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 …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-14A+ Kai Tomcat Pt. 3 – Construction
The F-14 Kai is equipped with the larger of the 2 sensor pods under the wing glove. The kit comes molded with the smaller one which needs to be cut off. The larger pod is an option in the kit. The Kai doesn’t have the wing gloves so these need to be closed up. With …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/72 F-14A+ Kai Tomcat Pt. 2 – Construction
This is actually my 4th go at the ‘new’ mold Hasegawa F-14 kit. The less said about the first 3 disasters the better. Anyway I hope to break the cycle with this one. The kit includes all the parts for the various iterations of the F-14 through its 30 years of service so I’ll be …...
