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GROUP BUILD ENTRY no.66
Raffle no. 57

Airfix 1/72 F-14A, VF-41 Black Aces
by Roy McKay
Midleton, Co., Cork, Ireland

This is my third submission. This kit only really got built as it went along the bench beside the IRIAF model. When I painted parts for one, I did both.

It's the Airfix kit, with decals from the Italeri model for VF-41. The cockpit is actually good, I used some spare Hasegawa decals for the side consoles, along with a carefully painted instrument panels gives a very good effect. I have used the kit seats for now, but I plan to add some resin ones later. These are a real problem, as the Aeroclub GRU-7s wont fit and I forgot to grind down the stubs for the Airfix seats before I installed the cockpits. I decided to cut out the blanks at the exhaust ends, to allow for new nozzles. I tried some re-scribing and replaced the fins from the Hasegawa kit (kindly donated from ARC). I also replaced the over-wing strakes (stiffeners?) with plastic strip, longer and taller than the Airfix bits. I really rescribed the line at the front of the flaps, as they are very visible on all my other kits. First a few runs with a Bare Metal scriber, then a few more passes with the scalpel at an angle. The U/c are spares from the Zhengdefu (Kitech/ Italeri rip-off), as are some of the doors, the engine nozzles and the glove pylons. The undernose TCS fairing is a spare Fujimi part.

This model is far more weathered than it shows in the photos, and it's also hard to see some of the decals (the tail spade marking and the modex '105'). The weathering at the wing roots is a water-based paint I got in another Airfix kit, daubed on in the fully forward position in the glove root, then the wings were swept in and out, and then fullly back, where I wiped off the excess with a damp cloth. I tried some of Kaan Gok's technique. The paint job was based on a photo I have of two VF-41 birds in flight, one is all gull-gray (ala Sukhoi Killer) one is this light blue gray with heavy weathering and plain old dirt. I ended up using Humbrol 127 with a little drop of 123 dark gray added. I then went back over with spots of straight 127. The whole lot got a seal of Humbrol matt cote. Once again, the undercarriage got a brush of Klear (Future) mixed 50/50 with Tamiya smoke.

I haven't added any armament to any of my GB F-14's, but that is down to time more than anything else. I also like to work on some jobs as a bunch, painting pilots is one. Painting missiles is another. I don't paint and build one ejection seat, I do about ten. I will add ordinance to these in the future, but for now it will have to wait.

Sorry about the blurry pics on all my subs, cheapo digital camera. Anyone that can recommend a good one for model pics for about $150?
I enjoyed this group build, and it has helped me get 2 more models done for my CVW-8/USS Nimitz collection. I have one more Fujimi (and one Hasegawa) 'A' on the bench, and the extension to the GB would have helped to get them finished (as VF-84), but thanks to my new job I am off to the US for the last 3 weeks of the GB, so my submissions end here. At least I can look forward to 3 more Tomcats gracing my display soon after I get back. (and the Matchbox No.1 Prototype ;-))

A big thanks to Steve, ScaleAir and ARC for this GB. Hope you all like it,

Roy

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