SPA Modeler

Got the glove vane nav lights painted (well, I guess the lights have been painted for months, but I got a round to masking them off and painting the surrounding color). It's interesting how much of a visual difference it makes in the order you paint things (paint lens color first then mask vs the other way around). That was a hurdle that I am glad I finally jumped over. I dislike sitting at the computer designing masks but I finally got a mask shape I liked. On the kit there is no raised (or any other) detail showing the shape of the lens. What the kit gives is the outline of an access panel that the lens lives inside of.



In this picture the inner most panel is the lens (which appears to be masked off or painted over for some odd reason -- this could be a static display bird?

speedgraflex wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2026 4:57 pm Hi Chris,

I hope it’s okay to ask you but I’m not sure what I should be seeing here. Part of my problem is I view photos on my phone which in vertical/portrait mode cuts off the images.

I’d really like to know, and I can tell based on what you wrote about this being painted over on the display aircraft does make a great deal of sense. Even operational aircraft for shows have a variety of modifications, some for safety.

I can sense from what you’ve written about earlier that you have a background in engineering and I’d like to know what you’re describing.

Thanks in advance.

Honestly Bruce, I am not sure what i am trying to say half the time either
Not sure why you can't see my pictures, they are in portrait format (at least the ones from my last post were).
Basically I am trying to say that the shape of the nav lights could not be determined from the monogram kit.
The shape of the actual colored lens is hard to nail down and I could not find a good ref photo. It's basically a lopsided triangle. The photo I provided showed the lens, but it was painted over. I was speculating as to the reason it was painted over. I suspect the bird in the photo was out of service and possibly being restored for 'static display'.

Hi Chris! Thanks for explaining. Please understand I’m grateful to learn new information (and this is new to me) so this is very helpful. I found what I think is its source. Can you confirm?



I think the lights you are referencing would be described as F14-A Navigation Lights, but I’m not sure.



These are the Nav Lights I think you’re describing!





Thank you, sincerely. PS - you would think someone photographed these lights, but I couldn’t find any evidence.

That nav light has to be masked or it has a cover over it. In every pic in my Tomcat book. you can see the nav lights.

Medicman71 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:10 pm That nav light has to be masked or it has a cover over it. In every pic in my Tomcat book. you can see the nav lights.

Welcome to the party Mike...

Medicman71 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:10 pm That nav light has to be masked or it has a cover over it. In every pic in my Tomcat book. you can see the nav lights.

Great detective work Bruce. I think you have found the origin of the photo indeed...