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 : Academy 1/48 F-16A ‘TOPGUN 51’ Pt.2 – Construction
The gearbays on this kit are all bare. This is especially obvious when comparing them to the ones on the Tamiya kit. The intake when fitted leaves a noticeable step on the port side joint. Luckily it’s only a matter of trimming the slight mismold on the lower fuselage. Using both the Tamiya gearbay and …...
WIP : Academy 1/48 F-16A ‘TOPGUN 51’ Pt.1 – Construction
Seeing as how badly I’d done my 414th CTS F-16C and how it has fallen apart, I’ve decided to have another go at an F-16 for this year’s annual Aggressor build. Based on some research, I thought the Academy would be a simplified version of the Hasegawa kit and therefore would be a quick build. …...
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 : Hasegawa 1/72 Grumman F-14A+ Kai Tomcat
Kit Info Brand: Hasegawa 00898 Scale: 1/72 Media: Styrene + PE Markings: No brand third party The Subject The F-14A+ Kai Tomcat was the main fighter used by the UN Navy prior to Space War I. The A+ Kai was a Tomcat with OverTechnology implemented to its avionics to extend its service life. The AIM-120 …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-14A+ Kai Tomcat Pt. 7 – Finishing
I prepped the missiles with colors based on their real-life counterparts. In the anime the AIM-120s were all white with 3 blue bands although the AIM-9s looked to be accurate. As per usual, the first coat is a gloss coat using AK Interactive Gauzy. What set this build off was me finding a copy of …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-14A+ Kai Tomcat Pt. 6 – Painting
The fun begins when I have finished fixing gaps and rescribing the lost details. The amount of gray paint really shows how many areas that needed to be worked on. Before installing the tailfins I addressed the exhaust shrouds. I painted these Vallejo Metal Color Jet Exhaust. I think the results are too light with …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-14A+ Kai Tomcat Pt. 5 – Construction
The final stretch before I can start addressing all the gaps and bad fitting parts. First up is working on the canopy, which has a long mold line going down its middle. 5/6 of this needs to be scraped off with the remaining 1/3 at the back remaining as there’s a canopy detonation cord that …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-14A+ Kai Tomcat Pt. 4 – Construction
Work continues slowly. Before combining the 2 halves of the fuselage together I added the slot for the rod. To ease handling, I added a small length of brass pipe into the fuselage. The rod will then insert into this pipe when I’m ready to mount the kit to the base. A glob of epoxy …...
