Hasegawa 1:48 F-14D Tomcat (PT12) VF-2 'Bounty Hunters' OIF

Hi guys, I've been busy the last few days starting my F-14D. I'm going to building a F-14D of VF-2 'Bounty Hunters' during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

Here is the kit;


Wolfpack Design Bombcat resin update set, TwoBobs VF-2 decal sheet and Master brass pitot tube.


References (always good to use, so you can get an accurate model)


The work so far on the cockpit. I still need to paint the red buttons, add the throttle and side stick for the RIO (Radar Intercept Officer, the backseater)


The Avionix resin SJU-17 ejector seats, I added the kit handles to the seat pan as the seats came without them.


Intakes. Care needs to be taken when making these to avoid seams, but it is ok.


You can see this will be a big model already, I've put my F1CZ next to the 'exploded' F-14 parts for comparison!

Wow, that is big... Looks great so far

Thanks joshdaarmyboy, it is going to be about 40cm long when it is done. I have added the throttle to the cockpit now and painted the red buttons on the joystick.

Very nice cockpit, good job

Bernard

More work yesterday and today.
Added side panels, made from sheet styrene, to the RIO's office, added the RIO's sidestick (made from a Canberra joystick), weathered the cockpit a little to make it look 'lived in' and built up the main gear bays.

Side panel, sidestick and canopy jettison handle(made from the F-14 kit's spare GRU-7 seat handle)




Main gear bays built up. These are quite tricky to do, and dry fitting is almost impossible, so it's prayer time when you add the glue!




I'm busy building the exhausts and afterburner cans, they are coming together well, I will post pics tomorrow.

Bravo, excellent work

Bernard

More work today. I built up the ramps in the correct position they would be when parked up. Not a hard job, and it looks great. I also built up the fuselage and added the 'boat tail' at the rear.

Using pegs and some weight to ensure a good join.


Intake ramps being built




How it looks from the front now




Some surgery needed on the intake tunnel lip to get a part of the gear bay to fit properly. Both bays needed this.




More work to come!

Done quite a bit of work so far, sorry not to post it all up.

Stuck the cockpit together, added nose weight, stuck the nose onto the fuselage, intakes and wheel bays are now sorted, weapons pallets have been added and I've started cutting off the resin bits from their casting blocks. It's starting to look more like a Tomcat now!

Underneath showing the Wolfpack Design bomb pallets.


Intakes were fiddly to glue in place, they needed some filler down the sides once dry.


Close up of the bomb pallets, which also needed a little filler to sort out the gap.


Wolfpack Designs' resin LANTIRN pod, BOL LAU-138 rails and the bomb sway braces. Very nice bits of resin, they are well moulded and easy to work with.


Thanks for looking,

Parabat

looking good so far

Great job

Thanks guys! That's it for the next two months I'm afraid , I'm going to be away. Already looking forward to getting back and cracking on with the building!