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F14A Tomcat - PART FOUR

Camouflage and Markings
With so many options available in the Hasegawa kit for modeling so many Tomcat versions, it was not an easy task to single out exactly one aircraft and set of markings to build. I was choosing between a few different aircraft that I wanted to build. Then, a friend I met through HyperScale, living in Utah, sent me an option I could not resist. He visits NAS Fallon regularly and sent me some pictures of this Tomcat followed by "official" NSAWC camouflage diagrams for the aircraft. Who was I to turn down an opportunity on such a unique paint scheme?

The final "setting of the hook" to get me to build this specific aircraft came when I met my friend from Utah at NAS Fallon (in Nevada). We were escorted on a photo tour of the NSAWC and VFC-13 flight lines. Seeing the real aircraft that I was modeling, in action, did wonders at inspiring me to continue the project and stick to this set of markings. It also answered several questions I had regarding the exact camouflage and markings of the aircraft.

The "official" NSAWC camouflage diagrams of the aircraft provided me the camouflage pattern and topside colors for this aircraft. Based on what I saw of the aircraft on the flight line, the drawings were mostly correct. The biggest variation in the camouflage is that there is a definite lighter bottom color than the gray used on the topside camouflage. The diagrams claim the bottom and topside grays are the same. I ammended my interpretations of the camouflage diagrams accordingly. The "official" diagrams also do not show the camouflage of the inside tail surfaces. Seeing and photographing the aircraft in person fixed this problem.

I "digitized" the NSAWC camouflage diagrams and corrected them to match what I found in pictures and saw in person on the flight line. Click the following links to see my camouflage and markings diagrams for this aircraft. If you would like high-resolution hard-copy prints of these diagrams, I am selling them for $5.00 (US) which includes postage. Drop me an e-mail at [email protected] for more information.