Hi everybody

This is the official thread for the F-14 Tomcat campaign.

Like with the other campaigns I was planning to wait with starting the official tread until the campaigns were up and running but, since we don't really know how long that will take, I'm going ahead anyway and hoping the campaign submitting will be working again soon

I will be running this campaign with some help from Samantha (Camogirl). and the Campaign will be starting on the 1st February 2007 (this way it staggers the campaigns slightly, and i can dedicate more time from then onwards) and finish at the end of August (6 Months)

Here are the general rules of the campaign:

General Overview:

Designed to protect the US Navy Carriers, The Grumman F-14 Tomcat has been the world’s finest long-range interceptor for the last 36 years and lived up to its motto “Anytime Baby”. This campaign is to pay homage to Grumman’s last feline, which has seen four different variants of this venerable aircraft and seen conflicts through the Cold war to Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Rules and Regulations:

• Any Scale between 1/72 to 1/32
• Dioramas are allowed as are bases and figures to show scale,etc
• All tomcat variants may be built (A, A+, B, D, Bombcat, Tarps, etc)
• Any US Navy squadron or country (Iran) that operated the plane can be built
• Can be built OOB or you can add as much aftermarket as you wish
• Progress of your build on the official thread is desirable
• It is envisage to get a campaign area on kitmaker photos, if this does happen, participants will be requested to put two to three pictures of their completed kit there.
• Preferably entries should not be started before the official start date (if a model has been started , PM the campaign leader for eligibility for entry)
• Participants are encouraged to keep everyone informed of their build using this thread. If you wish to start your own build thread you're welcome to (I will however only be using this thread to keep track of peoples progress)
• Most of all is to have fun building and entering this campaign

Rules are subject to change once the Campaign Sumbit is fixed

Contest Element:

A ribbon will be given for all entries completed at the end of the deadline. It is hoped that it will look something like this (subject to change).



Please register your interest in this campaign temporally and sign up once the official campaign area is fixed.

Im in and im going to be doing a 1/72 Hasegawa F-14 A

Easy choice for once - having just come from the Vietnam and Down Low threads where choosing a subject is a nightmare......

With a name like Pukin' Dogs, it has to be Hasegawas F-14B

Has my son in stitches every time he see's the box :-) :-) :-)

Actually, he's just building a pretty old Monogram F-14D - only the cockpit started really can he enter?

Go on, its his first 1:48 kit........

He's only 10...........

+1 with 1/48 Fujimi or Academy (haven't decided yet... ) tomcat.

As i'ts only the cockpit started I'll say its a yes.

I wasn't going to enter this campaign, as most Tomcats have a pretty boring camo scheme, but I have just found a cool camo scheme, so I'm in. F-14+ "Camel Smoker" of VF-24 "Fighting Renegades".
Andy

Me and a friend have just ordered a few F-14 kits with the intention of having a "mini group build" in real life, just him and me. And now this one turns up, excellent!

I will do two, both in 1/72:

Early VF-1 F-14A Hasegawa
F-14A Bombcat Fujimi

Regards

Magnus

I'm in!

1/72 Hasegawa F-14D - Bounty Hunters Last Cruise. Kit was bought from some Christmas cash, so great timing.

Not sure on the low-viz or coloured bird at this point.

I will be getting the Eduard PE set for this one.

Cheers
Wiz

Count me in, this is just what I've been waiting for. One F14-B from VF103 will be my bird.

Regards

IAN

Yeah, I wanted to do some kind of camo as well. I am thinking Iranian F-14, but I cannot find a kit of it on the internet. However, I can find decals. Can I just use any F-14A kit for the Iranian aircraft or is it a special version?

For the Iranian F14s, you'll need an IFR probe. All their 'cats has the forward part exposed.

For info, you can't do better than 'The home of M.A.T.S.' site http://www.anft.net/f-14/.

Also, the Osprey Iranian Tomcats in action book is a must.

IAN

Wow! a lot of good pictures!

Thanks for sharing

Anyone who fancies doing one in camo, can always do some of aircraft from the Navy Fighters Weapons School (topgun)

examples here

As wolfpack said MATS is an awesome and comprehesive site for reference as is Tomcat Territory for photos as is Tomcat Alley

Hi all!

Ever since I saw the movie "Top Gun", I have a deep affection for Grumman´s big cat!

So this is a Campaign I will not miss, so Please count me in!

I´ll build the Tamiya F-14A+ (B) Tomcat in 1/32, backdated to an early "A".

Haven´t decided on wich squadron yet but VF-84 Jolly Rogers, Gull grey over whith Hi-viz cammo is most likley.
Other marking options are VF-111 Sundowners, all gull grey Hi-viz, and VF-142 Ghostriders Gull grey over white Hi-viz.

This will be a "complete" build, Black Box cockpit, Eduard Etch set and CAM-decals.

I just hope six months will be enough, It has to be ´cause I want that ribbon!

Anytime Baby!

Stefan E

Not an entry, 'cause it's the wrong scale only 1/144



but you gotta love those TOMCATs

May have to dig out my old Testor's 1/72 "Top Gun" and build it

Great idea for a group thread. I don't think that the Tomcat GB's will go out of style any time soon. I just think that six months is way to short. Some guys take WELL over one hundred hours to make a Tomcat. I think it should be much longer than six months. No offense but six months is way to short. I would join but I have others I am working on now.

