, along with the related Pratt & Whitney F100for the USAF.[14] Though lighter than the F-111B, it was still the largest and heaviest U.S. fighter to fly from an aircraft carrier, a consequence of the requirement to carry the large AWG-9 radarand AIM-54 Phoenix missiles (from the F-111B) and an internal fuel load of 16,000 lb (7,300 kg).
Upon winning the contract for the F-14, Grumman greatly expanded its Calverton, Long Island, New York facility for evaluating the aircraft. Much of the testing, including the first of many compressor stalls and multiple ejections, took place over Long Island Sound. In order to save time and forestall interference from Secretary McNamara, the Navy skipped the prototype phase and jumped directly to full-scale development; the Air Force took a similar approach with its F-15. The F-14 first flew on 21 December 1970, just 22 months after Grumman was awarded the contract, and reached initial operational capability (IOC) in 1973. The United States Marine Corps was initially interested in the F-14 as an F-4 Phantom II replacement; going so far as to send officers to Fighter Squadron One Twenty-Four (VF-124) to train as instructors. The Marine Corps pulled out of any procurement when the development of the stores' management system for ground attack munitions was not pursued. An air-to-ground capability was not developed until the 1990s.
Firing trials involved launches against simulated targets of various types, from cruise missiles to high-flying bombers. AIM-54 Phoenix missile testing from the F-14 began in April 1972. The longest single Phoenix launch was successful against a target at a range of 110 nmi (200 km) in April 1973. Another unusual test was made on 22 November 1973, when six missiles were fired within 38 seconds at Mach 0.78 and 24,800 ft (7,600 m); four scored direct hits.

Improvements and changes
With time, the early versions of all the missiles were replaced by more advanced versions, especially with the move to full solid-state electronics that allowed better reliability, better ECCM and more space for the rocket engine. So the early arrangement of the AIM-54A Phoenix active-radar air-to-air missile, the AIM-7E-2 Sparrow Semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile, and the AIM-9J Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missile was replaced in the 1980s with the B (1983) and C (1986) version of the Phoenix, the F (1977), M (1982), P (1987 or later) for Sparrows, and with the Sidewinder, L (1979) and M (1982). Within these versions, there are several improved batches (for example, Phoenix AIM-54C++).
The Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) was developed in the late 1970s for the F-14. Approximately 65 F-14As and all F-14Ds were modified to carry the pod. TARPS was primarily controlled by the Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) via an extra display for observing reconnaissance data. The "TARPS Digital (TARPS-DI)" was a 1996 upgrade featuring a digital camera. The digital camera was further updated beginning in 1998 with the "TARPS Completely Digital (TARPS-CD)" configuration that also provided real-time transmission of imagery.
Some of the F-14A aircraft underwent engine upgrades to the GE F110-400 in 1987. These upgraded Tomcats were redesignated F-14A+, which was later changed to F-14B in 1991.[21] The F-14D variant was developed at the same time; it included the GE F110-400 engines with newer digital avionics systems such as a glass cockpit, and compatibility with the Link 16 secure datalink. The Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) notably improved the F-14's handling qualities when flying at a high angle of attack or in air combat maneuvering.
While the F-14 had been developed as a lightweight alternative to the 80,000 lb (36,000 kg) F-111B, the F-14 was still the heaviest and most expensive fighter of its time. VFAX was revived in the 1970s as a lower cost solution to replacing the Navy and Marine Corps's fleets of F-4s, and A-7s. VFAX was directed to review the fighters in the USAF Light Weight Fighter competition, which led to the development of the F/A-18 Hornet as roughly a midsize fighter and attack aircraft. In 1994, Congress would reject Grumman proposals to the Navy to upgrade the Tomcat beyond the D model (such as the Super Tomcat 21, the cheaper QuickStrike version, and the more advanced Attack Super Tomcat 21).

Ground attack upgrades

220px-F14Missile by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr
An F-14D launching an AIM-7 Sparrow; a GBU-24 Paveway III is also carried.
In the 1990s, with the pending retirement of the A-6 Intruder, the F-14 air-to-ground program was resurrected. Trials with live bombs had been carried out in the 1980s; the F-14 was cleared to use basic iron bombs in 1992. In Operation Desert Storm, most air-to-ground missions were left to A-7, A-6 Intruder and F/A-18 Hornet squadrons, while the F-14 focused on air defense operations. Following Desert Storm, F-14As and F-14Bs underwent upgrades to avionics and cockpit displays to enable the use of precision munitions, enhance defensive systems, and apply structural improvements. The new avionics were comparable with the F-14D; upgraded aircraft were designated F-14A (Upgrade) and F-14B (Upgrade) respectively.
By 1994, Grumman and the Navy were proposing ambitious plans for Tomcat upgrades to plug the gap between the retirement of the A-6 and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet entering service. However, the upgrades would have taken too long to implement to meet the gap, and were priced in the billions; Congress considered this too expensive for an interim solution. A quick, inexpensive upgrade using the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) targeting pod was devised. The LANTIRN pod provided the F-14 with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera for night operations and a laser target designator to direct laser-guided bombs (LGB). Although LANTIRN is traditionally a two-pod system, an AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod with terrain-following radar and a wide-angle FLIR, along with an AN/AAQ-14 targeting pod with a steerable FLIR and a laser target designator, the decision was made to only use the targeting pod. The Tomcat's LANTIRN pod was altered and improved over the baseline configuration, such as a Global Positioning System / Inertial Navigation System (GPS-INS) capability to allow an F-14 to accurately locate itself. The pod was carried on the right wing glove pylon.

