F-14 Tomcat Group Build idea...

thought the windscreen was tinted blue, contrary to what you see on almost everybody's kits



pics from http://www.anft.net/

I'll post pics of the two that I am building when I am done. One is a B and the other a D. They will be early versions so no modications to drop bombs just pure air to air. The kits are both Italeri since I cannot seem to get the Revell-Monogram kits to look right. I am using the Revell Monogram kits for parts though.

By the ways guys , just want to know , as i seen from some pics, is the front windscreen of the cats are tinted in deep jade green color ? does this applies to all cats ? A n D ?

Wow niceee on the spotting job on the cat coats. I din do mine by the lighthening spots.
Thanks for tips on doing the spots

But for a any cat i feel it is a must as most of them are thinly shaded in most areas. But i still new to airbrushing i will just use some preshading techniques and maybe applies some pastel weathering .

However the brushing dry thinner may do some of the lighthening job. well back to spray the cat belly now . good work trump and all too

bstrump-1st excellent job on the weathering and spot job. Your technique is the technique I use. I use a single Paasche H airbrush and have been using it for so long that I can free hand the spot jobs on my weathering without the splattering. Your scheme is 16440 Lt Gull Grey overall. Same scheme that is being applied on my VF-41 F-14. Yet it looks more like 36375 Lt Ghost Grey in photos. Just depends on the lighting, and time of day. A flash would wash the details out. Sometimes it's not the camera, it's the lighting.
I do the pre-shading along with changing the base color and adding a darker grey tint to spot the airframe as you did. I will do this after the base coat is applied. Can't wait to see the finished project.

Chuck
Fly Navy

If you have only a single action airbrush, you can still do the spot priming. To clean up the spatter around the edges of the "spots" you can use a brush dipped in thinner. Just wipe off the excess thinner and drag the brush around the edges. This will clean up the overspray and tighten the pattern. You just want the brush to be damp, not soaking wet.

Thanks! I currently do not own a DA airbrush but I appreciate you sharing your technique and will use the ground pencil lead idea when it comes time. I also like the idea of lightening the basecoat to account for scale- very cool!

Thanks guys!MA Cooke: See, I told you the blue was dark!It's darn near impossible to tell the difference between this color and black unless you put the two side-by-side. I think you're right on the lighting issue. We need a crash course in photography!

As for the spot priming, my method involves cutting the basecoat with about 20% white to tone it down for scale as well as accounting for the fact that a wash will darken it a bit. Then I use the colour straight out of the bottle for the spot priming. Using a DA airbrush and tightening the pattern as much as possible, I randomly spray liittle blotches around the model, keeping in mind that it needs to look like someone actually went at it with a spray gun. It helps if you have a photo for reference but generally the places to hit are access panels, along movable surfaces and the like.
After all this is done, I apply the wash. Finally, I grind a pencil on some sandpaper and use an old brush to sweep various places with the dust to add more grime. This step can be easily overdone so go easy.

Looking good bstrump! Please tell us the method you used for the spot priming. It just goes to show you there is more than one right way to model a Tomcat. Do you plan on applying a wash? I got my nosecone sanded down nicely last night and weighted, then glued to the fuselage. Will be applying the putty to the seams as well. Holpefully I will have some progress pics by this weekend.

Nice paint job bstrump. The spot priming looks good, how did you do it? Can't wait to see it finished.

Wow, bstrump, those blue tails and canopy area sure look black...

Is it just me, or is it the lighting in our photos, but almost every single Tomcat model looks to be one color of grey, sort of a dark ghost grey overall. Even when I painted mine it looked that way.

Hi Guys! Here's some progress pics of Tomcat #2, the F-14B of VF-11. I have a little bit of touching up to do but for the most part, it's ready for decals. It's done in the TPS using all three official colors and FS15044 Insinia Blue for the canopy, tails and ventral fins. No pre-shading on this bird. All the spot priming is done just like they do it on the real thing.





I can't wait to start applying decals to this kitty-cat! Later!

thanks everyone. nice plane too Uscusn cant wait to see the later stage.

Amour : the paint im using is Mr metal color from gunze 211. the chrome silver. It does fine with my burner cans but when i paint it on my gear hydrualic it seems dull colored ( even it is chromed ) then i came about a magazine scale aircraft modelling it mentioned it need to be POLISHED ? oh dear i don know about it actually when i use this color. i never try alcad though maybe it be better. I scratch some part of the hydraulic though when sanding it . Now when i polished the gleaming part i see some of the scratches sighs
The 150 brush i has i dip it in commercial thinner to long and it damaged the teflon in the inside , but i cant get it now so the AB sit there only. previuosly i use the single action 250 that is fine until i sold if of . oh well my lucks gone

Mac cooke

the wheel wells doors i use extend sprue to make the hydraulic actuator , the landing gear line i use wire . For the wire placer, i cut little bits of plastic cards and glue one by one bit of the card with super glue , i then glue the wire slowly on the plastic card ( the tiny placer/holder )

Frankly i try many atempt to make it though sighs

i prefe to try in 32 scale .

reojn : before i stop on my mono Bird i did try to sit the canopy too , i use hair dryer to flatten it a bit onto the cockpit , but not too hot . i think it be ok don worry the mono bird is nice if complete go for it man

I just had a sick, sick, just absolutely ill thought: of building TWO (2) Hasegawa 1/48 F-14 kits for this GB. I'm negotiating with an acquaintance for an F-14B Jolly Rogers Santa Cat kit, and I had the brief notion that two kits could be built by June.

The shuddering that I experienced, the deep, bone-shaking chill that started at the base of the spine and traveled up my back, literally rocked the very foundations of my existence. I was a quivering, helpless being for a brief moment, before sanity re-took the reigns of my life.

No, I'm either going to build two Has. F-4E's or two F-15E's (one Revell, one Monogram ProModeler).

Some nice progress being made here! MA Cooke, uscusn, sentry, thumbs up!!
Tomcat number two is just about out of the paint shop. The main paint scheme is done and the dark blue has been applied to the canopy, tails and ventral fins. All that's left to do is the apply the spot priming and then it'll be ready for decals. I'll try to post some progress pics in the next few days.

Nice looking progress MACooke and uscusn. Wish I could say I was making such good progress. I haven't touched my Cat in the last two weeks. I need to get inspired to start work on it again. It'll happen one day, and I'll start again, just have to wait for inspiration.

Thanks sentry, with all of the filling and sanding to do to this bird I may not have the strength to do it! I may though, but mainly I''m just hoping to get a nice clean build out of this kit, and may try to do a little more on the next one-which will not be revelogram! I don't want to say it's all bad, it has nice detail but it's a little more than work than a person really wants to do. I still need to build up under the canopy so it sits right on the fuselage, but this will have to wait until I get the fuselage ready to paint. Hopefully I will get some time in this week to get moving forward. :-)

sentry: wow, that landing gear sure looks great! Please tell how you did it.

My daughter is in the spring musical in two weeks, and with me doing some set construction, my wife being co-chair of the costume committee, and with my daughter having rehearsals every day until the show, and with her having softball practice...I won't even SEE my desk for two more weeks.

Grrrrr....

Lookin good uscusn! Nice pre-shading. I painted the wires on the landing gear but that's about all this weekend. Next weekend I'll have all day Saturday and Sunday since the lady of my life will be at a batchelorette party. I am counting down the days, believe me. In- laws came into town this weekend and spoiled my plans.
sentry- I'd just like to say that your gear was looking really fantastic! Are you trying to shine up the hydraulic part? What are you using? I was looking at mine and although the rest looks great I can't help but say that chrome silver still cannot do it justice. I wonder if Alclad would work OR a MM buffing powder?
Shame you had problems with the 150 sentry. I never had problems but I use the 155 now and it's just heads and shoulders above anything else I have used. Can't say that about an Iwata- I hear they are incredible but finicky.
Dang, it's Monday and work is calling... Adios!

Mac cooke :

frankly i understand your frustration on the passche thing, But i don mean to scare u though i been wanting to ask you on the badger as well . As i have Two badger 150. and experience the same incident as u with the passche , the badger brush keep on sputer n hicups too. is the 155 same with 150 ?

i bet the needle is not good or either the teflon is damaged. but i throw it aside now and use taiwanese made brush . seems ok to me.

Reojn : thanks , just take it slowly on the line for the landing gear if u wan to include it in. i use thin electrical wire for it with super glue. there is some reference photo in ARC. Actaully im lazy with the line as 48 scale is too small for my eyes i prefer to do it in 32nd but i just try it out on 48.

Too bad i cant see uscusn pics i try again tonight at my home computer , it must be nice . i still rubbing my gear strut on the shinning part.

Now the 2nd kit in progress, Is Revells F-14D. This will have the tri-color TPS scheme of VF-101, the Grim Reapers.
After a day of painting MM 36375 Lt Ghost Grey as the bottom color of the wing.
I then loaded up with Gunze FS 35237 Med Blue/Grey for the top color.


After letting them sit for 1/2 the day. I then masked off the leading edges and painted them Aclad Aluminum. Just love using this metalizer. No issues with any craze or paint interaction problems with acylics.


Just a little hiccup with some paint coming up as I peeled the tape off. Which is ok, this will help with the weathering down the road when I get to that point of the build.

Now to let these sit for a day, shoot clear on the bottom of the wings with Gloss Clear, don't have to worry with the top color as it is glossy already. So decal the wings then install them as the this cat is approaching some gruesome seamwork. Not unlike the Fujimi 2nd Tomcat which is seam friendly. So next week we should have some more images as this build progresses.

Chuck
Fly Navy

Finally a nice So. California sunny day. And with earnest quickly made good use of the Lords day. Let's start with the VF-41 Tomcat. The preshading is completed and today will paint the wings, wing fold bladders and the missiles.


