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Macross F-14 Hase kit


DARTHTODD

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Does anyone have any pics of a completed Hasegawa F-14 Macross kit? Or perhaps any pics of the decal instruction sheet? Reason I ask is because I bought the Hase model kit and only kept the decals (I then used the decals on another F-14 model). Before I sold the Hase model, I scanned the decal instruction kit. Well, the scan didn't turn out that great (didn't notice this till now of course) so it's really hard for me to see where some of the small decals go/which numbers the decals are, etc. I know it's a long shot. Thanks.

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no no, I mean in the OVA, their "new" tomcat still using old parts. you can find that scene in episode 1.

btw, any 1/48 LAU-138 resin/plastic supplyment? except several hasegawa special edtion, unavailable to me...

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  • 3 weeks later...

LOL... actually, if you get the right kit, it's very easy to do an F-14A/D... when they started modifying the plane, Monogram started including extra parts in it's 1/48th Tomcat kit.. the kit was the same as the old one, with all the old cockpit details, old style seats, and such.. but on a separate tree, they included new engine nozzles, and a new sensor pack for under the nose. Note, just the nozzles for the engines, they left out the new exhaust cans, requiring you to make something from scratch if you want to use the newer style nozzles. The result is a weird hybrid, that I'm not sure is accurate for any time period. Monogram still sells two versions of the Tomcat, the D-Model "Super Tomcat," and the original high-vis schemed A-model. I know the D-Model comes with the complete new engines, but the cockpit may still be the old style. I'll have to check the kit. As for the A-model kit, I haven't bought the newest release of it, so I don't know what it includes anymore.

Also, I agree.. the Tomcat's an absolutely beautiful aircraft.... It's gonna be a sad, sad day when they finally manage to come up with something to replace it. :(

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I thought that the D was made out of A (new electronics, new radar, new flying command system (digital I believe), new engines, new aiming system with dual optical or somethings...)

They change a few parts in the plane but not the canopy. At least I watched tons of both A and D and couldn't find any difference between the two models.

Due to high cost of F14A -> D transformation, US Navy made F14B back in 1997. I don't remember the differences.

try google ;)

IMO you are too deep into details ;)

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Close (David is going to have a field day with this). The F-14D is either a new build or completely remanufactured F-14A, new engines completely new avionics and some minor structural changes. The canopy is the same yes, but what's under it is almost completely different. All new displays and gauges and even new seats. While I was watching M0 a while back I noticed that there still seemed to be alot of old fashioned "steam" gauges and such in Shin's cockpit. After consulting photos of the real thing and David (who by far deserves the title of resident F-14 expert) we came to the conclusion that it is in fact an old F-14A cockpit in an F-14D fuselage.

The F-14B was developed in I think '88 and is an upgraded A, it has the same engines as the D, and some of the structural modifications, but none of the new avionics (and the same old A model cockpit).

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Actually, I think the B originally used yet another engine... For a while, they tested it with two of a different type of engine, one that had a nozzle that resembled an F-15 more than an F-16C...most of this comes from model kits though, so it may not match real life.. all I know is that F-16C kits often come with a new nozzle that often is divided up into individual petals that must be glued together. The F-14 D kit came with those nozzles. The F-14B on the other hand, from all reference photos, has nozzles that resemble the nozzles of an F-15C, with the "petals" still attached... these nozzles are more streamlined to the airframe, and in my opinion, actually looked better when fully open than the other nozzles... I'm gonna check an F-14 book, it lists the actual engines used, which have slipped my mind at the moment.. I think one was GE, and the other was Pratt and Whittney...but I don't remember which was which.

Edit: Ok, can't find the book.. maybe someone else knows for sure... but I know the F-14 was tested with another type of engine.. something in me wants to say they were modified engines from the B-1 bomber, but that could be my lack of sleep. :huh:

Edited by Chronocidal
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Actually, I think the B originally used yet another engine... For a while, they tested it with two of a different type of engine, one that had a nozzle that resembled an F-15 more than an F-16C...most of this comes from model kits though, so it may not match real life.. all I know is that F-16C kits often come with a new nozzle that often is divided up into individual petals that must be glued together. The F-14 D kit came with those nozzles. The F-14B on the other hand, from all reference photos, has nozzles that resemble the nozzles of an F-15C, with the "petals" still attached... these nozzles are more streamlined to the airframe, and in my opinion, actually looked better when fully open than the other nozzles... I'm gonna check an F-14 book, it lists the actual engines used, which have slipped my mind at the moment.. I think one was GE, and the other was Pratt and Whittney...but I don't remember which was which.

