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

Well, I read the first page, and it said one from another GB was OK, but it didn't say if it could already be built or not. Since this is a farewell deal, I'll pop it up anyways if it's cool.

This is a Monogram 1:48 I built in 1991-'92, painted in MM enamels 3-color low-vis scheme, with who was known then as Microscale decals for VF-84. She spent 7 years on display in the Arkansas Air Meuseum, and I brought her home in '01. She's held up pretty well over the years. Hope you don't mind my showing one I already had built, and I hope you like it. I'm thinking of adding more weathering, but she's 15 years old, and I'm afraid I'll ruin her. She's the finest I've ever been able to build. (But I am starting an Eagle......)

Oh, MaxPower, I don't know about new Revell releases, but your kit cant be any worse for fit than the '90s Monograms. The top and bottom fuselage halves on the three I've built were maddeningly awful to get lined up. Almost had to tie one down on a frame machine and pull it into place with chains[-D]

 I used a photoetch set for it, and all but three of the canopy latches, and all the mirrors have fallen off. the rest are still in the cockpit though.

 The area around the engines is MM Metalizer.

The ones I've seen so far look great, I'll be watching everyone's progress. Can't wait to see more. Thanks for looking at mine, and have a great day!!! 

kustommodeler1 wrote:

This is a Monogram 1:48 I built in 1991-'92, painted in MM enamels 3-color low-vis scheme, with who was known then as Microscale decals for VF-84. She spent 7 years on display in the Arkansas Air Meuseum, and I brought her home in '01. She's held up pretty well over the years. Hope you don't mind my showing one I already had built, and I hope you like it. I'm thinking of adding more weathering, but she's 15 years old, and I'm afraid I'll ruin her. She's the finest I've ever been able to build. (But I am starting an Eagle......)

I am pretty loose on the rules for this GB.....  So I added you to the list.  Nice job on the Tomcat.  You did a good job with the fit issues that the Monogram kit has through out.

hey guys   boy been away from computer and model project for long time    blame on summer    been looking thur the forms    looking great bird u guys   keep it up smiles.

jimz66 wrote:

Silentmodeler, just looking at your images again, it appears you kept the extensions on under the front flaps on the wings. When the flaps were up the extensions were inside the wings not under it. Nice looking cat though regardless.   Sweet deck too. Is that your first one? I still have to try that myself.

 Jimz66

thanks for your comment. Im not sure what u mean by extensions,  im not very familar with aircraft term.  Maybe ya can explain on which image then i can look for it smiles.  

Yes its my first time doing the flight deck.   it was tough doing it by looking at references and asking someone for help since i never been on carrier before.   at least i did my best   

You have the forward flaps up and the rear ones down. When the Tomcat was launching the front and rear flaps were deployed. The extensions I am referrering too are underneath the forward flaps. They should not be showing if the front flaps are up. However you are doing an F-14 in a launch position so the forward flaps should be down not up. If you were doing a parked cat both the forward and rear flaps should be up and the little blocks underneat the front part of the wings need to be removed.

jimz66

ahh  gotcha! smiles   at least im learning something new.  will keep that in my mind for next time if i plan to do other tomcat.

Okay guys. I fianlly have some progress. I will not finish both cats in time for the end of the GB, but would like to participate anyway. I actually have four cats  underway. One from last year that needs to be finished and three new ones.

Here is the linky to ARC, so I don't have to do all that retyping.

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=125991

brookss wrote:

I hope you guys will forgive me for showing up after two or three months and posting a finished Tomcat. The summer has been crazy between work and the kids. This ones kinda special for me, Back in 1992, When I was a Gunfighter,VF-124 I worked on this Aircraft

Nice work on the Tomcat!   And a big THANK YOU for your service to our country.

Don't feel too bad about being a bit absent to this GB.  I think we all have been......

Ok here's my first update with a few pics. Just for the record I want to say one more time this Has kit is a pain...

 This is the first time I've tried pre-shading. And there is a major mistake. I discovered this the next day when it was far to late so I decided to live with it. Despite being carefull during fitting at some point just before gluing I reversed the vertical stabalizers, so they're backwards now.

Anyways here's a few pics...

jimz66 wrote:

Very nice Gunfighter 124, what scale and what kit is that? Also who's markings?  Hey MPH, How about pushing the fhinsih line back a bit, say maybe 12/31? And I am not trying to be disrpectful, it's just that these Hasegawa Cats are tough. And with me doing so many at once(3), it makes it tougher. Chime in guys and lets take a vote.

I have no problem moving the date back.....  And no vote was needed!

New end date is 12/31 as suggested by Jimz.

mph34 wrote:

I have no problem moving the date back.....  And no vote was needed! New end date is 12/31 as suggested by Jimz.

