The Grumman F-14D would become the last best version of the
Tomcat to be produced. Where the F-14A was equipped with the
AWG-9 radar and the TF30 engines, the F-14B retained the radar
but received the F110 engine for a significant increase in
available thrust. The F-14D was also powered by the F110, but
the AWG-9 was replaced with a far more capable APG-71 radar,
laser inertial navigation, oter improved avionics, glass cockpits,
the NACES ejection seats, and other much-needed enhancements.
While the F-14D was a far more capable aircraft, it was also
more complex and costly to operate as well. When the F-14D
(and other Bombcats) started showing their stuff in air-to-ground
delivery capabilities, their future would fall into the crosshairs
of politics as the aircraft threatened the Super Hornet still
in development. Then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney favored
McDonnell Douglas over Grumman and rebuffed any attempts to
improve or sustain the Tomcat.
The F-14D served in combat operations after the first Gulf
War through its retirement in 2006. The aircraft is still regarded
as one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built and proved
that Grumman could successfully build an aircraft with the
pointed end at the front end of the airframe.
The Kit
When we saw this kit both in test shot images as well as at
iHobbyExpo, there was no doubt about the size of the model,
but there was no indication of the level of complexity of the
kit. While Trumpeter does tend to over-engineer some of its
kits, rendering lots of details in areas that will never be
seen after assembly, such is not the case here. There is lots
of detail, yes, but thankfully Trumpeter limited that to visible
areas of the model.
If you look at the first image in the
stack to the right, you see the kit as it appears with the
lid first removed. The upper and lower main fuselage halves
are nicely packed in separate packaging along with the clears,
engine fairings, and rubber tires.
The basic airframe kit as packaged is molded in light gray
styrene and presented on 22 parts trees plus the separately
packaged upper and lower fuselage halves, engine fairings,
and radome. The kit also consists of three
trees of clear parts, one small fret of photo-etched parts,
one set of metal landing gear strut cores, one set of rubber
(vinyl) tires, and one set of rubber (vinyl) wing glove gaskets.
As I look over the kit, my first observation is that the rivet
and panel line details seem to be finer that before. What's
more, the engine compressor and turbine faces are much better
as well. If you've seen the J57 engine faces on the Trumpeter
F-100 and F-8 kits, the odd curves of the blades or the strange
offset of the fixed stator vanes detracted from some otherwise
nice work.
Looking over the whole model and having recently looked over
the F/A-18E, you get the sense that Trumpeter has stepped up
its game and is paying closer attention to details. Will they
get this kit perfect, probably not, but so far no kit manufacturer
has ever turned out a perfect model to date. This one looks
like it is getting close though.
Among the various features and options in this kit:
Detailed cockpit
Nicely detailed NACES ejection seats
Positionable canopy
Positionable boarding ladder
Positionable radome
Positionable gun bay doors
M60 Vulcan cannon w/ammo drum
APG-71 radar under the radome
Metal landing gear cores for strength
Full length engine intake ducts with engines at the ends
Nicely detailed wheel wells
Positionable leading and trailing edge flaps *
Positionable wings (forward or swept)
Detailed intake ramp system
Nicely done F110 engines
Choice of open or closed F110 afterburner nozzles
Positionable wing spoilers *
Positionable stabilators
Postionable rudders
Positionable air refueling probe
Positionable speed boards *
Rubber tires
Among the external stores and weapons options:
2 x AIM-9L/M Sidewinders (nice ones at that)
2 x AIM-7F Sparrows ***
2 x AIM-120 AMRAAM **
6 x AIM-54 Phoenix ***
2 x LGTR
1 x AAQ-25 LANTIRN
2 x External Fuel Tanks
* The kit provides these features as separate parts but don't
show you how to extend them nor are hydraulic actuators shown
in the instructions.
** It was the final sign of doom for the F-14D when
it wasn't updated for AMRAAM. I don't know why these two
missiles are in this kit, but you can use them as spares)
*** The proper pylon adapters are provided for these weapons
when mounted on the wing glove stations
Among the mysteries in this box or missing:
Parts O - these appear to be the wing sweep gaskets that
close up the slots in the fuselage while the wings are swept
full forward. The instructions don't mention them.
This aircraft is set up with LANTIRN, but no bomb adapters
nor gravity weapons included other than the LGTR simulators
F-14D, BuNo 164603, VF-213 Black Lions, NH/101,
USS Carl Vinson
The decals are provided on three sheets and include stenciling
for the airframe and weapons.
Conclusion
Overall this kit could easily be the best Tomcat produced
in any scale. I've done some side-by-side comparisons with
parts from this kit and parts out of my Tamiya 1/32 F-14A and
it looks like Trumpeter got the shape right. We'll see how
this evolves as we start a build of this kit soon.
I noted some consternation over this kit's MSRP of $229.95
but when you compare the detail of this model against the Tamiya
kit (which now retails for $209), the decision is far easier.
Street prices for the kit are much lower depending on where
you shop.
Definitely recommended!
I couldn't wait to buy this kit after seeing the F/A-18E!
