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Close up of the PE parts from the Verlinden update kit - its dual layered. Hey a question, I usually use crazy glue for these PE parts, but what do I use on the canopy rails? I want to avoid that fogging crazy glue often gives off, especially evident on clear parts.

Other side

The rocket motor seems so much more defined on the Verlinden.

Other side

Here's a side by side comparison, the darker one is the Verlinden and the lighter one on the right is the True Details. Funny how different they are? Which one should I use (what's your opinion of them?) The Verlinden has those mesh pads over top of the seat cushions, but how do I paint the mesh pattern?

Here's a close up of the pieces, you can see the details on the seats is finer.

Here's the Verlinden cockpit update set. Very nice tubs, unfortunately, where the pilots legs go to the pedals isn't recessed far enough for my taste. The photo-etched parts are not as crisp or detailed as the hase supplied ones are - the canopy frame is missing those pipes (what are they?) but it does include a few nice access panels and most importantly, the fold down ladder sides with the tiny holes drilled out of them (my reason for this kit). It includes the gun bay, I'm not sure if I'll use them since fabricating the access door to scale would be a nightmare. The raised detailling on the panels are excellent though. I was dissappointed that there was no PE of the canopy latch mechanism on the fuselage side - are you aware of any made?

Here's a shot of the True Details seats - actually my first time taking a good look at them since I recieved in the mail and promptly put them in my F-14 kit box. They aren't too bad especially for 1/72! Unfortunately the harness is the same for both seats.

Hey David, this is the Cartograph decal set that comes with 364 - can you tell if there is enough stencilling? I'd love a shot of the CAM data set - they had no pictures of it on their site.

And a close up of the tail fuel dump, is this what you were looking for? Thanks for the site, it was great. I think I will buy a bottle of radome and the grey - since I'm using the MM clear coats anyways, I already have the thinner and solvent - great another type of paint!

Hey David, don't you mean 16440, that's what's in the instructions - can you check that for me. Here's a shot of boat tail sprue.

Here's a progress shot with a few more decals on. I really love the yellow V.Stab tips, they fit like a glove. I recommend painting the nav lights silver first, then a clear red and blue. Then decal the yellow tips one side per fin first. The decal cleans up any mess painting the nav lights would of done - since the yellow will hide and make the red/blue areas perfectly straight. Doing one side of each fin, allows you to properly fold over the excess yellow to the other side. I used a lot of MicroSET first to soften up the decal and allow it to fold over properly. Then when most of the SET is semi-evapourated, but the decal is still soft and moist, I brush on MicroSOL along the edges (fold-over) panel lines/revits and the rear little antenna protrusion. Let it wrinkle up (DO NOT TOUCH AT THIS POINT) the wrinkles will dissappear when the SOL sets. Once one side is completely dry, then do the other side allowing the decal to fold-over the fin to connect up with the previous side. I find this is the best way to decal these two side conditions where the colour must wrap around to the other side. I love it, my only comment is the night formation lights on the tips do not line up exactly to the decals (no biggie) and the black fins are a little large, so if you line them up to the lower panel line on the V.stab, then they fall past the upper panel line by a smidge (which is what I did) but the yellow decal placed afterwards do straighten up this mis-alignment, however if you look very closely, you can make out the black underneath the yellow.

Just more decalling... man are there ever a lot. Here's the head. I brushed the Tamiya chrome marker silver on the head light piece first, then brushed Tamiya clear red over it, it makes it catch the light a bit better than just clear red - it would of been nice if there was a clear part made for this. The black and yellow decal doesn't fit quite right - luckily this is the only piece that doesn't fit well, as I have mentioned before some of the other pieces are a bit oversized, but this piece is a bit undersized. Well its in the belly of the aircraft anyways, so I made sure the top of the head was aligned, which left a little white gap near the visor. I used a lot of MicroSET to get it to conform to all the irregular surfaces. Unfortunately, a excess piece of carrier film that I trimed away made it under the decal in this one spot, and I didn't notice it until it dried. When it catches the light in a certain way, you can just see it in the photo - oh well... no biggie.

My wife has the digital camera tonight... I'll take some shots of the resin seats and cockpit stuff when she gets home. Can you suggest any good aftermarket data or stencil decals for that Hasegawa F-14A Jolly Rogers kit, the catograph decals are good, but it seems to be lacking in some data markings or are they complete in your view. Particularly its missing the pilots names on the canopy - and I guess I'm just used to all those warnings on the VF-1 and VF-0s Doesn't the F-14 have more stencilling than the cartograph decals provide?

So If I want to do whats on that box, I don't mottle it in anyway? Even the top surface? Damn, I was all keen on trying that F-18 article out! Is that box photo, and the plane the cartograph decals are based on an all grey plane? XF20 seems awful dark for FS16440 (what about XF-19 Sky Grey - I'm afraid the decal of the walking surface on top of the intakes might appear lighter against the XF-20 paint) - would you recommend me switching to another type of paint, I wouldn't mind getting a bottle just for this kit - as long as its acrylic. What about a radome equivalent -XF55 Deck Tan? Hey has anyone every used Tenax-7 - what is it like? How does it react to painted surfaces? P.S. I've noticed that the Hasegawa kit also includes a forward gear retracted to accept the catapult too.

