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I don’t have a box for my Tomcat. It was bagged and passed down to me by a friend but it’s a 1/48 Italeri F14A re popped by Testors. The kit has recessed panel lines and very good parts fit, much better than the old Revell cats except for the pit, Revell’s being better detailed.
My subject is the “Queen of Spades” from VF-41 assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt during Operation Desert Storm.
I forgot to photograph the resin pit package prior to building it, my bad but this is the package. I got it during a Squadron sale a while back.
The completed resin pit. The seats are next.
Fuselage and wings are together.
Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!
One of these days I've got to get myself a Tomcat. It's such a "Bird of Prey" looking thing.
They're beautiful aircraft.
Nice job on that pit!
- Mike Brindos "Lost Boy"
M. Brindos One of these days I've got to get myself a Tomcat. It's such a "Bird of Prey" looking thing. They're beautiful aircraft. Nice job on that pit!
Thanks Mike. Try on a Tamiya cat, its a fantastic kit in 1/48 and awesome in 1/32.
plasticjunkie M. Brindos One of these days I've got to get myself a Tomcat. It's such a "Bird of Prey" looking thing. They're beautiful aircraft. Nice job on that pit! Thanks Mike. Try on a Tamiya cat, its a fantastic kit in 1/48 and awesome in 1/32.
I second the motion on a 1/48 Tamiya Cat.
You're off to a fine start! The resin cockpit looks good.
Ill just add the tidbit that the 1/48 Testors F-14 was a rebox of Fujimi, not Italeri. Watch out for the weapons on that kit- some replacements by most anybody will be better.
F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!
U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!
N is for NO SURVIVORS...
- Plankton
LSM
stikpusher You're off to a fine start! The resin cockpit looks good. Ill just add the tidbit that the 1/48 Testors F-14 was a rebox of Fujimi, not Italeri. Watch out for the weapons on that kit- some replacements by most anybody will be better.
Im also building the Italeri Bobcat and both Italeri and Testors kits and instructions are identical except for the Bobcat engine feathers. So it was a Fulimi first then re popped twice?
I'm thinking of picking up the Top Gun Revell kit and cut my teeth on that one. I'm not afraid of a challenge lol.
plasticjunkie stikpusher You're off to a fine start! The resin cockpit looks good. Ill just add the tidbit that the 1/48 Testors F-14 was a rebox of Fujimi, not Italeri. Watch out for the weapons on that kit- some replacements by most anybody will be better. Im also building the Italeri Bobcat and both Italeri and Testors kits and instructions are identical except for the Bobcat engine feathers. So it was a Fulimi first then re popped twice?
I've built the original pre merger Revell 70's F-14 and Testors Fujimi F-14 in 1/48, plus I have a couple of the Monogram Toms in my stash. Each of those three have different molds. I have never seen the Italeri kit so I can't comment on its lineage. According to Scalemates, the Italeri kit is their own tooling, and they never did one with Testors or Fujimi. If the kit does not have the working glove vanes of the early F-14A, it's not the same molds, or its a major rework.
Stik, both Italeri and Testors are identical in all parts. I'm building both and except for the cans on the Bobcat there is no difference even with the instructions.
Mike I'm akso doing the Revell Top Gun F14A as a commission which is ok but be prepared to do heavy join line sanding and scribing back the llost details. This one I'm doing as an Iranian cat for the buyer.
plasticjunkieStik, both Italeri and Testors are identical in all parts. I'm building both and except for the cans on the Bobcat there is no difference even with the instructions.
I suspect that one is mislabeled. Looking at the parts breakdown on the instruction sheet, the Testors Fujimi kit and Italeri kits are different. The Testors Fujimi kit has single piece ejection seats, while the Italeri seats are multi piece. The Italeri wings swing together with a bar connector, while the Testors Fujimi kit are geared. The wing pylons for the T/F kit are the longer chord Phoenix pylons, while the Italeri kit is the more commonly seen shorter chord Sparrow type. And of course there are the previously mentioned early production wing glove vanes. Later in their service life, the F-14 had those deactivated.
Here is the Testors Fujimi parts chart for comparison
Yours is different from what I have stick, even the wing mechanism is different.