220px-thumbnail by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr
An F-14D(R) from VF-213 flying over Iraq on last Tomcat deployment with LANTIRN pod on starboard wing glove station and LGB underneath fuselage.
The LANTIRN pod did not require changes to the F-14's own system software, but the pod was designed to operate on a MIL-STD-1553B bus not present on the F-14A or B. Consequently, Martin Marietta specially developed an interface card for LANTIRN. The Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) would receive pod imagery on a 10-inch Programmable Tactical Information Display (PTID) or another Multi-Function Display in the F-14. rear cockpit and guided LGBs using a new hand controller installed on the right side console. Initially, the hand controller replaced the RIO's TARPS control panel, meaning a Tomcat configured for LANTIRN could not carry TARPS and the reverse, but eventually a workaround was later developed to allow a Tomcat to carry LANTIRN or TARPS as needed.
An upgraded LANTIRN named "LANTIRN 40K" for operations up to 40,000 ft (12,000 m) was introduced in 2001, followed by Tomcat Tactical Targeting (T3) and Fast Tactical Imagery (FTI), to provide precise target coordinate determination and ability to transmit images in-flight. Tomcats also added the ability to carry the GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) in 2003, giving it the option of a variety of LGB and GPS-guided weapons. Some F-14Ds were upgraded in 2005 with a ROVER III Full Motion Video (FMV) downlink, a system that transmits real-time images from the aircraft's sensors to the laptop of Forward Air Controller (FAC) on the ground.

Design
Overview

220px--F-14B_Demo_1998.ogv by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr
F-14 Tomcat flight demonstration video
The F-14 Tomcat was designed as both an air superiority fighter and a long-range naval interceptor, which enabled it to both serve as escort attack aircraft when armed with Sparrow missiles and fleet air defense loitering interceptor role when armed with Phoenix missiles. The F-14 was designed with a two-seat cockpit with a bubble canopy which affords all-around visibility aiding aircrew in air-to-air combat. It features variable geometry wings that swing automatically during flight. For high-speed intercept, they are swept back and they swing forward for lower speed flight. It was designed to improve on the F-4 Phantom's air combat performance in most respects.
The F-14's fuselage and wings allow it to climb faster than the F-4, while the twin-tail arrangement offers better stability. The F-14 is equipped with an internal 20 mm M61 Vulcan Gatlingcannon mounted on the left side (unlike the Phantom, which was not equipped with an internal gun in the US Navy), and can carry AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow, and AIM-9 Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles. The twin engines are housed in widely spaced nacelles. The flat area of the fuselage between the nacelles is used to contain fuel and avionics systems, such as the wing-sweep mechanism and flight controls, as well as weaponry since the wings were not used for carrying ordnance. By itself, the fuselage provides approximately 40 to 60 percent of the F-14's aerodynamic lifting surface depending on the wing sweep position. The lifting body characteristics of the fuselage allowed one F-14 to safely land after suffering a mid-air collision that sheared off more than half of the plane's right wing in 1991.

Variable-geometry wings and aerodynamic design

220px-Grumman_F-14_Tomcat_SDASM by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr
F-14 Tomcat with wings showing asymmetric sweep
The F-14's wing sweep can be varied between 20° and 68° in flight, and can be automatically controlled by the Central Air Data Computer, which maintains wing sweep at the optimum lift-to-drag ratio as the Mach number varies; pilots can manually override the system if desired. When parked, the wings can be "overswept" to 75° to overlap the horizontal stabilizers to save deck space aboard carriers. In an emergency, the F-14 can land with the wings fully swept to 68°, although this presents a significant safety hazard due to greatly increased stall speed. Such an aircraft would typically be diverted from an aircraft carrier to a land base if an incident did occur. The F-14 has flown and landed safely with an asymmetrical wing-sweep on an aircraft carrier during testing; this capability could be used in emergencies. The wing pivot points were significantly spaced far apart. This had two benefits. The first was that weaponry could be fitted on a pylon on the fixed wing glove, liberating the wings from having swiveling pylons fitted, a feature which had proven to add significant drag on the F-111B. Since less of the total lifting area was variable, the centre of lift moved less as the wings moved reducing trim drag at high speed. When the wing was swept back, its thickness-to-chord-ratio decreased which allowed the aircraft to satisfy the mach 2.4 top speed required by the U.S. Navy. The body of the aircraft contributed significantly to overall lift and so the Tomcat possessed a lower wing loading than its wing area would suggest. When carrying 4 Phoenix missiles or other heavy stores between the engines this advantage was lost and maneuverability was reduced in those configurations.

220px-F14_pancake by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr
Rearview of the F-14 showing the area between the engine nacelles
Ailerons are not fitted, with roll control being provided by wing-mounted spoilers at low speed (which are disabled if the sweep angle exceeds 57°), and by differential operation of the all-moving tailerons at high speed. Full-span slats and flaps are used to increase lift both for landing and combat, with slats being set at 17° for landing and 7° for combat, while flaps are set at 35° for landing and 10° for combat. An air bag filled up the space occupied by the swept-back wing when the wing was in the forward position and a flexible fairing on top of the wing smoothed out the shape transition between the fuselage and top wing area. The twin tail layout helps in maneuvers at high angle of attack (AoA) while reducing the height of the aircraft to fit within the limited roof clearance of hangars aboard aircraft carriers. Two triangular shaped retractable surfaces, called glove vanes, were originally mounted in the forward part of the wing glove, and could be automatically extended by the flight control system at high Mach numbers. They were used to generate additional lift (force) ahead of the aircraft's center of gravity, thus helping to compensate for the nose-down pitching tendencies at supersonic speeds. Automatically deployed at above Mach 1.4, they allowed the F-14 to pull 7.5 g at Mach 2 and could be manually extended with wings swept full aft. They were later disabled, however, owing to their additional weight and complexity. The air brakes consist of top-and-bottom extendable surfaces at the rearmost portion of the fuselage, between the engine nacelles. The bottom surface is split into left and right halves, the tailhook hangs between the two halves, an arrangement sometimes called the "castor tail".

