1:48 F-14A

Photo-etched accessories for the F-14A, 1:48 scale

A photo-etched set for a model of the F-14A Tomcat carrier-based fighter in 1:48 scale. It is not a kit but an accessory to one. Thin sheet metal makes it possible to produce items at a thickness injection-molded plastic will never come close to.

The real subject

The F-14 is a two-seat carrier-based fighter with a variable-geometry wing: spread for launch and recovery on the deck, it sweeps back as speed rises. The crew consists of a pilot and a weapon systems officer (WSO) seated behind him. Its two vertical tail surfaces are striking, as is the flat central fuselage section between the engine nacelles, which contributes lift of its own. The designation A belongs to the first production version of the type.

Building and painting tips

• Cut the items from the fret with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not by breaking them out.
• Sand away what is left after cutting, so that the part sits down across its whole face.
• Make the bends with a bending tool or flat-jawed tweezers, always across the full width of the part.
• Degrease the metal before gluing and painting, otherwise neither the joint nor the paint will hold.
• It is glued with super glue applied in a minimal amount on the tip of a toothpick.

Who the set is for

For modelers who are building the Tomcat in 1:48 scale and want the detail carried beyond the contents of the box. The set is small and working with it calls for tweezers, a sharp blade and good light, but the result shows on a finished model. The extent of the set and the assignment of the individual parts are given by the manufacturer in the enclosed instructions, so dry-fit the parts before gluing.

The package contains photo-etched parts only. The model, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.