1/32 Revell F-14A Tomcat

by Keith Money

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Revell's F-14A Tomcat is quite an old kit but still a great foundation for the super-detailer to work on.  The best thing about the kit are the engraved panel lines which take so long to re-scribe on Tamiya's offering in 32nd scale. Unfortunately Revell's Tomcat also requires a new cockpit & seats.  The best alternative is the Teknics resin and etched brass set, which may seem expensive - but is a work of art.  The biggest problem is cutting away the waste resin (There is so much of it) and carefully sanding the parts to fit.

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I have a particular fondness for the colourful Tomcats of the mid-late seventies and after researching Bureau Numbers and Block differences was able to create a set of squadron markings on the PC using Paintbrush Pro.  These were then printed on to clear decal film on my no frills ink-jet printer, left to dry and then given a coat of Microscale liquid decal film.

The model has many bays opened up and a scratch built radar etc, there's even one engine access panel shown open.  I spent so much time detailing the engine yet nobody really sees it (Drat!) The LAU-7 sidewinder rails were detailed and one of the Phoenix pylons is shown in the loading/stored position.

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Although it is far from perfect, it looks like Grumman's Big Cat and the decals are unique in 32nd scale.  Oh yes...  the engine covers are made from chocolate wrappers, painted with spare decals added.

Keith

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Photos and text © by Keith Money