So I volunteer at a local Veterans Musuem in the town where I go to college. One of the Docents, Harry, is an avid collector of all things military. He was a marine corps aviator in vietnam.
He has informed me that over the long course of his collecting career, he has come into the possession of one of the model F-14 Tomcats used in the filming of “Top Gun”.
Knowing that I am a modeler, he asked me if i wanted to paint it for him. He wants all the navy decals and paint scheme takin’ off, and replaced with marine corps details.
Problem is, i’m a tread-head, and have no idea what kind of paint scheme to do. He said the '80s marine F-14 had a 3-color (all different shades of gray) camo scheme on the top, and a light color on the bottom.
Any info on what the Marine F-14 paintjob would look like would be helpful. Also any advice for painting the plane itself.
I’ll post pictures of it as soon as He gives it to me.
Personally, I think it’d be a shame to repaint a valuable piece of movie memorabilia, especially if it’s still in its original condition. If all he’s looking for is a nice model of a Marine Corps F-14, hook him up with a nice big Tamiya 1/32 kit, built up by you in Marine colors and markings. Of course, you’d have to buy the kit and build it…but maybe he’d like to trade? Nah, that wouldn’t honest!
Sorry, I can’t help you with the colors or markings…to be honest, I don’t even know if the Marines actually flew Tomcats.
EDIT:Just Googled “Marines F-14”…yup, they flew 'em, alright!
EDIT Pt. 2: Or did they? This is the best I could find: “In the spring of 1975, VMFA-531 was selected to become the second Marine Corps F-14 Tomcat squadron, resulting in the squadron’s administrative transfer to MCAS Beaufort, SC. until cancellation of Marine participation in the F-14 program resulted in the return of the ‘Grey Ghosts’ to El Toro on 29 August 1975 and its oufitting with F4-N Phantom II aircraft.”
AFAIK, Marine never flew F-14 other than as trainer flights.
From Wikipedia (and other places): “While the Marine Corps was interested in the F-14 and went so far as to send pilots to VF-124 to train as instructors, they were never fully sold on the aircraft and pulled out when the stores management system for ground attack munitions was left undeveloped, leaving the aircraft incapable of dropping air-to-ground munitions (these were later developed in the 1990s).”
I quite agree with Brian, and I would leave the model as is, and offer to build a kit for him.
[#ditto] If it truly is a model that was used in filming the movie (and not just an action figure sold in stores) it should definitely be preserved as is. Lots of new kits out there that can be painted up however he wants.