Completed : Academy 1/72 Grumman F-14B Tomcat ‘VF-103 Jolly Rogers’
Kit InfoBrand: Academy 12563Scale: 1/72Media: StyreneMarkings: Fightertown Decals 72004 + Kit stencils The SubjectIn 1987, the Grumman F-14A received its first major upgrade in the form of the F-14A+. The original TF30 engines were replaced with the F110, which provided a significant increase in performance, range...
WIP : Academy 1/72 F-14B Tomcat Pt.2 – Painting & Finishing
Painting a weathered F-14 is always challenging but fun. The key I think is to build up the effects layer by layer. I began with a base coat of black with the marble coating using white and brown. Note I avoided the panel lines and have kept them black except for areas in the rear …...
WIP : Academy 1/72 F-14B Tomcat Pt.1 – Construction
Another year, another Tomcat. This time it’s the much talked about new mold F-14 from Academy. It’s been getting raves around the community. Hopefully it lives ups to the hype and I can retire my old Hasegawa kits. First impressions though is somewhat disappointing as Academy has chosen to simply re-use the boxart from the...
Completed : Hobbyboss 1/72 Grumman F-14A Tomcat ‘VF-41 Black Aces’
Kit Info Brand: Hobbyboss 80276 Scale: 1/72 Media: Styrene Markings: Wolfpak Decals 72-048 ‘TAC-Air’ The Subject The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft developed for the United States Navy’s Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after...
WIP : Hobbyboss 1/72 F-14A Tomcat ‘VF-41’ Pt.4 – Finishing
OK it’s time to finish this kit and I can call another one done. I painted the missiles on the side while everything was going on. Hobbyboss provides black missile bands for some odd reason but I’m now used to simply mask and spray them instead. Wolfpak only includes the markings relevant to the subject …...
WIP : Hobbyboss 1/72 F-14A Tomcat ‘VF-41’ Pt.3 – Painting
My painting process has been quite standard now for a while with minor variations depending on the subject at hand and how ‘beat up’ I want the end result to be. As usual I began with a stealth coat of black. For this buld, I sprayed Mr Surfacer Black thinned with Mr Levelling Thinner outdoors. …...
WIP : Hobbyboss 1/72 F-14A Tomcat ‘VF-41’ Pt.2 – Construction
An easy detail to add is to drill out the fuel dump pipe on the beaver tail. It didn’t look right at all blanked off. This was drilled and I used an X-Acto blade to widen the hole. Hobbyboss molds the canopy correctly, in that there are prominent detonation cords for each section (if only …...
WIP : Hobbyboss 1/72 F-14A Tomcat ‘VF-41’ Pt.1 – Construction
This kit has been in the backburner for a while now, partially assembled. It’s time to get it off the Shelf of Doom. Having built a Hobbyboss F-14 before, this one went more smoothly. This kit will wear the markings of ‘Fast Eagle 107’, the F-14A from VF-41 Black Aces during the Gulf of Sidra …...
Completed : Italeri 1/72 Grumman EF-111A Raven
Kit Info Brand and Kit Number: Italeri #1235 Media: Injection Plastic Markings: Cutting Edge Modelworks CED72048 EF-111A Sparkvark Nose Art The Subject The EF-111A Raven was an electronic warfare aircraft designed to replace the USAF’s B-66 Destroyer. Grumman was contracted in 1974 to convert 42 existing General Dynamics F-111A...
WIP : Italeri 1/72 EF-111A Raven Pt. 4
Decaling begins with a gloss coat. I’ve had very good results with AK Interactive Intermediate Gauzy Agent. With a 1:1 thinning with water, it gives a very shiny and smooth gloss without as many problems as other gloss coats I’ve used. The markings comes from Cutting Edge Modelworks’ EF-111 Sparkvark sheet (CED72048)....