Engines and structure
The F-14 was initially equipped with two Pratt & Whitney TF30 (or JT10A) turbofan engines with each providing a maximum thrust of 20,900 lb (93 kN) and giving the aircraft an official maximum speed of Mach 2.34. The F-14 would normally fly at a cruising speed for reduced fuel consumption, which was important for conducting lengthy patrol missions. Both of the engine's rectangular air intake ramps were equipped with movable ramps and bleed doors to meet the airflow requirements of the engine but prevent dangerous shockwaves from entering. De Laval nozzles were also fitted to the engine's exhaust.

220px-F-14_Tomcat_preparing_to_refuel by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr
An F-14D prepares to refuel with probe extended
The performance of the TF30 engine became an object of criticism. John Lehman, Secretary of the Navy in the 1980s, told the U.S. Congress that the TF30/F-14 combination was "probably the worst engine/airframe mismatch we have had in years" and that the TF30 was "a terrible engine"; 28% of all F-14 accidents were attributed to the engine. A high frequency of turbine blade failures led to the reinforcement of the entire engine bay to limit damage from such failures. The engines also had proved to be extremely prone to compressor stalls, which could easily result in loss of control, severe yaw oscillations, and could lead to an unrecoverable flat spin. At specific altitudes, exhaust produced by missile launches could cause an engine compressor stall. This led to the development of a bleed system that temporarily blocks the frontal intake ramp and reduces engine power during missile launch. With the TF30, the F-14's overall thrust-to-weight ratio at maximum takeoff weight is around 0.56, considerably less than the F-15A's ratio of 0.85; when fitted with the General Electric F110 engine, an improved thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.73 at maximum weight and 0.88 at normal takeoff weight was achieved. Despite having large differences in thrust, the F-14A, F-14B, and later F-14D with the newer GE F-110 engines were rated at the same top speed.
The wings had a two-spar structure with integral fuel tanks. Around 25% of the structure is made of titanium, including the wing box, wing pivots, and upper and lower wing skins; this is a light, rigid, and strong material and electron beam welding was used in the construction of the titanium parts.
The landing gear was very robust, in order to withstand catapult launches (takeoffs) and recoveries (landings) needed for carrier operations. It comprised a double nosewheel and widely spaced single main wheels. There were no hardpoints on the sweeping parts of the wings, and so all the armament is fitted on the belly between the air intake ramps and on pylons under the wing gloves. Internal fuel capacity is 2,400 US gal (9,100 l): 290 US gal (1,100 l) in each wing, 690 US gal (2,600 l) in a series of tanks aft of the cockpit, and a further 457 US gal (1,730 l) in two feeder tanks. It can carry two 267 US gal (1,010 l) external drop tanks under the engine intake ramps. There is also an air-to-air refueling probe, which folds into the starboard nose.

Avionics and flight controls
The cockpit has two seats, arranged in tandem, outfitted with Martin-Baker GRU-7A rocket-propelled ejection seats, rated from zero altitude and zero airspeed up to 450 knots. The canopy is spacious, and fitted with four mirrors to effectively provide all-round visibility. Only the pilot has flight controls; the flight instruments themselves are of a hybrid analog-digital nature.[18] The cockpit also features a head-up display (HUD) to show primarily navigational information; several other avionics systems such as communications and direction-finders are integrated into the AWG-9 radar's display. A significant feature of the F-14 was its Central Air Data Computer (CADC), designed by Garrett AiResearch, that formed the onboard integrated flight control system. It used a MOSFET-based Large-Scale Integration chipset, the MP944, making it possibly the first microprocessor in history.

220px-F-14_Tomcat_with_landing_gear_down by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr
F-14 with landing gear deployed
The aircraft's large nose contains a two-person crew and several bulky avionics systems. The main element is the Hughes AN/AWG-9 X band radar; the antenna is a 36 in (91 cm)-wide planar array, and has integrated Identification friend or foe antennas. The AWG-9 has several search and tracking modes, such as Track while scan (TWS), Range-While-Search (RWS), Pulse-Doppler Single-Target Track (PDSTT), and Jam Angle Track (JAT); a maximum of 24 targets can be tracked simultaneously, and six can be engaged in TWS mode up to around 60 mi (97 km). Cruise missiles are also possible targets with the AWG-9, which can lock onto and track small objects even at low altitude when in Pulse-Doppler mode. For the F-14D, the AWG-9 was replaced by the upgraded APG-71 radar. The Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS)/Link 16 for data communications was added later on.
The F-14 also features electronic countermeasures (ECM) and radar warning receiver (RWR) systems, chaff/flare dispensers, fighter-to-fighter data link, and a precise inertial navigation system. The early navigation system was inertial-based, point-of-origin coordinates were programmed into a navigation computer and gyroscopes would track the aircraft's every motion to calculate distance and direction from that starting point. Global Positioning System later was integrated to provide more precise navigation and redundancy in case either system failed. The chaff/flare dispensers were located on the underside of the fuselage and on the tail. The RWR system consisted of several antennas on the aircraft's fuselage, which could roughly calculate both direction and distance of enemy radar users; it could also differentiate between search radar, tracking radar, and missile-homing radar.
Featured in the sensor suite was the AN/ALR-23, an Infra-red search and track sensor using indium antimonide detectors, mounted under the nose; however this was replaced by an optical system, Northrop's AAX-1, also designated TCS (TV Camera Set). The AAX-1 helped pilots visually identify and track aircraft, up to a range of 60 miles (97 km) for large aircraft. The radar and the AAX-1 were linked, allowing the one detector to follow the direction of the other. A dual infrared/optical detection system was adopted on the later F-14D.

