The edges of the gear doors were handpainted with red. This takes a bit of concentration and a steady hand of which I didn’t really have.
I began with a panel wash using AK Abteilung Starship Filth.
I really like the way Fujimi has done their panel lines. They are just fine enough to be subtle yet deep enough to take on washes easily.
The details are now starting to pop after the panel wash.
Once all the panel wash has dried, it’s time to further weather this thing.
I stippled AK Abteilung Starship Filth randomly on the rear deck to build the grime up.
I also did the same with the nose around the crew ladder area.
After the first roound, I thought that the grime looked too uniform but I let it sit for a day and will come back and look at it again.
Staining was also done on the sections of the main wing which slide into the fuselage when the F-14 is in stowage configuration. I don’t think I got it dirty enough this time compared to previous builds though.
After about a day of curing I surveyed the staining again and added more to give it a more patchy look.
The same was done for the bottom.
Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat.
The same was done on the topside. Note that I also grimed up the engine nozzles.
I then did minor staining in random spots all over the kit. I also faded some panels using light gray oil paint. Note also that I had gone on ahead to paint the wingtip/wing glove lights.
Particular attention was paid to the weathering of the nose. Once satisfied it was time for final assembly.
The main wheels attached without an issue although I think a more positive fit would have been very helpful. Academy did it perfectly with big chunky tabs that pretty much friction fits into place. It is a much newer kit though!
I then carefully attached the stores using sprue glue.
Last on for this kit were the wings that snapped into place without a problem.
And Maverick’s F-14A is done. I hope to add his Super Hornet into my collection very soon!
Overall, I would rate this equally with the Hasegawa kit. Both have their own unique faults that make them somewhat even. Again though, both have been surpassed by the Academy kit.
Build Log
Pt.1 – Construction | Pt. 2 – Painting | Pt. 3 – Finishing
