If any of you have built the 1/32 scale F-14 from Tamiya, you’ll understand what I’m getting at…I’m going to start this kit within the next few weeks. I had planned on building it straight outta the box, that is until I saw the cockpit for it, what a disappointment. I paid close to 100 bones for this kit and the one thing I wasn’t expecting was decals for insturment panels.
Soooo, I’d like some opinions. For once I’d like to have the pilot and the RIO in the Tomcat, the figures are actually up to date with the HGU-33 helmets and Tamiya added decals for the helmet, (sorry I like that kinda stuff). Anyway, I was looking at the Teknic 1/32 scale super detail cockpit for the kit. I read on Hyperscale they recommend getting the F-14B Bombcat kit because it comes with the Lantrin control stick and the square DID. Now the cockpit set is another $50 or something, am I crazy if I throw the crew in with it? I’ve tried doing this with other scale a/c and the crew never fit and I end up having to cut them off at the knee. Suggestions??? As always, thanks in advance for your replies, I do appreciate it.
The Teknics cockpit if it’s like their MK-7 GRU/A seats for the F-14 should be pretty sweet although I didn’t like the flat photo-etch they came out with to replicate the ECS tubing around the inside of the canopy.
Maybe if you try sitting the crew in the cockpit before you’ve permanently constructed them using a little modeling clay to hold them together so you can tweak their positions a little. Then tacking them together and filling in the gaps they might work out better. Just a thought maybe a waste of time but never know unless ya try. My 2 Piso
It is pretty disappointing to see a kit of that price with with decals for the cockpit panels, but the exterior detail is great and now with the most recent kit you don’t have to go aftermarket for the LANTIRN pod and pylon, although you do for an accurate interior. One exterior detail that I have been suprised that neither Tamiya or Revell have addressed in 1/32 scale is the fin cap stiffeners they both have a very early configuration that have not been seen on Tomcats for decades (ie when the aircraft first came out).
Tracy,
My Teknics 1/32 set, copyright 1993, came with some very scale accurate copper wire for the ECS/defog tubing inside the canopy. I have just recently ordered the new Teknics set for the LANTIRN configured jets, I’ll check and see if they have changed the set since the early release, other then the LANTIRN stuff.
navyao, I just completed the 1/32 Tamiya Tomcat, the very first one released way back when. Benn in my workshop for many many moons. Done it up with CAM Decals VF-31 Tomcatters. E-mail me at dsc070744@wowway.com if you would like to see some pics. Need your e-mail address.
Tom received your reply to my message about sending you the pics of the Tamiya F-14 I completed. Your e-mail address did not come thru with the reply so i can send them. Please try again E-Mail me at dsc070744@wowway.com and i will get them off to you right away
Man that stinks I just recently bought Trumpeter’s 1/32 A-10 and it probably has the same horrible detail in the cockpit as Tamiya’s 1/32 F-14. Thankfully I read some reviews on the A-10 and already knew about the lack of detail, so it wasn’t as big a surprise as it could have been. I also have Revell’s 1/32 Tomcat, which is not very detailed either but only cost $40 at Hobby Lobby. So advice to others if you don’t have that big of a budget just get the Revell F-14A and buy the detail set (there may only be one for the Tamiya kit but I’m sure it would work for the Revell kit)[:D]. Well anyways good luck!
Hello, from Fraser, Michigan ! I finally got around to building my Tamiya 1/32 F-14A. Purchased this kit when it first came out some 15 to 20 years ago? Figured I better build it. Built it straight out of the box. Did not want to spend the extra for detailing the cockpit for this one. Probably will though on my next one. Did get the Cam Decals for the VF-31 Tomcatters thought. I can e-mail you some pics if you care to see the finished product. Have all the latest virus protection so no need to worry. Send me your e-mail address and i will get the pics off to you. Contact me at dsc070744@wowway.com Hope to hear from you. Dennis
Tracy, Hello from Fraser, Michigan. Just completed the Tamiya 1/32 F-14A that i bought when it was first released way way back when. Built it straight out of the box. Just added aftermarket decals from Cam Decals. VF-31 Tomcatters. Did not want to spend the extra cash for upgrades to this one but I probably will on my next one . If you would like to see some pics of the finished Cat send me your e-mail address and i will get them off to you as an attachment. Have all the latest virus protection so need to worry. Hope tp hear from you. Dennis. E-mail me with your e-mail address at dsc070744@wowway.com
i’d recommend the teknics sets superb detail and with some fiddling you can get a crew to look very at home just one point though if your doing a fairly modern Cat DontuseHGU 33 helmets theyre now Obsolete o.k. for up to late 80s though if current you want to model a HGU68/P or if late80’s to early 90’s HGU55/P .
