SPA Modeler

That looks very sharp John. Those Quinta AM items really kicked that cockpit up several notches above what Tamiya provides.

Stunning work John! I agree with Kari, I love that you are doing a more modern jet!

That does look fantastic!

Thanks guys! I appreciate the comments and support, especially since I'm swimming in unfamiliar waters.

I got the cockpit hoods painted. I didn't do anything fancy like trying to mimic the fabric texture of the shrouds... just painted them. According to my F-14A book, the starboard side shroud between the pilot and radar operator was accessed much more frequently than the port side, causing it to wear more and even replaced. That's why I painted them in different colors.



The pull loops on one of the seats has been temporarily removed as I'm trying to tone down the coloring a little bit.


I want to add a little bit to the nose wheel well so I am not at the gluing stage yet but I wanted to check the fit of the various forward fuselage panels.


The one thing that Tamiya does that continues to impress is making things fit oh so well. They are the only manufacturer that can butt two parts together at a panel line and have that panel line turn out uniform (provided you don't screw up with the glue).


One thing I'm NOT a fan of is the light-colored plastic that Tamiya used for this kit. I much prefer the darker neutral gray plastic of the Corsair kit... easier to see and photograph.


Just playing around with some of the bigger components to check the fit. More Tamiya precision.

Incredible work. Never knew about the shroud bit. Interesting...

BlackSheep214 wrote:Incredible work. Never knew about the shroud bit. Interesting...

Thanks guys!

The nose wheel well attaches beneath the cockpit tub so if I want to move forward, I have to complete the nose wheel well. Based on my references, there is an absolute maze of wires and pipes in the wheel wells and I am not going to try and replicate it. I've a little bit of wiring to enhance the busy-ness of the kit parts.



The wiring has been added in a way that enables me to pull apart the nose wheel well components. So I can take advantage of this and paint the nose wheel well components separately prior to assembling the box structure.

The added plumbing in the nose wheel well really looks the part! Very nice upgrade!

That adds a ton more detail to the wheel well

That's a nice little touch on that shroud, it really adds some visual interest. Nice additions to the wheel wells also.