In that case, I'll definitely be done by the deadline.   9/23 was looking pretty iffy, but 12/31's no problem.  The Hasegawa kit is definitely time-consuming.  TWO Hasegawa kits is even time-consuming-er.  I don't think it's really as difficult as its reputation precedes, tho--a trick or two, and a certain order of assembly of the major pieces, and it's fairly painless, IMO...

I'm not posting in-progress pics 'cause my camera's not good enough to make 'em worth it, but I'll have shots of the finished products.  Enjoying following everyone's progress--they all look great! 

Thanks fellas. The posting is in the same linky as above from my previous post. I did some work yesterday and this morning.

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=125991&st=0&gopid=1125653

I have a long way to go. I am doing three new ones and one to finish so this is going to be a long project. Put rest assured I hope to finish this time. Let me say that the reason I have posted this at ARC and not here is simple that the D model I am doing is for the San Diego reunion run by Brian P. from Fightertown Decals, I made contact with him there so that's why I have the posting there.

Now as far as what I am doing. I have one D model going on to send to SD as I just said. I am doing one A, and finishing the B, from last year. I thought of doing an A, B and D from the beginning, but over the weekend, I was thinking that I might do a pair of D's so I have one of each on my shelf for myself when I finish, but that is TBD. Thanks for pushing back the date MPH, and cheers to all.

Max Power, yours is looking just fine. Which squadron are you doing?  You MAY and I mean MAY if your EXTREMELY CARFULL, you may be able to use debonder, but if it's already painted I would really think long and hard about that one.

max power and brookss

awesome cats you got!  i love those weathering effects on top of body of cats.  which method did you use? 

some of you mention haswagea tomcats are tough,  i second that,  been struggling with it alot with my 1/72 pukin dog which are competed in few pages back.  

mph34 and All,

Those Hasegawa kits are nice, but with the parts count, they are time consuming.  I did not have too many issues when I was building mine, and I am no longer in fear of going after some of the others in my stash.  Although I am busy with some other builds right now, I may find time later on to add another entry for the group by the end of the year.

The latest photos of the projects look great!

Decaling under way. I just got started but here's a couple pics showing progress.

I'd like to be done by the end of the weekend. Mostly because I have a model I'm dying to start! 

Edit: OMG looking at the pictures just now I realised I forgot to paint the seatbelts!! lol 

Max Power,

Just use a really small brush.   Nice job on the cat, she definitely looks ready to pounce!  I also like that Bill the cat decal on the inner tail.  I do not think that I have seen that plane before, or at least I have forgotten about it.

 MAX POWER  GREAT LOOKING CAT.IM A WEEK OR TWO AWAY  FROM WRAPPING THIS ONE UP.

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Okay guys. I have updated the site on ARC. Here is the Linky:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=125991

Sorry I have been AWOL for a while.  Good reason; helping my daughter's school get some serious remodeling work done in time for school to start for another year.

How is everyone coming along on their Tomcats?  I haven't made a base & stand yet for my first one, but have gotten started on my IDF 'what-if' Tomcat.  I should see what the name would translate into Hebrew.

mph34,

I for one fully understand how life creeps in and sometimes take time away from our modelling efforts.    I do not know when schools start in Colorado, but as of this year, one of them start in Michigan until after Labor Day.  I hope that all went well with the renovatoins.

I think a small nameplate with the Hebrew word for "tomcat" would look pretty sharp.  That would probably be less of a challenge then trying to put it on the plane somehow.  Good luck, and I will keep checking in. 

mph34 wrote:

How is everyone coming along on their Tomcats?

All the major assembly is done on one of them; finishing up that same process on the second.  After that the only real significant construction will be the main landing gear--my least-favorite part of the Hasegawa kit .  Then I'll be down to painting, weathering, and decaling.  I'm aiming for maybe sometime in early-November.

Sorry I haven't been posting pics, but my camera's not good enough to make in-progress shots worthwhile.  I'll have some when I'm done. 

well since i have been home i have gotten a lot done and soon will be ready for painting.this is what it looks so far.i have cut flaps and leading edge.re done them as you can see,

Ok finished. I kept mine simple so there are no extras on this one at all. No fuel tanks or weapons. I found this model frustrating and the instructions sucked. They were at times dead wrong. Overall though I'm happy with how it turned out, so here are some not-so-great pics. It looks a lot better in real life than the pictures. 

Oh and some of the decals crackled and wrinkled. I think they were old.  

I really wish I could join you guys, as big as a T-cat fan as I am, butmy mental state is working against me.

All in all, some nice looking builds.  Sanman, nice work on that good old Monogram kit.  I remember building one back when they first came out in 1980.  One thing though, on the gull grey over white scheme, the entire stabilator was painted white. 

Chris Ish