Here’s the Italeri Bobcat box
The front sheet for the Testors Kit
Both instrctions, steps and parts numbers are the same
Diagrams are different from yours stick
As you can see in the pictures they Both are the same.
Yeah, I think that the Testors paperwork somehow found it's way into your Italeri kit... you sure look to have the better kit
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/testors-4071-f-14-jolly-roger-tomcat--1002903
I picked up an Italeri Tornado IDS on ebay years ago. Also included in the box were the weapons sprues, decals, and instructions from the Airfix Tornado IDS. Life is like a box of chocolates...
stikpusher Yeah, I think that the Testors paperwork somehow found it's way into your Italeri kit... you sure look to have the better kit https://www.scalemates.com/kits/testors-4071-f-14-jolly-roger-tomcat--1002903 I picked up an Italeri Tornado IDS on ebay years ago. Also included in the box were the weapons sprues, decals, and instructions from the Airfix Tornado IDS. Life is like a box of chocolates...
When my buddy gave me the bagged kit it had the folded cardboard box top you have there in the link above. He was gonna throw it away so I figured I could use the weapons or wheels but it’s a very nice kit.
Ok, I just found a few on ebay with sprue shot photos. It looks like Testors did indeed also do those sets with the Italeri kit, in addition to the older Fujimi kit releases. Talk about doing some research on a kit to decide which to buy....
stikpusher Ok, I just found a few on ebay with sprue shot photos. It looks like Testors did indeed also do those sets with the Italeri kit, in addition to the older Fujimi kit releases. Talk about doing some research on a kit to decide which to buy....
Yea it’s wild how the molds get passed between manufacturers. I think Tamiya May be the exception.
No, Tamiya has done quite a bit of mold swapping with Italeri also. Even they are not immune.
Good choice on markings. Thats one of the birds I have on my own to-do list. Will you be using the Fightertown Decal sheet?
Ish47guy Good choice on markings. Thats one of the birds I have on my own to-do list. Will you be using the Fightertown Decal sheet?
I will be using Super Scale Decals.
If 1/48 Tomcats weren't so big, I'd love to do more than the ones that I already have in my stash. There are just so many good looking marking schemes to go with.
stikpusher If 1/48 Tomcats weren't so big, I'd love to do more than the ones that I already have in my stash. There are just so many good looking marking schemes to go with.
Then try a couple of cats in 1/72. The less expensive Revell D and both A & D from Hasegawa are as detailed as the 1/48 version. The earlier high vis markings are really flashy.
I’m ashamed to say I don’t have a single cat in my display case but do have several in the stash. I have built at least 10 cats just for one guy that loves them in any scale. The Queen and the Bobcat will be the first cats I’m building for myself.
As a matter of fact, I’m doing an Iranian one in 1/48 for him and is shipping me the Tamiya 1/32 A as commissions. Can’t wait to work on another Tamiya 1/32 Tomcat, they are a pleasure to work on, just way too big!
Yes, I built a whole bunch of 1/72 Tomcats back when I used to build in that scale. But those days have been over since I decided to standardize my aircraft scale into 1/48, with the occasional foray into 1/32. I know that there are lots of gorgeous kits out there in 1/72 now, but I have enough 1/48 aircraft kits to last the rest of my life.
stikpusher but I have enough 1/48 aircraft kits to last the rest of my life.
but I have enough 1/48 aircraft kits to last the rest of my life.
yep me too and then some.
The Queen has wings. Fuel tanks are clamped and cooking.
Love the sexy nose art
Looking good PJ!
stikpusher Looking good PJ!
M. Brindos I'm thinking of picking up the Top Gun Revell kit and cut my teeth on that one. I'm not afraid of a challenge lol.
Mike, if you wanna get a Revell get the older A or D. This last one as Top Gun has some bad and I mean bad flash and some parts have ugly mold and seam lines. The older versions are cleaner, have sharper molded details. The molds being used are wearing out and it shows.
Dang it Ernie! This is looking great so far man!
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mustang1989 Dang it Ernie! This is looking great so far man!
Thanks Joe.
A little progress on the build. Spent quite a while marbling the airframe then used a 2800 grit pad to polish the marble coat to get a super smooth topcoat to come.
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