Armament

220px-F-14_carrying_AMRAAM by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr
F-14 Tomcat carrying an AIM-120 AMRAAM during a 1982 test.
The F-14 was designed to combat highly maneuverable aircraft as well as the Soviet anti-ship cruise missile and bomber (Tupolev Tu-16, Tupolev Tu-22, Tupolev Tu-22M) threats. The Tomcat was to be a platform for the AIM-54 Phoenix, but unlike the canceled F-111B, it could also engage medium- and short-range threats with other weapons.The F-14 was an air superiority fighter, not just a long-range interceptor aircraft.[32] Over 6,700 kg (14,800 lb) of stores could be carried for combat missions on several hardpoints under the fuselage and under the wings. Commonly, this meant a maximum of two–four Phoenixes or Sparrows on the belly stations, two Phoenixes/Sparrows on the wing hardpoints, and two Sidewinders on the wing hardpoints. The F-14 was also fitted with an internal 20 mm M61 Vulcan Gatling-type cannon.
Operationally, the capability to hold up to six Phoenix missiles was never used, although early testing was conducted; there was never a threat requirement to engage six hostile targets simultaneously and the load was too heavy to safely recover aboard an aircraft carrier in the event that the missiles were not fired. During the height of Cold War operations in the late 1970s and 1980s, the typical weapon loadout on carrier-deployed F-14s was usually only one AIM-54 Phoenix, augmented by two AIM-9 Sidewinders, two AIM-7 Sparrow IIIs, a full loadout of 20 mmammunition and two drop tanks. The Phoenix missile was used twice in combat by the U.S. Navy, both over Iraq in 1999, but the missiles did not score any kills.
Iran made use of the Phoenix system, claiming several kills with it during the 1980-1988 Iran–Iraq War. Iran tried to use other missiles on the Tomcat. It attempted to integrate the Russian R-27R "Alamo" BVR missile, but was apparently unsuccessful.[

Post by **gaz45** » Wed Sep 06, 2017 3:11 pm

A bit of extra info

The Five Maneuvers That Were Prohibited In The F-14 Tomcat

l2nthbcqmjl8qrhfcble by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

At roughly 62 feet long and 64 feet wide, there were a lot of things the “Big Fighter” F-14 Tomcat could do very well. However, there were certain maneuvers that were prohibited because it would have been too dangerous. Most of them make sense when you think about it. Of course, there was always a Maverick who wanted to push the envelope to see what the jet could do.
Therefore, there is one thing I want to make abundantly clear: I can neither confirm nor deny that I have been in an F-14 Tomcat during any of these situations!

#1: No intentional spins
Departure from controlled flight is not where you want to be in any aircraft, much less the F-14. Unless you were a test pilot performing a test maneuver under specific conditions, it was probably best to not try and put the Tomcat intentionally into a spin, while it was also against the rules.

The Tomcat was an honest aircraft with moderate departure resistance, but I think we all learned our lesson from the Top Gun scene where Maverick and Goose get into a flat spin (headed out to sea.)
While the scene was not completely accurate, it did emphasize how critical and challenging recovery from a spin could be. There are different types of spins and different ways to recover from them, but there was no true recovery when the Tomcat entered into a fully developed flat spin.
To get the Tomcat into a fully developed flat spin would have meant the pilot had made sustained and unnatural control inputs, or the aircraft malfunctioned and created an uncorrectable aerodynamic imbalance. The most likely reason was a combination of the two and that was hopefully a very rare occurrence.
Getting into a flat spin was difficult to do even while in the simulator. Fleet Replacement Squadron instructors would have the pilot put one engine to idle to create what is called “asymmetric thrust”. The pilot would then hold the control stick and rudders in abnormally long and awkward positions until the instructor told him to “recover.” Many times,
even after holding these awkward control inputs, the spin would not fully develop and initial spin recovery procedures returned the aircraft to normal flight.
A flat spin was characterized by three things: a flat aircraft attitude meaning 10 degrees nose down with no pitch or roll oscillations, steadily increasing yaw rate (think aircraft spinning left or right), and high longitudinal acceleration. Think of a pancake spinning and a falling straight down; it can’t get any momentum to go forward and instead lands “flat as a pancake.”
The last characteristic—high longitudinal acceleration—is sometimes described as “eyeball out G.” This meant that the pilot and RIO felt like someone was pulling their insides out through their ears, eyes, throat and nose. The eyeball out G also made it difficult for the aircrew to get into a good body position and command the ejection.
If the aircrew could identify that they were in a flat spin by all three of these characteristics—the only remaining course of action was to eject. However, one final step was for the RIO to jettison the canopy before commanding the ejection. This would give the canopy enough time to separate from the aircraft and clear the path for the ejection seats. Remember, the aircraft is falling straight down, so jettisoning the canopy first was paramount to give it time to clear.

F-14 Flat Spin Test Goes Wrong

#2: Zero or negative G maneuvers in excess of 10 seconds with afterburner operating or 20 seconds at military power (full throttle without afterburner) or less
Zero or negative G maneuvers are best described as the “roller coaster” feeling you may experience when going over a steep hill or drop. Performing this maneuver is typically done one of two ways: flying upside down for an extended period of time (not exactly tactical but looks cool when the Blue Angels do it) or performing what is called a “bugout.”
A bugout is when the pilot performs a maximum thrust acceleration followed by a pushover in an effort to head down to the deck as quickly as possible. In other words, moving to full throttle followed by pushing the stick forward to go down. The maneuver is used when trying to get away from a threat fighter and the Tomcat was fast enough that bugging out was a viable tactic.
Extended duration at zero or negative G on the aircraft, particularly while in afterburner places extreme demands on the engine fuel feed system. You’ve seen NASA astronauts floating in an aircraft that is used to simulate zero gravity. The same thing happens with the remaining fuel in the F-14’s fuel tanks. The fuel floats to the top and exposes the fuel lines to air. If air is drawn into the fuel lines, particularly during afterburner operation when there is a huge demand for fuel, the result can be an afterburner blowout or even worse an engine flameout.

