1:72 F-14A Tomcat - interior 3D decals for HobbyBoss kit

The cat from the carrier deck

This carrier fighter with a swing wing joined the US Navy in the mid-1970s and its task was to keep the enemy as far as possible from the ship formation. It had a powerful radar set and long-range missiles for that, able to hit a target over one hundred kilometers away. The first production version, designated with the letter A, had one weak point, namely the original engines, which were prone to compressor stalls in a hard maneuver. Even so it is precisely this version that has stayed in the public mind as the most typical one.

Two stations one behind the other

Two different places hide under the glazing. The pilot sits at the front and the radar operator behind him, and his station has neither a control stick nor a throttle. Instead it is lined with system controls and a scope. At a reduction to 1:72 each of the two stations is around thirty millimeters long, and with the canopy open you can see inside both. It is precisely that difference between the front and the rear seat that cannot be told from an ordinary kit and that layered printing can bring.

Where there is nothing to save

If you build the model with the canopy closed, most of this work disappears under the plastic. So decide before you start gluing. An open cockpit means more work with the edges of the tub, but without it the set loses its point.

What to buy as well

The kit is not included in the package. Before fitting, it is a good idea to paint the inside dark so that the edges of the parts do not stand out.