Farewell F-14 Tomcat Group Build - Start now, ends 12/31/07

Not sure if anyone caught this but tonight on the History Channel is the following;

Modern Marvels            9PM EST

Episode: Tomcat Sunset

Hosted by Terry Deitz, a former Tomcat pilot, this special explores the legacy of one of the greatest fighter jets ever built. Witness first hand the last F-14 catapult launches and arrested trap landings aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Hear what the aviators and sailors who have flown and maintained this iconic aircraft over the years have to say about it's long lived active duty career. Deitz will ride shotgun one last time before the F-14 is retired. Then, we'll reflect with veteran pilots, Navy brass, and airplane enthusiasts as the world bids farewell at the F-14 Memorial and Final Flight Ceremony at the Naval Air Station in Oceana, VA.

Check your local listings....... Have DVR, will record. 

mph34,

I must have missed the show that you mentioned, but I will do some checking and ensure that I capture it on the DVR.  As I just wrote in the Jolly Rogers Group Build forum, I have not made much progress lately because of work, but I should be able to get going again this weekend. 

How is everyone else coming along?  It appears that there have been few entries within our group lately.

Mr. Chex - although it may be too late, Combat Aircraft and Air and Space also did some really nice issues commemorating the departure of the F-14.  As the flight patch says, "Tomcats by choice, Hornets by mandate".

Scott

Thanks More Power Scotty for waking me up!

 Work, family and a very bad cold have taken up my time.  I did get a Ture Details cockpit kit in this week.  Anyone ever work with any of their stuff?  This will be the first time that I will be working with any resin parts....

The show "Modern Marvels - Tomcat Sunset" was good.  I only got to watch a few moments of it.  But I did get it DVR'd.  It being 'lazy Saturday' maybe I can get to watch it while get some modeling time in!   The magazines that you mentioned are good as well (I got them as well).

Anyone actually been able to do any building so far? 

diggeraone wrote:

You can count me in,I will be doing the old Monogram F-14A.Will do of the VF-1 Enterprize know as the Wolf Pack,Digger.

Welcome!   Got you added to the list.

silentmodeler wrote:

Hello,  Im new to this group build   can anyone help me out whats group build is all about?  I dont mind to join this group build since the tomcats is my all time favorite modern jet fighter and I was very shocked that the navy retires the F14s from the service.   I would love to fly them but dang im deaf.

Welcome to our little Group Build.  Basically, a Group Build is where a group of molders build a particular subject.  In this case, we are all bilding an F-14 (see the first post for the details).  As you build, you can update everyone on your progress; and at the end, show off the plane with photos!   But everyone else gets to give you their and hopefully

So far, we have all slowly gotten going on our work here, but hopfully soon, someone will start posting photos to encourage the rest of us to get off our and get to work.....  Look forward to hearing from you about your progress.

As for my progress, I can't report any     And I am leading this GB!   I think if I can get several other planes out of the paint hanger, I should be good to go.  Where is everyone else at?

mph 34 and all,

I just got back to my regular job this week after nine weeks worth of refueling and a week as a chaperone with our marching band.  It is good to be back.

As far as your question on the True Details stuff is concerned, I think that they produce some really nice items.  I use their ejection seats almost exclusively (I have picked up a couple from other companies during sales and at contests).  I have not experienced any problems to date with their resin parts, and as foolish as it may be, I usually do not even clean the parts before painting them.

I have been moving forward with my project recently.  I am about ready to fire up the airbrush and shoot some gloss gull gray onto the body. 

How is everyone else coming along? 

Scott

Hey, count me in! I'm about 25% into a Revell/Monogram F-14A that I'm going to paint in NFWS/NSAWC camo; it'll be a "bare-bones" -14 with no armament (no M-61, even!), and only a TACTS pod on the number nine station.

After that, I was planning on building a Revell/Monogram F-14D in a hypothetical "Bombcat" configuration (AN/AAQ-14 pod on the number 8B station, and an AN/AAQ-13 pod on the number 2B station), but I'm already involved in three other GB's, so this will probably be it.

SoD Stitch, wlecome!

Got you listed.  Look forward to seeing the camo job that you are planning on doing.

I must confess, as Group Build leader of this fine subject; I have let this one grow quiet and cold.

I hope we are all still at it on our F-14's!