DN-SC-09-10436 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

#3: No AIM-9 launch with landing flaps and slats extended
Slats (located on the leading edge of the wing) and flaps (located on the trailing edge of the wing) change the camber of the wing. Changing the camber helps to create more lift when the aircraft is at a slow speed, such as in the landing configuration. In the Tomcat, the AIM-9 Sidewinder was placed on Station 1 or 8, which was located directly under each respective wing.
One of the most dangerous situations is when a missile does not separate from the jet but the rocket motor ignites. This is called a “hang fire”. The missile is still hanging on the aircraft with the rocket motor burning. If the AIM-9 rocket motor continued to burn but the missile never separated from the aircraft, there was the potential for burning a hole through the extended landing flaps. Even if the missile did come off the rail, a drooping slat would probably receive some residual damage from rocket exhaust.
Additionally, since the AIM-9 is a heat-seeking missile and used in very close range, it needs to keep the seeker head as unencumbered as possible for it to acquire the target. Covering the seeker head with the slats extended (even minimally) is like when you have a raincoat hood over your head—your peripheral vision is occluded and you can’t see to the side. With the slats extended, the same holds true for the AIM 9 not being able to “see” its target.

Furthermore, to fire forward with an extended slat would probably have posed a clearance issue and in only a few instances is it tactical to fight the jet in this slow speed configuration.
While a hang fire is rare, Pete Purvis has a great story about the day he shot himself down in a F-14 with his own AIM-7 Sparrow missile. You will have to read it for yourself, but it provides great understanding into why separation of the stores from the aircraft is so critical.

980218-N-0507F-002 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

#4: No Fuel dumping with afterburner operating or with speed brakes extended
Remember in the summer when you were a kid and would take the OFF bug spray can and hold it up to a lit match? The resulting flame spray was pretty awesome, right?

Imagine if you dumped raw fuel at then end of an engine with 23,000lbs of thrust. Now that would be a sight to behold. Fuel dumping while in afterburner would be exactly that, the greatest spray of flame known to mankind.

#5: No rolling maneuvers with angle of bank change greater than 360 degrees.
Multiple back to back rolling maneuvers (think of how a football spins when thrown) has the tendency to create too much yaw on the aircraft. This is because when the aircraft rolls, it creates asymmetric lift on each side that in turn creates asymmetric drag. With the Tomcats’ wings swept back, the result is adverse yaw that can lead to a coupled departure. (Technical point: proverse yaw in the Tomcat is also possible, as the jet had spoilers instead of ailerons, but that is probably too much for this discussion)
Using a football analogy, if Tom Brady throws a football and the ball comes out of his hand at even the slightest bit uneven (drag instigated by his fingers) the ball becomes unstable. It wobbles like a wounded duck.
The same “wobble” can happen in the Tomcat (and any aircraft for that matter) because of the increased yaw due to multiple rolling maneuvers. Therefore this barrel roll type maneuver was prohibited because it could easily put the aircraft out of controlled flight.
For the record, the Super Hornet has the same restriction, even with a computer at the controls because it is almost impossible to remove the effect of creating adverse (or proverse) yaw.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/im ... nihaip.gif

I hope this has worked

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Sep 06, 2017 5:32 pm

#6 Always sing 'The Song'...you know the one I mean

"nanna na na na na na Highway to the....."

thanks for that btw, it will be in my head all day
Cool kit and build

Post by **ElCapitan** » Wed Sep 06, 2017 5:57 pm

Twokidsnosleep wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2017 5:32 pm #6 Always sing 'The Song'...you know the one I mean

"nanna na na na Highway to the....."

thanks for that btw, it will be in my head all day
Cool kit and build

I watched it last night, been in my head all day already!

Post by **Tomcat64** » Wed Sep 06, 2017 6:56 pm

Always happy to watch an F-14 coming together

This is one I don't have in the stash yet either!

Post by **gaz45** » Thu Sep 07, 2017 9:56 am

Cheers guys

Post by **gaz45** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 6:22 pm

ElCapitan wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2017 2:53 pm Should be a fun build, good luck!

Any idea which paint scheme you'll do?

It has to be the TopGun version mate

Post by **gaz45** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 6:57 pm

So here we go time to make a start.
To start with i need to remove the raised detail so that i can fit the PE Zoom set for the control panels.

The tools for this will be
Craft knife
Files
Sanders

20170911_151547 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

This i have never done before
Here is 1 panel removed

20170911_153207 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Now to remove the rest of the detail

Right all the detail has be removed this i found quite tricky in places the parts for the cockpit are now ready for priming with Ultimate black primer except the nose back plate which is painted white
1 of the parts i needed to add some PE with CA glue

20170911_155120 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170912_153049 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170912_153131 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170912_153100 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170912_153109 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170912_160054 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The parts have been painted up in Mr hobby H-317 gray FS36231 the other parts are left in the black primer

When this is dry i will add the zoom set

20170912_162551 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The rear instrument cover is 2 tone so with the black i have used Mr hobby H-81 Khaki

20170913_143652 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

PE zoom set started

20170912_174647 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

It has taken a while for me to get to this point as it has been a little tricky for me as i have never added PE over PE
I have added some dry brushing for the black parts i used the cockpit gray color and for the rest i used black

[ For those new modellers dry brushing is when you load a stiff brush with a contrasting color then you get as much as possible off rubbing on a paper towel then lightly dragging the brush over the raised detail ]
This is how it has turned out

20170912_183323 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170913_174247 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170913_174225 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170913_174259 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170913_174312 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170913_180248 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170913_180259 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170913_180316 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

I have decided not to add a wash to the cockpit as when the seats and the figures are added you won't be able to see much if any.

Thanks for taking a look

Post by **Tomcat64** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 8:37 am

Great start Gaz - that cockpit looks superb!

