SPA Modeler

Interesting point about the chin pods Chris. Do you know when the TCS pod that you’re using here came into service?

Also, in regards to the Academy Tomcat kit, how bad is it? I remember long ago, that some hobby group had selected it “Kit of the Year. I realize that the Tamiya kit is now probably the Top Cat in town, the Hasegawa kits have an online reputation for difficult fit, as do the Monogram kits. I’ve built the original pre merger late 70’s vintage Revell kit and the Fujimi kit. But since you have the Academy kit, what is wrong with it?

Hmmm… I recall building the old vintage Mongram Tomcat as a kid and the Hasegawa Tomcat as a teen. I don’t recall having issues with the Hasegawa Tomcat. As far as the Monogram Tomcat, who knows. I don’t remember at the time. As a kid, fit wasn’t on your mind. Just build it and go on with the finished product.

I’d love to get the Tamiya Tomcat kit someday as well as their P-38 Lightning kit.

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2026 10:24 am Interesting point about the chin pods Chris. Do you know when the TCS pod that you’re using here came into service?

Also, in regards to the Academy Tomcat kit, how bad is it? I remember long ago, that some hobby group had selected it “Kit of the Year. I realize that the Tamiya kit is now probably the Top Cat in town, the Hasegawa kits have an online reputation for difficult fit, as do the Monogram kits. I’ve built the original pre merger late 70’s vintage Revell kit and the Fujimi kit. But since you have the Academy kit, what is wrong with it?

I believe the TCS pod was introduced in the mid 80's.

As for the Academy 1/48 F-14A. It's almost a direct copy of the Monogram kit, with soft, poorly done engraved panel lines, and a few minor changes, such as the TCS Pod. I can't see it ever being nominated kit of the year. maybe they were talking about the 1/72 Academy tomcat?

a lot of effort you put into that cat, looks good so far.

cbaltrin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2026 12:45 pm

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2026 10:24 am Interesting point about the chin pods Chris. Do you know when the TCS pod that you’re using here came into service?

Also, in regards to the Academy Tomcat kit, how bad is it? I remember long ago, that some hobby group had selected it “Kit of the Year. I realize that the Tamiya kit is now probably the Top Cat in town, the Hasegawa kits have an online reputation for difficult fit, as do the Monogram kits. I’ve built the original pre merger late 70’s vintage Revell kit and the Fujimi kit. But since you have the Academy kit, what is wrong with it?

I believe the TCS pod was introduced in the mid 80's.

As for the Academy 1/48 F-14A. It's almost a direct copy of the Monogram kit, with soft, poorly done engraved panel lines, and a few minor changes, such as the TCS Pod. I can't see it ever being nominated kit of the year. maybe they were talking about the 1/72 Academy tomcat?

Scale Modeler Magazine called it Kit of the Year… who knows what year. I can’t remember what year that magazine went away. But it was the 1988 boxing that had the award on the box art that you see here. I looked at the instructions sheet on Scalemates, and it looks like Academymodel made enough changes such as seperate stabilators and individual wall assembly wheel wells to the kit to keep it from being a clone. Not that I need to worry about getting one, as I have I think four different Revellogram Tomcats in my stash so I can do an early A, a later A, a B, and a D…

Oh man, that is too funny. The local dive bar down the road from my house says their pizzaa was voted best in town also. Of course, they don't mention which town or who did the voting I wonder how much Academy paid for that award...

Ok, On the serious side.. This sidebar has prompted me to crack the lid on my copy of the Academy kit and give it a second look.
Honestly, it does not look as bad as I remember. The weapons are definitely better than monogram's as are the wings and I am curious if the wings could be swapped out with the monogram kit. Academy Also gives you open and closed options for the exhaust and separate glove vanes. They give you ferry tanks and a TARPS recon pod and various versions of the chin pod. There is better under the windscreen detail (Hud projector). A big goof is they gave you a separate upper speed brake but the lower speed brakes are molded shut..(i've never been a big open speed brake guy). You also get a radar dish and a separate radome and some optional ECM bumps. Also, oddly, the separate horizontal stabilizers mount via rectangular tabs, so there is only one positioning option... All in all it can probably be built into a respectable Tomcat. I can't believe I just said that -- but then my view of model building as well as what I expect from a kit has changed quite a bit in the 15 years or so when I first cracked the lid on this Academy Tomcat.

I do firmly believe kit can be built, if you feel like putting the effort in.

I think your philosophy is much like mine Chris. I want a model to look like it's subject, and I'll try and fix anything obvious, but I can't be arsed over whether or not it has the right knobbly bit here, and thingy there. Life's too short. I want to build an RAF Harvard, but RAF Harvards are pretty much non-existent in 1/48. So I'm going to have to get a kit which is essentially a post-war Texan, and just tweek what I can. At least it'll be representative.

Stuart wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2026 11:29 am I do firmly believe kit can be built, if you feel like putting the effort in.

I think your philosophy is much like mine Chris. I want a model to look like it's subject, and I'll try and fix anything obvious, but I can't be arsed over whether or not it has the right knobbly bit here, and thingy there. Life's too short. I want to build an RAF Harvard, but RAF Harvards are pretty much non-existent in 1/48. So I'm going to have to get a kit which is essentially a post-war Texan, and just tweek what I can. At least it'll be representative.

Roger that Stuart. Life is too short indeed. As to your RAF Harvard, you can always say it's an 'Air Show Harvard'

Stuart wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2026 11:29 am I do firmly believe kit can be built, if you feel like putting the effort in.

I think your philosophy is much like mine Chris. I want a model to look like it's subject, and I'll try and fix anything obvious, but I can't be arsed over whether or not it has the right knobbly bit here, and thingy there. Life's too short. I want to build an RAF Harvard, but RAF Harvards are pretty much non-existent in 1/48. So I'm going to have to get a kit which is essentially a post-war Texan, and just tweek what I can. At least it'll be representative.

The 1/48 Monogram/Revell kit won’t work? I thought that it made into a WWII type… Use that kit and worst case cobble together decals from various sources.

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2026 12:07 pm

Stuart wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2026 11:29 am I do firmly believe kit can be built, if you feel like putting the effort in.

I think your philosophy is much like mine Chris. I want a model to look like it's subject, and I'll try and fix anything obvious, but I can't be arsed over whether or not it has the right knobbly bit here, and thingy there. Life's too short. I want to build an RAF Harvard, but RAF Harvards are pretty much non-existent in 1/48. So I'm going to have to get a kit which is essentially a post-war Texan, and just tweek what I can. At least it'll be representative.

The 1/48 Monogram/Revell kit won’t work? I thought that it made into a WWII type… Use that kit and worst case cobble together decals from various sources.

It would if I could find one. There's the Italeri/Ocidental kit I can use, especially if I can get a Ocidental 'Harvard' boxing. It's not 100% accurate but close enough. What I need to find out is if the much cheaper Italeri re-boxing has the same sprues.