1:48 F-14A

The real subject

The Grumman F-14A Tomcat is an American two-seat carrier-based fighter with a variable-geometry wing. The wing was reset in flight according to speed: spread for a launch from the deck and for landing, swept back against the fuselage at high speeds. The crew consisted of a pilot and a weapon systems officer (WSO), whose work revolved around the radar and long-range guided missiles. The Tomcat was meant to defend a naval formation against targets far beyond the horizon.

What the set offers

Photo-etched metal parts in 1:48 scale, listed under the manufacturer's part number FE229. They replace the places where injection-molded plastic reaches the limit of what it can do: thin edges, pierced grilles, small levers and brackets. A metal part has the right thickness even where a plastic one would have to be several times thicker because of the mold. Which parts of the model the set covers and which kit it is tuned to are given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Building and painting tips

Work on a hard, smooth surface and cut the parts out of the fret with the pressure of a sharp blade. Breaking them out with your fingers bends the edge, and straightening it afterwards is difficult at best. Make the bends along the score lines etched on the back, ideally in a bending tool. Move small parts with tweezers over a surface, not over a carpet: a part dropped once is hard to find. You join metal with super glue, applied with a pin in a tiny amount. Before painting, wash the sheet, degrease it and prime it with a base meant for metal.

• photo-etched metal parts in 1:48 scale, the manufacturer's part number FE229
• the subject is the F-14A Tomcat carrier-based fighter
• thin edges and pierced shapes that plastic cannot reach
• cut out with a blade, bend along the etched score lines
• the extent of the set is given in the manufacturer's instructions

Terms of supply

The kit, paints, primer and glue are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.