Post by **MarkVerploeg** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 8:45 am

That is one good looking cockpit
The kit looks good too i have one in the stash but i also bought most upgrades they show on the back of the instructions
The big sin weapons set looks very nice with tons of decals and some pe for all the missles
But i don't think i have time to enter mine at the moment as i am moving to a new house
So instead i will follow your build to see what can be done with this kit
Good luck with the rest of the build

Post by **gaz45** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:55 am

Thanks mate

Post by **Lorenzo** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 6:31 pm

I feel the need.... the need to watch this thread closely!

Post by **gaz45** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:23 pm

Cheers mate

Post by **gaz45** » Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:16 pm

Part 2

The radar section I know that this will not be seen but i will know it's there

It was a little unclear to me from the instructions how to bend the 2 pieces of PE and 2 of the tiny pieces snapped off on the first one

20170913_191601 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170913_191535 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170915_163422 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The next step in the instructions is to make up the front landing gear which i will do at a later date along with the refueling tube.

So i will move onto the next step and build up the front wheel well, now there are a few EMP's on the back of these which i will sand down so that there are no fit issues when it comes to fitting this in the fuselage.

20170915_164243 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170915_172019 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

It turns out that the fuelling rig can be shown or behind cover plates so i will go with the latter.

These next few parts will not be seen on this build but the cover plates can be left off to show this detail

20170917_220501 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170918_133658 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

A little filler is needed here on the covers for the refuelling rig for this i used Vallejo plastic putty

20170918_133424 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170918_133604 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

All these parts are then primed with Ultimate black and white primer with the exception of the gun i think it is which i gave it a coat of Mr metal color buffable Iron which will be buffed up when the detail painting is done before fitting.

20170918_144244 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170918_144254 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Once the primer was dry they were painted up in there respective colors and the gun was buffed up with a cotton bud.
I don't know what happened when i sprayed the radar with the cockpit green color but it was like spinning a web is the best way i can describe this and has this will not be seen i didn't worry about it

20170919_135917_HDR by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170919_143800 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170918_150458 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170918_150446 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The interior of this is painted with Ultimate white primer and the parts fitted.

20170919_141046 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170919_141851 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The cover plates are now fitted and there will be a little filling needed

20170919_154159 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

These parts are for 1 of the wings and i need to cut off a few tabs and figure out how these parts will be glued together

20170921_225058 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

They are going together better than it looked from the instructions so i will make up the other wing and leave them overnight clamped

20170921_232235 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The instructions show there are some bits to be trimmed off of the fuselage halves but these are not apparent on the parts themselves.

20170922_105829 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

There are some holes that need to be drilled out on the lower fuselage this i did with my pin vice and a 0.85mm drill bit

20170922_105842 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170922_115133 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Finally for this section the parts for the intakes are cleaned up and fitted with no issues.

20170922_123531 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170922_170755 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20170922_170806 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

That is all for now thanks for takinf a look and for your comments

Post by **Quax** » Mon Sep 25, 2017 6:22 pm

Looking very cool Gaz especially the gun.

I struggled to see the pe blown up on a screen so great job folding it, I would have given up long before and stamped on it!

Paul

Post by **gaz45** » Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:53 am

Cheers mate

Post by **Tomcat64** » Wed Sep 27, 2017 9:16 am

Coming together really nicely Gaz - that tiny PE is a real eye-test

Post by **gaz45** » Sat Sep 30, 2017 1:58 am

Thanks mate your not wrong there

Post by **gaz45** » Fri Oct 06, 2017 5:29 pm

Part 3
I forgot to show the completed wings in the previous part here they are

20171005_111056 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

In this stage it will be a first for me working with resin
The tools i will be using are
Most importantly a dust mask

20171004_162006 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

So first of all i am going to remove the parts off of the resin block that they come on and sand smooth
A small mishap when cleaning up the second seat and a small piece broke off so now i will be using one of the kit seats which is nicely detailed
The instructions do not show hoe the kit seats go together.
The PE for the resin seat is coloured so these will be added when the seat has been painted.

20171004_165601 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171004_165954 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171005_110455 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

I did notice however that when i test fitted the seats in the cockpit that there was not much room left inside so i will make up one of the resin pilots to see if he will fit.

20171005_110358 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171005_110425 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171005_110434 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

In the mean time i will tend to the seam lines on the cockpit halves with sprue glue where there is some rescribing to be done the rest filled with Vallejo plastic putty.

20171006_120354 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The seats have now been primed in Ultimate black primer

20171006_113033 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171006_113052 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

A few extra parts added to the upper fuselage

20171005_163754 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171006_113151 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Next up i'll make up the other wheel bays and as with the front i will make up the landing gear later

20171005_144759 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

For the rear sections of the intakes

20171006_123230 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

These will be made up after the inners have been primed in Ultimate white primer along with the front section of the intakes and the wheel wells

20171006_113006 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171006_112958 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171006_112922 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171006_112849 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

While the primer dries I have sanded the filler on the cockpit seams and are ready for scribbing

20171006_120402 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171006_120413 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Time to work with more of the resin using the pre mentioned safety precautions.

20171006_125239 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The piece have not been cut off perfectly. This maybe the lack of knowledge and skill working with resin or just that i need a more substantial razor saw.

20171006_131800 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

That is all for now thank you for all your comments and for just taking a look.

Stash · Post by **bfrd** » Fri Oct 06, 2017 5:44 pm

Looking good, gaz.

Post by **gaz45** » Sat Oct 07, 2017 7:39 am

Thanks mate

Post by **gaz45** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 12:03 pm

Here we go with Part 4
A bit of this and a bit of that and some errors and fit issues

The blades have now been painted they were primed with Ultimate glossy black then painted using AK Xtreme metal stainless steel using my Harder and Steenbeck Evolution CR Plus set at a pressure of 18 psi the rest of the build so far i have used the Apex from Ultimate set at a pressure of 24-25 psi

20171010_173559 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Then when they were fully dry they were glued together with CA glue and fitted in place

20171010_182551 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171010_182735 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171010_182804 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171010_182823 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171010_183705 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171010_183739 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171010_183745 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Now I am going to make up the resin figures.
The only reference for making these up is just a picture of the finished figure

20171010_174215 by Gary Wilcox, on FlickAs

These are not quite the correct figures so i am going to have to try and adapt the left arms so that they fit in the cockpit with the canopy closed.
Now when I test fitted the figures and seats in the cockpit there was very little room and as you can see the pilot doesn't sit in the seat so i will chop off the lower legs which will not be seen anyway.

