Mal's Unboxing: F-14 A Tomcat from Tamiya - 1/32

[@michaelgrey7854]

Raised panel lines are more prototypical but recessed panel lines are better for thd modeller to show off detail. Thats how I look at it.

[@maxbrandt6]

Good review, I do believe this is re-release of an older boxing of the Tomcat with fresh decals. If it has those little vanes that pop out when the wings extend then that's a feature from the earliest days of the Tomcat, the navy had those removed and the slot fared over, they were found to be un-need as the Tomcat is very stable at lower speeds. It's a shame Cutting Edge is now defunct, they had their Seamless Suckers line of resin intake trunking that is perfect for these older kits. Happy modeling!

[@syrmalcolm]

Thanks..I'm looking forward to working on this one. I remember reading something about those, and yes, it does look like the glove vanes are in this kit. I'll be looking for some options - cockpit for sure, I'd like to find weighted wheels, but barring that I can do some sculpting. Engines..maybe. These actually are rather nice.

[@stijnvandamme76]

the glove vanes were not really put in there for stability They were primarily designed for Air/Ground mode, to lower forces on the aft of the airframe by introducing a counter force in the front of the airframe. It's purpose is airframe stress reduction

[@syrmalcolm]

that's what I get for watching Yinz-tuub documentaries. :) Thanks for the info.

[@stijnvandamme76]

The tail (elevators) on an F14 should be smooth, that's how it's designed on the F14, it has a boron laminated skin. So there should be no raised details on the skin. Just leading and trailing edge aluminium.. but the rest was smooth

[@syrmalcolm]

Good to know. Since the unboxing, I've been looking at reference photos and yup, detail-less and smooth. Makes sense, in thinking about it. Get to learn things every day.

[@JackBurton1179]

Can you build this model with landing gear up?

[@syrmalcolm]

Yep, absolutely. The parts are there and it's just a matter of substituting them in.

[@TheJer1963]

This old kit is not worth $135.00 they are asking on Ebay right now.

[@syrmalcolm]

That's exactly my same perspective! :) Thanks!

[@TheJer1963]

@@syrmalcolm You are very welcome....

[@PanzerChicken69]

You need to put your paints on the model, not your arm, thanks for the review :)

[@bigcharliesmodelgarage296]

Good review. Thanks for sharing. Happy new year. I like 32nd scale.

[@syrmalcolm]

I do as well, although finding a display for it may be challenging. :) This is likely next up after the Pearl though. Have a wonderful start to 2021 - and thank you for the feedback!

[@Zone5Aviation]

You’ve just confirmed my suspicions about this kit being that it is a mix of raised and recessed panel lines but as you’ve said “It’s Tamiya” which says it all. Mega F-14 fan.

[@syrmalcolm]

yup, and same! :) Thanks!

[@michaeldenesyk3195]

That is not a seam on the canopy, it is a built-in antenna

[@syrmalcolm]

Aye..I thought that too, and part of it can be used for the lightning antenna, but everywhere I look, and all the images I find, show that antenna only extends part the way up the canopy. This seam runs the entire length from back to front. This link goes to one of the best reference images I've found. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/US_Navy_031127-N-1082Z-001_Mess_Management_Specialist_Seaman_Elvis_Leonel-Martinez%2C_from_Mamagua%2C_Nicaragua_cleans_the_canopy_of_an_F-14_Tomcat.jpg/428px-US_Navy_031127-N-1082Z-001_Mess_Management_Specialist_Seaman_Elvis_Leonel-Martinez%2C_from_Mamagua%2C_Nicaragua_cleans_the_canopy_of_an_F-14_Tomcat.jpg

[@GyuHobbyRC]

Cool car, cool video Let's hang out with friends with the same hobbies and get along well 친하게 지내봐요. 😊😊😊

[@maxbrandt6]

Um...you do understand an F-14 Tomcat is NOT a car, right? Are you a bot?

[@ronp510]

This kit is not worth the money they want for it. It is old, I built in back in the mid 1980's. Not recommended.

[@paulmorgan6269]

Bought this kit some time ago and it's a pig of a kit. To think of the cost of it to buy compared with others it's a shame. People love using the term "It's Tamiya" so it must be good ? Not in this case ... Avoid it at all costs. Even in a Sale.

[@syrmalcolm]

That's pretty much been my perspective here as well. Before this one - I'd buy Tamiya without a second thought. Now - I have to treat them like Zvezda and go look up the kit to see if it's a good one or a bad one. And this was definitely an unpleasant experience, especially when you factor in the high price tag.

[@martinjrgensen8234]

It is also a REALLY old kit

[@vincentlussier8264]

Right, I bought it, was real pissed off with the toyish look and assembly that even a kid could do so I luckily sold it to a guy for a lousy 50 bucks.

[@RealDaveWinter]

I've built this and the Trumpeter F-14A twice. I would pick the Trumpeter version over this any day of the week. The Trumpeter intakes are not the correct angle, but it only takes 5 minutes to fix that. Fixing the Tamiya kit, which is way more expensive, just isn't worth it. Tamiya gets way too much praise in my opinion.

[@hanswurst2189]

"Mal". "Bad" ... In the Latin...

[@Tommy29004]

Amd sad in French!