1:72 F14A Tomcat Part.2 - VF-1 Wolfpack in 1970 Era

F-14A Tomcat Part.2, squadron VF-1 in the 1970s, 1:72 scale

The second part of the decal series from the Wolfpack Design brand is aimed at the fighter squadron VF-1 in the period when the Tomcat was only settling in with carrier aviation. The package consists of decals; a plastic model is obtained separately.

The time when fighters were colorful

VF-1 was among the first units to take on the new carrier fighter. The 1970s were the last era in which the US Navy did not yet hide its machines in uniform gray: a glossy light gray upper surface with white wheel wells and undersides applied, and with it colored bands across the tail surfaces, a bold unit insignia and the legends of a commander's machine. It is exactly this look that makes the early era a rewarding modeling theme. The F-14A itself is a two-seat fighter with a variable-geometry wing, a broad fuselage that forms part of the lifting surface and a pair of fins, a silhouette that cannot be mistaken.

What to keep in mind during the build

The glossy finish of the era allows no compromise in surface preparation; finish the sanding and apply the paint in thin coats. Spray the white areas before the gray ones and mask the boundary between them. The decals then settle by themselves; only the colored bands across the rounded edges should be laid in sections. The final coat should stay glossy, otherwise the period of service is lost on the model.

Who the set is useful for

• lovers of colorful naval schemes
• builders of the early era of carrier fighters
• modelers who want a contrast to today's gray
• collectors of the whole decal series for one type