PLEASE do not let my protest here offend anyone. I have several of the Hasegawa Cats in 1/48 and I know how complex a model it is. The painting alone takes well over forty hours.

This is all IMHO.

The finish Date is not set in stone yet as the Campaign Submitting isn't working. I only picked six months as a rough ball park figure as this is my first time at being a campaign leader. If Peeps think it should be longer just let me know (the Helo campaign is running till November) I for one know I won't get all I want to do done (especially as I signed up for the Vietnam and Down Low campaigns.

My (at the moment) plans are:
1/48 Hasegawa F-14A with Black Box Cockpit set, Eduard Etch Details and painted in the colours of VF-31
1/72 Hasegawa F-14A with Verlinden Detail set

Stefan, Excellent choice there. I also (and this is where the ambitious plan comes in) have the Tamiya 1/32 F-14A "1994 Version" but mines going to be updated to D version using the Teknics Conversion sets and Cam decals. This is of course if I can get some of my other builds and campaigns out of the way early on.

Thank to everyone who has supported this campaign so far its certainly going to be an interesting group build (especially as its my first one and even more as campaign leader as well) roll on the 1st Feb.

I'd like to enter, I picked up an Academy F-14A on a sale/trade-in shelf recently for $8. My only question is (a little OT): what, exactly, IS the Academy F-14? I can't figure out if it's a regular F-14A, or an F-14A+ with the wrong engines, or some sort of in-betweener!!!! Can I slap a/m F110 nozzles on it and be reasonably accurate in it being a "+"?

Its hard to say really as there are differences between the two. The main ones are the engine nozzles, chin pod and various antenas. I would say it depends on scale and if your a perfectionist or not if you want to put all the minute differences in. All i would say is check references and choose from them what you want or not. I'f you do find some AM F110 Nozzles in 1/48 let us know as Camogirl want some for her Hasegawa kit and i can't find any

That's the odd thing about this boxing. It includes three different chin sensors and all the various lumps'n'bumps to make at least a mid-life F-14A, but only the TF30 nozzles (open or closed option)......So I don't know. I guess I'll give it a go.

As for 48th GE F110 nozzles, I did a quick search and at www.spruebrothers.com they have 4 different resin sets covering the Revell, Academy, and Hasegawa Tomcats....no luck so far for me in 72nd

Allen I hope I did not offfend you by what I said, but after looking at your kits there I definatley reiterate what I said, espeially with the Black Box cockpit. If you have never done one before you are looking at easily adding an additional twenty plus hours with that. With that said, can't wait to see it finished. What time period is your VF-31 bird from, wich carrier, the Forrestall from the 1980's should be great.

Erik, as far as I know and from what others have said the Academy release is basicly the Monogram release with significantly major improvements which should give you a decent A model.

Great luck to all. Check out Aircraft Resource Center and Scale Air they both have great Cat references.

Oops sorry I can't spell that well.

I know Allen's done at least one before with the black box cockpit set (and ive got one for mine) but unfortunaly it was involved in a slight accident with a shelf. The model only took him two and a half months to complete. It then took a further month to do the carrier deck diorama that he incorporated it into.

But as Allen has previously said the end date is not set in stone as we only decided this timeframe as it seems to be the "average". However I have seen other campaigns extended and that wasn't done until nearly a week before the original deadline. So it's a case of seeing how people are progressing with their builds and we can always extend the deadline if required.

Hi Allen,

I know you have said scale 1/72 to 1/32 but can I do 1/144, I have 9 RoG Tomcats A's and D's waiting in my stash.
If yes then count me in with more than one entry.

Ciao
Luciano

No offence taken, although I have listed 3 kits my main intention is to do the 1/48 and 1/72 kits. the 1/32 is a would like to do for the campaign but realistically isn't going to happen as I don't want to mess it up especially as there is nearly £200 worth of kits and accessories there. The 1/48 kit will be aircraft 202 of VF-31 when on board the USS Forrestal I like this one as its the low vis paint scheme with the trademark gloss black nose and red tail fins.
Ahh the dreaded shelf accident many injured that day but the Tomcat was the worst fatality. I loved that kit until it made it's untimely demise (thanks for opening old wounds :-) ) that’s why I’ve decide to do another one and I did manage to salvage the figure and the mule for the diorama so all is not lost.

As for the time frame, my mistake the 1st Feb to 31Aug is actually 7 months or 212 days. This should (in theory) be plenty of time to build a kit in as there are no limits on how many you build as long as it's just one. I for one believe that I am capable of doing at least the two kits for this campaign in the time, and also the ones for the Vietnam and Down Low Campaigns as I spend over 10 hours a weekend alone on modelling.

Any way back to the subject at hand I'll get a list of current participants sorted by the weekend

Great info. I will do some kind of camo Tomcat. I have located this decal set. Both with Iranian and top gun Tomcats. Looks very nice and I am sure I will be able to find a suitable colour scheme.



Now here comes the basic question: What kit to choose? This one is in my LHS just around the corner. The price is a reasonable 8 pounds sterling. can this kit be used to make an Iranian F-14A or a topgun F-14A? I am a little confused about how big external changes there are whether I choose a F-14A or F-14A advanced?



Alternatively I can try to find some other kit or order one online.