20171010_181008 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171010_181018 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171010_182139 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171010_182147 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

One thing I made a mistake with well not so much as a mistake but nothing was mentioned in the instructions parts D14-D11 or the optional D2-D5 I used D2-D5 not knowing that with these added the wings won't swing back when the fuselage halves are put together.

20171011_093118 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

So i removed these parts and fitted parts D14-D11 and they swing back as they are supposed to so be aware of this if you build this kit.

20171011_091655 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171011_092024 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171011_092033 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171011_092045 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Now with these parts changed there was a little damage made when removing the other parts

20171011_094900 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

and this was taken care of with some vallejo plastic putty

20171011_103218 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The seats have now been given a dry brush using the cockpit color H-317 Gray.

20171011_104812 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171011_104831 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171011_104901 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Lastly for this section the figures have been primed in Ultimate grey then when dry the flight suits were painted using model air 71.005 grey blue

20171011_111521 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171011_111527 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

So that's all for now thank you for taking the time to look and to comment

Post by **ElCapitan** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 1:31 pm

Looking good Gary.

I'm enjoying watching the other F-14 builds as I work on mine, and it's interesting seeing the different approaches of the 3 different kits

Post by **gaz45** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 7:50 pm

Cheers mate. It is interesting how the different manufacters of the same kits differ

Post by **Tomcat64** » Thu Oct 12, 2017 11:47 am

That's been some great progress since the last time I checked in Gaz.

The intake fans look very good, and nice work on the crew figures and seats too.

Post by **pourquoi61** » Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:21 pm

Wow some work gone into this one so far. The PE would have done my head in.

Brilliant.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:15 pm

Cool stuff

I have more Danger Zone meme ideas, but shall resist cluttering your thread up

For resin, I was using a damp kitchen towel when I was sanding...both wiping dust off with it and sanding or filing into it.
The wet towel helps you minimize what is floating around without doing a full on sloppy wet sand
Just a thought

Post by **aur0ra145** » Fri Oct 13, 2017 1:59 am

This build is looking awesome, keep it up!

Post by **Quax** » Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:54 am

great job on those seats Gaz, its starting to come together great!

Paul

Post by **gaz45** » Fri Oct 13, 2017 11:35 am

Thanks for your comments guys

Post by **gaz45** » Fri Oct 13, 2017 6:08 pm

Here we go Part 5 already

The fuselage halves are now glued together they did take a little clamping mostly using my fingers has my clamps did not stay in place there are a few of the seams to sort out when this is completley dry.

20171011_182812 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171011_182822 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171011_182830 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171011_182853_HDR by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

I have brush painted some Ultimate white primer onto the helmits and when that is dry i'll give them a coat of Mr hobby H-316 white

20171011_192236 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

With the vertical stabilizers up next I had to sand away the EPM's on the insides to try to get a better flush fit but they will need a little clamping

20171011_193709 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The clear parts for the navigation lights will be painted and added at the end.

The figures are now complete painted up using Humbrol 61 flesh, Akah new rubber black-grey, Tamiya X-1 black and Model air 71.047 grey.

20171013_122702 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The seats were given a clear coat of X-22 and Mr hobby leveling thinner a 50%-50% mix and when dry the decals were added.
Has I have used 1 resin and 1 kit seat it was intreaging what the decal placements were and how they looked with the detail.

20171013_122801 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Addressing the seam lines on the fuselage actually it's a good fit but a little filling will be needed for which i will use sprue glue as there will be a little re-scribbing needed.

20171013_122848 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171013_122855 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171013_122906 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171013_122912 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The vertical stabilisers needed minimal attention with just a little sanding along the edges and a bit extra glue on 1 joint.

20171013_122935 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

This will be all for this update has the next part is the resin and PE exhausts which after looking at this for some time and trying to work out the fit.
After reviewing some of the other reviews of this kit my resin exhaust parts are not the same as the others so i'm not sure what to do next for the best.

Thanks for taking a look and for all your comments.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:17 am

Did you figure out the resin exhausts???
I think you were on the right track of thinking with them

Post by **gaz45** » Sat Oct 14, 2017 11:12 pm

Cheers Scott not as yet I'll contact eduard see what they say

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sat Oct 14, 2017 11:55 pm

gaz45 wrote: Sat Oct 14, 2017 11:12 pm Cheers Scott not as yet I'll contact eduard see what they say

Good idea

I do think you are right and they just moulded it all as one long piece so needs to be cut
Let me know, always interested in seeing if can problem solve correctly or not

Post by **gaz45** » Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:49 pm

Thanks mate i'll let you know

Post by **Tomcat64** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 2:57 pm

Nice work Gaz - glad to see in the other thread that Eduard sorted out the exhausts riddle for you.

Post by **gaz45** » Fri Oct 20, 2017 11:15 am

Cheers Neil

Post by **gaz45** » Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:16 pm

Right Part 6

I have E-mailed Eduard regarding the parts difference for the exhausts so while i wait for a reply I am going to build up the landing gear and the armourment.
Eduard customer service have got back to me very quick the next day actually and are sending out the correct parts great customer service.

Right the landing gear, here there is a choice of 2 struts 1 for gear up and 1 for gear down i'll be going with gear down. There are some resin wheels for this which i will make up later when i get the exhaust parts then that will be the resin parts finished.