Using Gunze Lt Gull Grey, I painted the wings. Then also while in this session painted all the gear doors and other airframe components in this color as well. I keep forgetting how well this paint lays down and is very glossy so I can skip the gloss coat step.

What is apparent is the Gunze is also covers lightly over the preshading. So the enhancement of the panels appears just enough for affect.
The wing fold bladders are also painted in this case With Gunze Med Grey/Blue 35237 though a flat fed number it does dry semi gloss.


Now to let the wings set for 24 hours, I will then decal them. Then have them installed and start the final prep for the airframe. Remember these are Academy F-14 wings not the Fujimi suppled ones. Instead of ruining a perfectly good set of fully deployed wings. I can use them on a future project. So the Academy kit gets a bonus.
Next weekend will start on the airframe and the final pieces before it goes to the paint shop.

Chuck
Fly Navy

well guys no building on the cat latley. i have to do a paint striping job on mine. and reorder my decals as it did not turn out good at all .i may put this one in the box for a few and bild my f-18. that i am itching to get at.

Chuck:

Ah, I hate answering these types of questions, but I gotta be honest. Why is my airbrush giving me fits? Because it can't stand up to repeated blows by a 3-lb. sledge hammer.

Why was it hit repeatedly with a 3-lb sledge hammer (is that supposed to be one word?)? I got so disgusted with trying to airbrush, and having trial after trial after trial end up with spattered paint and too much overspray, that I just got pissed, lost my cool, and beat the h-e-l-l out of it.

I must have replaced the needles and tips 3 or 4 times in the last few years...and I still couldn't airbrush fine lines with any consistency. I'm not talking hairlines like Iwata users get, I'm talking something the size of a sharp Crayola crayon...I used to be able to do that.

Either my paint was too thin, or too thick. I was either using too much pressure, or too little. I was either too close, or too far away.

There was something not quite right, in the airbrush itself. The air valve would "sputter" or "hiccup" from time to time...a little too often for my taste.

Well I had intended to get both F-14's that are in progress some bench time.
Got the Fujimi F-14 preshaded. Fig that we finally get a break from the unusual rainy season we are having. Dropped the top on the 3 series convertible got some sun at work. No sooner that I get home, it starts to rain again!!!. Too bad I painted any way. Don't paint when it rains, repeat ,, DO NOT PAINT WHEN IT'S RAINING! Needless to say that I got the wings painted the Lt Gull Grey using Gunze which actually did ok. Meanwhile on the Revell F-14D, using Testors MM Lt Ghost Grey 36375 for the bottom color of this scheme spattered all over the place! So much for that. I will use Gunze Med Grey for the top dark color of the Tricolor TPS tomorrow, the let it sit for 1/2 the day then mask and shoot the leading edge Aluminum. Most likely I'll use Alclad instead of MM. Images to be posted tomorrow sometime.
Mitch-what was the issue on your Passche H. I have 3 of these and I haven't had any problems with them? I've been using these for over 20 years. And I've tried others inluding a very nice VL but never got comfortable with it.

Chuck
Fly Navy

Looking good Mitch! You're right, if we keep builing these things we may need to buy stock. I was hoping to get some time in today but the kids drug me off to the movies. I will say that Constantine is a pretty good flick if you need a break from sanding! Back on topic-I am seriously thinking about trying a sharpie for my preshading. I figure since I will be using acrylics over top it shouldn't bleed. If anyone has tried this and it didn't work out let me know before I have a disaster on my hands. ;-)

Well, I got a couple hours of bench time in today, I can't believe it. I think I'm mostly through with sanding...

I pre-shaded the 'Cat, by hand with a yellow micro-brush.





Oh, and I've changed my mind as to which Tomcat I'll mark mine as. I was planning on a VF-143 Punkin' Dogs, but found decals this morning at Squadron that I like a bit better...a black tailed bird from VF-31 Tomcatters...here's a photo of the real thing. Black tails and black around the canopy... I have ordered these decals, as well as the Pukin' Dogs decals for a yet-to-be-acquired F-14B. I also got a Black Box cockpit for my A-7D.

Well, well, well... no build time today. Good thing the date got extended! How's everyone else's progress?
roejn- I think by the time this build is done we'll have to buy into Squadron!!! We at least have depleted their putty supply!
Maybe tomorrow will give me an hour or so... we'll see.
Yall take care!

Good luck to you Scott, sorry to hear of the sudden change in jobs. Sounds like you have your priorities in the right order though!

I just recieved my decals for VF-41 today from Great Models, along with a fresh tube of squadron green putty-guess what I will be doing next? Yeeesh! I may post some pics of the decal sheet for the heck of it. You guys have a great weekend!

My Paasche H has been giving me fits, so my painting ops are on hold until my new airbrush arrives in the mail.

OH I didn't mention my new airbrush...I bought a Badger 155 on e-Bay, I expect it'll be here in about a week to 10 days. In the meantime, there's always more sanding to be done. Always with the sanding.....I may never build another F-14 when this is done. Geeesh....