Speaking of which, Tamiya will release 1/48 F-14 near future. I’m holding two 1/144s and one 1/72 box. I want to build them and have experience with the Tamiya kits. Anyway, it’s my first time F-14.
There are many parts to 1/144. There are three kinds of missiles, Sidewinder, Sparrow, and Phoenix.
The parts fitting is perfect.
When the decals were stuck in the cockpit, they looked very detailed for a 1/144 scale. It is interesting as the main wing is movable, I can play with it. As for the variable-sweep wings, the closed position looks better; it’s only my impression.
(7-September-2016)
I’m building the 1/144 F-14A and lost the critical part. I never found it even though I looked for it for two hours. I found 1 yen coin, 10 yen coin, a guitar pick, fishing weights, and a lure seal. It seems to have made the warp into a different dimensional space without being found. Strange. I have to consider the work desk condition in earnest.
I put a trash box recently right under a work desk. Because it is comfortable to put away dust and debris. I probably dropped it in a trash box. I have found some parts distantly far away bedroom. The parts were caught on socks and fell over there.
I reproduced the AN/ALR-23 infrared rays search tracker (IRST) parts from the stock of normal 1/144 F-14A. I used the material softening in hot water to make a mold and the polyester putty for casting. Mold is not so sharp, but the best way at the moment. Because motivation is lost, as for the loss of parts, I’ll be careful in the future.
Preparation of painting and masking of the small canopy. There are three kinds of selectable markings. Because I want to make a black F-14 the same as the package, I choose a rabbit mark.
It is a small box, but the manual is huge, and there are many sheets, too. It’s pretty detailed illustrations for a 1/144 scale airplane kit.
(18-September-2016)
I painted the parts parallel that is attached later, such as the landing gear. Though it’s big, the scratching post of the cat I bought the other day is handy for drying these small parts. I want to keep a cat, but we have a rabbit, and… I don’t want his stressful life with a cat.
The masking tape for curves released from Tamiya is also helpful for a minor plastic model.
I thought about the adhesion of decals and painted them in gross black. I want the semi-gross, finally.
Decals are small; there is a part not to understand even checked a manual. I put it while seeing a box painting.
The marking of the narrow band of missiles was handled with decals.
Oh! It doesn’t seem 1/144 scale; it has an excellent sense of precision; pretty good feeling!
(22-September-2016)
F-14A Tomcat is an ultra-famous carrier-based fighter of the United States Navy. I wonder if it was about my high school age; I watched the movie “Top Gun.” I would like it again.
This is “Vandy One,” Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-4, NAS Pt Mugu, California, USA, 1991.
VX-4 is famous for drawing a symbol of the magazine “Playboy.”
This squadron examined the air-to-air missile mainly. The fourth squadron is disestablished and merged with other units and is now VX-9. Now all F-14 themselves retired.
There are many divided parts for the 1/144 scale, such as the vertical tail, air intake, and the engine nozzle. I think this is a precise model.
Weapons are AIM-9 Sidewinder x 2, AIM-54 Phoenix x 2, AIM-7 Sparrow x 2, and drop tank x 2. This would be sufficient.
There is mold inside the landing gear compartment, and the appearance is good.
It’s interesting but hard to build if colored black injection plastic.
The variable wing is movable; this is enjoyable. Maybe it’s no damage; even I moved the main wing 100 times. Because I paint it with lacquer paint, the coating is firm but prevents it from moving if possible.
This angle looks the coolest.
It was good to be completed, though I thought to stop it when I lost the important part during my building.
The canopy was one shot clear part. It is hard to see, but the meter panel is reproduced in a decal.
First, what if the inking in Silver to try? The silver particles became a lump, and it failed, useless. Thinking, am I a genius?
After all, I did the inking in light gray. I think moderate inking is effective for 1/144-scale airplanes.
I think the newer Revell 1/144 F-14A is a perfect kit. You had better check and choose the best in the released many 1/144s from other companies. There seem to be many kits having a hard time fixing details.
（2016/09/24）