20171016_135042 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Now the instructions don't say that part F40 is mirrored on the other side of the strut so be careful at this stage if you build this kit

20171016_135420 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The front gear made up and with a quick dry fit it fits really well

20171017_103809 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171017_103818 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The main landing gear

20171016_145959 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171017_103334 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171017_103344 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171017_123555 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

When i dry fitted the gear I found that i had made a BooBoo there is a hole in the side of the wheel wells for a locating peg on the struts which at the time of making up the wheel wells the instructions did show adding the struts at the same time and as i said in the previous part i wanted to add these later.
So i will have to snip off the locating pegs to ensure the correct fit.

20171016_141359 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

On to the fuel tanks, TARPS and weapons
I'm going for AIM 9 sidewinders and the AIM 7 sparrows the other choice is AIM 54 phoenix

Fuel tanks

20171017_123615 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171017_132758 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Sidewinders

20171017_132312 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171017_132814 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

TARPS

20171017_140144 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171017_140201 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Now for the sparrows the instructions say to make up 6 of these and in the weapons placement diagram shows placings for the 6 of them but the kit only has enough parts to make up 4 of them so i will be adding 2 AIM 54's phoenix.
I am guessing that if you get the aftermarket set for this that you get the 6

20171017_152215 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171017_153608 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Weapons build and seams taken care of awaiting primer and paint

20171017_164624 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

There are some clear parts on the TARPS which i have masked with Tamiya masking tape

20171017_170622 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

These have now been primed in Ultimate white primer

20171018_121016 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

While the primer dries i'm going to finish off the seats, this maybe a little tricky putting on the coloured PE as i will have to keep placing the pilot on the seat after each piece of PS is fitted just to make sure that the PE doesn't obstruct seating the pilot.

This is now done and i managed to get some of the PE onto the plastic kit seat (Bonus)

20171018_145732 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171018_145743 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171018_145754 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

As you can see i didn't add the belts as the instructions do not show figures and i'm not sure that they would fit.

The landing gear and the weapons have been given a coat of Humbrol white rattle can as i had some to use up.
Then once dry the detail painting was done with Mr hobby H-318 radome, H-12 flat black and H-8 silver.

20171020_104533 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

That is where i'm at at the moment.

Just one more thing there are no decals in the kit for the weapons only the fuel tanks.
There is also a conflict with painting the fuel tanks ant the build stage of the instruction it says to paint them white but in the paint guide at the back they are shown painted in the main body color so i will do the latter.

Thanks for taking the time to take a look and for all your comments

Stash · Post by **bfrd** » Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:27 pm

Wow! Very nice.

Post by **gaz45** » Fri Oct 20, 2017 8:16 pm

Thanks mate much appreciated

ScaleMates · Post by **papatika** » Fri Oct 20, 2017 8:23 pm

Those seats are looking great! Keep up the good work!

Post by **gaz45** » Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:48 am

Cheers mate i'm pleased how they turned out

Post by **TommyKillander** » Sat Oct 28, 2017 11:03 pm

Wow!

This is awesome!

It looks great, keep up the good work.

Tommy

Post by **gaz45** » Thu Nov 02, 2017 10:06 am

Cheers mate

Post by **gaz45** » Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:50 pm

Welcome to Part 7

Time to work on the canopy to start with there is quite a big step/seam line on the main glass which i will need to remove.

20171020_161732 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

This i will do by masking either side of the seam line with masking tape and gently sand away with the Ultimate sponge sander then the green side of the buffer followed with the white side

20171020_163011 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_163332 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_163340 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_164924 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_163828 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_164915 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

While i had the sanders out i cleaned up the nose cone now considering it was in its own bag and with no sprue there is a sprue gate in a tight place to be removed.

20171020_140217 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Time to fix on the PE for some of these i used CA glue the other parts i used micro kristal klear, I'm not sure if the PE needs to be painted before or after so i will do it after and the instructions are not clear for the parts of this that needs bending but here goes.

20171020_152823 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_173445 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_173459 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_174824 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_174837 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_183600 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171020_183606 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

While that sets up i will add the nose cone which is a good fit just a couple of tiny gaps to fill with the plastic putty and the seats and figures have been fixed in.

20171025_113624 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171025_113634 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171023_134003 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171023_134014 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

and more PE.

20171023_145340 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171023_150735 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171023_151522 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

These have now been painted with Ultimate black primer

20171025_113357 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

The canopy is now on but i'm not happy with the fit this maybe because of the PE i'm not sure so some filling will be done with the plastic putty

20171025_123615 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171025_123623 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171025_123631 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171025_123639 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171025_125302 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171025_125309 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

When dry this was sanded down hopefully it will look better when there is some paint on it.

20171027_202212 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171027_202221 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171027_202227 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171027_202236 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Time to attach the cockpit to the fuselage this is not the best fit so it will be glued in place and then the gaps filled with the plastic putty

20171027_204334 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171027_204339 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171027_204354 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171101_113316 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171101_113333 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

Just for comparison this is the russian mig from the film top gun in the same scale

20171027_205606 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

To finish off this part i'm going to finish the weapons now there are no decals for these with this ki but a furum member bfrd (Matthew) had some spare and sent them over from the states Thanks buddy.

20171101_113412 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171101_113433 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171101_113457 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

and here they are finished when the decals have set they will be clear coated and set aside untill they are attached at the end of the build.

20171101_174350 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171101_182115 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

20171102_072803 by Gary Wilcox, on Flickr

That is all for now thanks for taking the time to look and for all your comments.

Post by **ElCapitan** » Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:42 pm

Those missiles are looking really good! The decals make all the difference to bring them to life

I think the canopy should look really good when it's been painted.

Stash · Post by **bfrd** » Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:56 pm

Looking good!

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Thu Nov 02, 2017 7:55 pm

Really coming together nicely

Very impressed with the canopy work...hey aren't those Ultimate sanders shite??!!

The missiles look phenomenal

Can't wait to see your cans....exhaust cans thank you very much