F-14D "Grim Reaper, Agressor Style"

When I say Top Gun, you’re probably thinking F-14 (or Tom Cruise, but that kind of beats the purpose of this intro line here). And when I say F-14, you’re probably thinking the coolest fighter jet ever flown! You’d be absolutely right (or at least in my mind) and I’m very excited to introduce to you my next Super Build project: The F-14D from the VF-101 Grim Reaper squadron.

But that’s not all, as the model will also be displaying the (somewhat washed-out version of it) aggressor camouflage scheme. How on earth did I come up with that?! Well, the VF-101 was a training and support squadron, and I figured that they were kind enough to “lease” on of their aircraft to the aggressor squadron up in Alaska, who then repainted it. When it returned, the boys and girls at VF-101 decided that the blue scheme looked pretty bad-ass, and all it needed to make it look even fiercer was the shark mouth and their crest of the Grim Reaper on the tail fins. Can you blame them?

Powerrr! ...And lights

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Niek Nijsen

Welcome to the next instalment of this super build. It’s been a while and I figured I could probably fit one in just before the end of the year. At least you’ve got something to read while you’re laying on the sofa with too much Christmas food in your belly. So, last time I left you with a small list of things I wanted to do next. Over the months that followed (yes, it’s been that long), I modified it slightly, which brings us to this update. Enjoy!

The horizontal stabilisers are now all done. