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

The real subject

The F-14A Tomcat was a two-seat carrier fighter with a variable-sweep wing. Its engines sat far apart in separate nacelles, and the flat underside of the fuselage between them carried the external stores. It is the widely spread tail with its two nozzles that is the first thing anyone notices on a model.

What the set contains

The set replaces the exhaust nozzles of a 1:72 model and, according to the name, is rendered in differing positions. On parked aircraft the position of the two engine nozzles commonly differed according to the state each engine was shut down in, so nozzles that do not match are not a mistake but an accurate detail. The interior is deeper than plastic parts allow.

Building and painting tips

The parts are not polystyrene and are bonded with super glue. Cut the excess material away with a sharp blade a little short of the part and sand off the rest. Wash and degrease the nozzles before painting. Spray the inside before you seat the set in the fuselage. Toward the end of the nozzle metallic shades with a slight shift into warm tones work well; compare the degree of wear with photographs of the particular aircraft, because it differs from machine to machine.

Who it is for

The set is for modelers who want to give the tail credibility and at the same time use the differing nozzle positions to bring an otherwise symmetrical model to life. The work concerns two self-contained parts and is manageable even without great experience. The kit itself, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.