Ahh, exactly what I wanted to see - thank you guys so much. Sorry David, it was my typo, I have the F-14A Jolly Rogers reissue not the B or D. I am a bit dissappointed in the tailcone for the A on my kit. But seeing the comparison, I think I will stick to my Hasegawa kit for the time being, I might only do the one or maybe two kits in total anyways. Do you guys want to see my Verlinden cockpit detail set and the True Details seats - I got the older GRU-7 seats to go with my A. I think I prefer the Verlinden ones, the details are a bit finer and they have that woven pad over the seats, not the ribbed looking seat cushions (which always bothered me). Hey the Hase kit also includes the "kneeling" forward gear to accept a cat.

Hey David, is there any differences in the overall body and details between your new F-14D and the older (but not really old) F-14D re-issue (Jolly Rogers) - I don't mean the D or A variant differences, but did they completely re-tool the common airframe parts or is it more of an extra sprues thing. Very nice cat Capt.!

Hey thanks so much David for a really excellent and interesting read - man I just love all this info. Its sometimes hard to follow exactly where you're talking about especially with the Fujimi kit since I don't have one (yet ) so some pictures specific to the parts you are talking about would be helpful (sorry I might be referring to your other original F-14 thread - I was reading them together ). Either case, I will bookmark these for my reference when (or if) I actually start on my kit.

Yes, I have the Hasegawa re-issue of the Jolly Rogers F-14A - just looking at the sprues I really love it. Plus I got the Verlinden cockpit set and true details resin seats as well. Its just too bad the wings don't swing - I can't decide which way to mount the wings, swept for a sleeker look, or forward displaying all those flaps and slats. I am really looking forward to it... someday. I was just curious about the Fujimi kit. Every picture of it I see seems a little "fat", wide near the rear end - I don't know if its just a wide angle lens (you know it puts on 15lbs ) or is the kit a little wider - either case its not flattering. However those mirrors and rubber tires, plus the swing mechanism looks tempting, but the lack of detail - scribbed lines are a bit of a turn off. I might get it if I run across it at a local hobby store - now that I have 4 seats I am dissapointed that the Hasegawa cartograph decals do not include the pilot and rio's names on the canopy - do you know were I might get these, it would look nice beside the Valkyries. On a slightly different note, what type of grey would be the closest Tamiya colour? Sky Grey? I know the FS number is provided, but is there a chart that converts that to Tamiya colours? Secondly, that great article on USN weathering, what era is the Hasegawa re-issue kit? Would it have such a mottled grey paint scheme? I would take it that its past the gloss white belly and grey top, but is it overall grey or a lighter grey in the belly?

Hey come on David, I want pictures of your build up.

Hey David, I'd really be interested in your build up of the Hasegawa F-14, since I'd like to tackle that some day. Could you also include pictures - I don't really want a F-14D, I just want a decent VF-84 Jolly Rogers sittin' next to my VF-0S eventually. I just recieved the Verlinden 1/72 cockpit detail set and the black-box seats - I just wanted to compare the two resin seats. I was a bit dissapointed that the Verlinden cockpit detail set did not come with mirrors for the canopy and both sets didn't come with the overhead face curtain pulls. Funny enough the Hasegawa kit's included photo-etched parts did. Oh, well, I don't know if I would use them, since photo-etched parts often seem so 2D and thin. Looking forward to your review with pictures

Well... here we are tonight before I go to sleep. Nighty night VF-0, dry well without my medlesome hands and fingerprints all over you. Till tomorrow...

Now here's a delema, and I still don't know which way to go if I were to do it again. These side stripes on the forward fuselage have two very fine black line tails that goes back towards the intakes - a shorter one above the black and yellow LEX/canards and a longer one under. Man were they a bitch to get on straight. The thin decals kept curling and going all over the place. It took 20mins each to get them in place properly (DO NOT USE ANY MicroSET or SOL on this) use tons of water to allow yourself plenty of play time to get these suckers in place. Now if the fuselage was not glued in, and was a separate piece, then it would be a piece of cake to get them positioned correctly without the intakes, chestpiece or LEX/canards in the way. But if the forward fuselage section did not mate with the main fuselage perfectly - then there would be really no real way to fill and sand this joint - since it would already be painted and decalled. The VF-1s mated perfectly - this kit doesn't, I may have glued my LEX/canards in at a slightly wrong angle, but I can't see a way to get the perfect angle. Anyways, I don't know which is the proper order of construction for this piece - again its six or one half dozen - but it worked out this way for me, just 40 minutes of holding my breath

Here's a close up of the airbrake, its easier to weather with it in place and decal it so that they all recieve the proper placement. I just decalled right over the holes - then when its semi-dry, I dabbed some MicroSOL right over the holes, and the perimeter decal just kind of "melted" right into the holes. Just the center hold remained, but a few more drops of MicroSOL, and a little encouragment from a small brush and the center hole gave way.

Not huge difference, but I like it.