Edit: Ok, can't find the book.. maybe someone else knows for sure... but I know the F-14 was tested with another type of engine.. something in me wants to say they were modified engines from the B-1 bomber, but that could be my lack of sleep. :huh:

The original F-14B had a pair of F101DFEs (Derivative Fighter Engine in essence B-1B engines modified for fighters) to replace the dangerously unreliable TF-30s in the orginal F-14A. However that program went nowhere and only one prototype was built. The F-14C was a related program that would incorperate some avionics upgrades along with the new engines. Later on in 1984 the F-14 prototype was re-engined with GE F110-400s (the same engines as in late block F-16s). Since the GEs were almost identical to the ones being put in new F-16s (and it was hoped at the time they would be installed in F-15s as well) they could be had for cheap, so the go ahead was given to start upgrading F-14As with the new engines (and the new avionics from the F-14C). At first they called this new version the F-14A+ but most of the Navy's inventory computers couldn't read that, so it was later changed to F-14B. The F-14D also uses the same F110-400 engines, but also has the new radar and cockpit that I mentioned in my post above.

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::tries to think of what to add:: I mean, Nied's right. But I'll just summarize for people:

You can make any Tomcat from an F-14A. You can also build them new. Most B's are actually converted A's, but most D's were built as such. But there were B's built as B's, and D's made from A's. (No B to D converserions AFAIK). And Shin's isn't like any of them. :)

F-14B and D are VERY similar structurally. Externally, 99% the same. B and D differences include the dual chin-pod on the D, and the lack of ECM bumps under the wing glove. Most of the differences are the electronics, which of course are mainly in the cockpit. And the D has the new style of ejection seat.

NONE of Monogram's kits are 100% a D (nor B) no matter what parts you use, AFAIK. (They release new versions all the time, giving more little details--but still using A-style nibs) Rear fuselage nib fairings are wrong. They are wrong in 99.9% of all F-14B/D kits, even some of Hasegawa's. Yes, they're fairly minor, but since it IS one of the main differences visible between the planes, it's important. Especially since they're part of the engine installation, which is the single most important difference. Re-doing the nibs requires re-molding the fuselage, which is why very few kits are correct--they just want to take an F-14A kit and include a new cockpit and new engines. Well, that's close, but wrong. You need a new, F-14B/D-specific fuselage to do it. (Remolding the A would mean no more A kits, so they won't do that).

I can supply any closeups you might want of any F-14B or D features, for I found several of them sitting around at an airshow this summer, and I took plenty of pics. :)

Edited by David Hingtgen
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Actually, that would be rather helpful. :) I have an Italeri F-14B kit that's beyond strange... they actually did change the back end, and gave the kit a cockpit upgrade.. sort of (the cockpit's kinda bland). But what they did was simply chop off the back end, and added a strange kind of mounting ring that actually mounts the nozzles ahead of the back edge of the stabilizers... very weird. I've never seen an actual plane that looked like this kit.. it seems really unlikely, though, because of the way the stab is mounted.. it looks like the nozzle would be unable to open all the way without hitting it. I'll have to see if I can get a pic of this thing.. it looks like a whole section of fuselage is flat out missing.

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Italeri--nice kits, totally wrong. :) I've got their 1/48 "F-14A+". Umm, no. More like, 1970 as-built F-14A... (I just chopped off the ECM bumps, and ended up with that---that's how wrong it is for an A+/B--even has PW engines)

Anyways---here's an F-14B's #2 engine, right side.

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Same aircraft, same engine, but the left side (and from slightly below--I ruined a pair of pants getting some of these shots): (the "smooth black" areas match up--you'll note that the "segmented ring" forward of the black section is pretty much only visible on the underside---you can't see it on the upper side, even though most kits engrave it a full 360--A's do, B/D's don't)

Edited by David Hingtgen
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I would only add (and David and I have discussed this on a previous thread, I remember) that the Macross compendium lists Shin's F-14 as an F-14A+, which, AFAIK isn't a true variant (could be mistaken, I don't keep up with these things like some guys do COUGHCOUGHDAVIDCOUGHCOUGH) and states that it incorperates overtechnology.

....why they'd use the out of date cockpit is beyond me though... the side-by-side DDI setup of the D tomcats is far more streamlined and efficient.

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I would only add (and David and I have discussed this on a previous thread, I remember) that the Macross compendium lists Shin's F-14 as an F-14A+, which, AFAIK isn't a true variant (could be mistaken, I don't keep up with these things like some guys do COUGHCOUGHDAVIDCOUGHCOUGH) and states that it incorperates overtechnology.

....why they'd use the out of date cockpit is beyond me though... the side-by-side DDI setup of the D tomcats is far more streamlined and efficient.

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Compendium says F-14A+Kai, not F-14A+.

In real lifeā„¢ the F-14A+ *is* the F-14B. It is simply a name change. But adding Kai makes it a custom M0 variant of your standard A+. So "A+ Kai" could be an A+, but further upgraded with a D's flush-mounted ECM and dual chin-pod, which would give you what Shin flies.

Compendium does list a little of the F-14A/D real-life history, but not nearly comprehensive enough. Especially annoyed with stats---You can't just list "A/D" for every stat, they're all different. Especially weights and range!

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