1:72 F-14A Tomcat exhaust nozzles - varided position

1:72 Resin exhaust nozzles for the F-14A Tomcat (Aires)

An add-on set, not an aircraft model. It holds resin engine exhaust nozzles for the American Grumman F-14A Tomcat carrier fighter in 1:72 scale. According to the name, the nozzles are made in different positions, that is the way they usually look on a machine with its engines shut down: each set of petals stays in a different state depending on how the hydraulics depressurize. The manufacturer is the Czech firm Aires, whose resin nozzles are among the most sought-after aircraft accessories.

The real subject

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was a twin-engined carrier fighter with a variable-geometry wing, introduced with the US Navy in the 1970s. The F-14A version was the most numerous and was powered by a pair of turbojets with afterburners, whose widely opened nozzles are among the most conspicuous features of the whole airframe. It is precisely the rear end of the aircraft that tends to be a weak point on models: injection-molded plastic cannot convincingly render the thin petals of the nozzle and the depth of the duct behind them.

Tips for working it

Wash the castings in warm soapy water and cut the casting blocks off with a saw, not with nippers, so that the thin wall of the nozzle does not break. Before gluing, check by dry-fitting that the nozzles meet the fuselage and that both are fitted at the same height. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). Start the painting with metallic shades on a smooth, well-sanded undercoat and work with several tones: the inner part of the petals tends to be markedly darker and more heat-stained than the outer surface. Final dry shading and fine pigments for sooty deposits will complete the realistic look.

Who the set is for

• Builders of American carrier aircraft in the small 1:72 scale.
• Modelers for whom the simplified shape of the nozzles from the basic kit is not enough.
• Anyone after the realistic look of a parked machine with the petals in different positions.
• Builders used to working with resin and metallic shades of paint.

The set is an accessory for a build, not a model in its own right. The parts are supplied unpainted; glue, paints and the base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.