let me know if you need reference pics of any of the mentioned helmets I have them in my collection Good luck with the project and in my opinion not enough people add crews it’ll look Superb! K
Where can I get the Teknics detail set? I searched Squadron’s site and all they have is a cockpit set by Black Box. Also how good is the Black Box set compared to the Teknics set?
DDRmaniac122002 the Teknics set is excellent as is the black box set, the teknics set however is VERY comprehensive it includesTons of etch including canopy details too
I’ve got that kit on my build list for this year- it’ll probably take all year to complete it. I built one when I was a kid and I loved it. Now, I have to do it some real justice. I bought the Teknics ‘D’ conversion kit to convert mine. I have the Black Box 1/32 cockpit that I am not gonna use so if you would like it email me at jonathanhcox@bellsouth.net. I got it off of ebay with the kit and I’m probably only gonna build one for a while, at least. The Teknics is probably the best due to the PE but the black box is very nice as well. If you’d like it let me know.
oh- try www.meteorproductions.com for Teknics goodies.
You just may be in luck on some of your problems with the kit: The January Eduard release list just came out and they have a new color interior set for this kit (as an A model, though I don’t know if it’s an early block or updated, though you can look at the frets). There’s also an exterior set, though I don’t know what details it contains. This is all, of course, PE parts, but I’m one of those that cant get enough color PE if it’s done well and I can still detail on top of it. And these are cheaper than most of the resin out there.
I’m constantly having friendly arguments with a builder friend over what’s more of an affront. He likes resin sets (I have nothing against most of them), but he doesn’t see any problem with a cockpit that has been detailed to the Nth degree by somebody else, and all the builder has to do it paint, yes he’s offended that a PE maker provides cockpit parts with the numbers painted on the dials, just as they arrive at the factory for the 1:1 airplane. Of coure, that’s not all that’s painted. But the point is, whatever you like, use it. I happen to be a better detailer than painter, and that probably causes my bias.
Anyway, go over to www.eduard.cz and click on January List. There’s also new Big Ed sets for the Eduard Condor and Me 262A, and knowing that model company, those kits will need all the accurizing and detailing they can get.
I got my got my first Teknics set at an IPMS nationals. But the recent one I ordered online from Meteor Productions (meteorprod.com). Can’t give you a comparison to BB, cuz I have never seen one of theirs. The Teknics set is great though, it has all the switches, handles, and screens I remember being in the cockpit during my decades of working on Tomcats.
Just wanted to leave a quick thank you to all of you guys for the sh!t hot information you’ve all offered up. I’ll keep checking this post for more info, it seems to be going pretty good. I think I’m going to go with the TEKNICS kit, the detail for the canopy is a big deal, I haven’t found anything extra out there for the 1/48 scale Tomcat. As a matter of fact I’'ve finished my Hasegawa 1/48 scale F-14D. I’ll post some pics this week. Thanks again!
Off-Topic here. Koek3 I noticed in your sig that you’re an “ex-Tomcat fixer”, does this mean that you’re an ex-veterinarian? I’m sorry, just my warped sense of humour showing through again. Okay back to the regularly scheduled dialogue.
Got the newest Teknics set today from Meteor Prod. It still looks really good[tup]. Appears to have alot of new stuff added, including some “D” model items along with the LANTRIN stuff, although not everything is there to make a “D” cockpit. The copper wire (for the ECS/Defog tubing) that came with my original Teknics set was not included in the new set, but was still shown in the instructions. Pretty much everything is there to make either an “A” or a “B” cockpit the differences between them wouldn’t really be noticable, unless you really know the aircraft, and if you wanted to looks like it would be easy to fix in this set.
$47.99 was the cost at Meteor Productions. It came with all the interior items, not the pod itself. Although they do sell a pod for the kit if you have one of the older Tamiya kits (1994 version or earlier) that do not come with the pod.