Hopefully someone can shame us and post a photo or two showing progress.

Merry Christmas to all!

Funny you should mention adding some photos as I finally got around to taking a few last night, and just placed them in my photobucket album.  We'll see if I can remember how to do this.

The ejection seats are from True Details. 

This is how the cockpit turned out.  Obviously I have not done any work on the window sills yet.

A side shot with the seats temporarily installed.

The afterburners/exhausts.  I used mostly Model Master metalizer paints for this.

As I am now off until January 2, I plan on getting some more progress while I am at home.  If anyone has any questions on how I accomplished what I have done so far, or what paints I used, just ask. 

Merry Christmas to all!

Scott

mph 34,

Thanks for the comments! For my ejection seat references, I used the Squadron F-14 Tomcat Walk Around book as well as the Verlinden Lock On No. 18, Grumman F-14 A/B Tomcat.  Being a big fan of the Tomcat, I also have some other hardcover books, several Squadron In Action style books, and a pile of magazines with articles on the F-14.  The Squadron Walkaround was probably the most useful on the cockpit details though.  Let me know if you have any additional questions.

 As an update, I have now painted the black areas (around the cockpit area, the tail fins, and the ventral fins) as well as the bare metal leading edges of the wings.  I should be adding the decals starting today.

Scott

Brookss,

I don't think that there would be a problem with adding another builder at this point.  I do not know the progress of everyone else in the group, but with the time remaining, I think that you will be just fine.  Of course, I am not the one who started this particular group, but again, I am fairly certain that his opinion will also be "the more, the merrier". 

As far as the engines go, I do not recall ever seeing aftermarket kits of the entire engines, just intakes and exhausts.  You may want to check out a 1/48 Fujimi kit, as their 1/72 kit does include full engines (at least the two different kits that I have included them).  I hope that this helps.

Scott

Idea for group badge I know its simply, I can make changes like changing goodbye to farewell, etc what do you think?

i like it ... the farewell would be better than goodbye...my gf forgot about the badge as shes had school and such come up...she might still do a weird paint scheme for the gb but who knows

brookss wrote:

Idea for group badge I know its simply, I can make changes like changing goodbye to farewell, etc what do you think?

Since I am "leading" this Group Build, I'd make this the badge.  But that is too 'dictator like'.  If others are for it, then let's make this the Group Badgefor this build.

Hello brookss - nice work on the badge!  By the way, I've added you to the list.  Nice to have you aboard!

Brooks,

Nice job on the badge .  My only suggestion would be to have the bottom read "Farewell, Baby".  If you want to keep the Group Build (GB), perhaps it could go at the top on one side, while the other side could be 06-07.  These are just suggestions on my part (since you asked), as the badge also looks great as is.

Scott

brookss wrote:

MPH34 thanks for adding me to the group . I hope my tomcat will be worthy.

I am sure that ALL of our works will be worthy of showing on this Group Build.

Brookss,

Fantastic! I think that this makes an outstanding badge for our group!

Scott

I will post the GB badge on the first page for all to use.

Thank you Brookss for your work on it.  It looks great!

I was wondering if I might join this one?

I've never actually participated in a group build and thought this one would be good. I have a pair of 1/144 Revell Germany Tomcats (an A and a D) that I bought not long ago to make my own little salute to the Cat.

I'm doing the A in mid 70s era high vis VF-142 "Ghost Riders" markings and the D as a 2004 VF-101 "Grim Reapers" showbird.

I can run a pretty busy schedule so I thought the deadline for this GB and the small scale of my Cats might enable me to actually participate in a GB and hit the deadline.

So, if you'll accept the small scale, I'd like to join up.

upnorth wrote:

I was wondering if I might join this one? I've never actually participated in a group build and thought this one would be good. I have a pair of 1/144 Revell Germany Tomcats (an A and a D) that I bought not long ago to make my own little salute to the Cat. I'm doing the A in mid 70s era high vis VF-142 "Ghost Riders" markings and the D as a 2004 VF-101 "Grim Reapers" showbird. I can run a pretty busy schedule so I thought the deadline for this GB and the small scale of my Cats might enable me to actually participate in a GB and hit the deadline. So, if you'll accept the small scale, I'd like to join up.

  Glad to have you on board!  Nothing wrong with 1/144 scale here!   Look forward to seeing your work.