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

The real subject

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was a carrier-based fighter of the US Navy, recognizable at first glance by its variable-sweep wing and its pair of fins. The crew was a pilot and, behind him, a weapons systems officer who worked the radar and directed the fight at long range. The F-14A was the first production form of the type and served with the Navy for several decades; it is powered by a pair of turbofan engines with afterburners.

What the set brings to a model

A set of color 3D elements from Kelik for both stations of the cockpit, cut for the Academy kit in 1:72 scale. In this scale the instrument panel measures only a few millimeters and painting the dials by hand tends to be a lottery. The finished elements carry legible instruments, lettering and distinct panels, and their three-dimensional relief casts a shadow in side light, so the panel does not look like a painted flat area. The Tomcat has long, frameless glazing, so the view into the cockpit really is good.

Before you start work

• Before applying them, check in the instructions whether the elements are self-adhesive; the method of application differs between ranges and is given in the instructions with the set.
• Spray the cockpit parts first, let them cure and degrease them, so that the edge of an element does not lift.
• Apply the elements while access to the cockpit is still free, that is, before joining the fuselage halves.
• In a small scale work with soft-gripping tweezers and press down with the tip of a cotton bud.
• Which element goes to which part of the kit is given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Who the set is for

For builders of the Tomcat in 1:72 scale from the Academy kit who want both cockpits finished off even in a small scale. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.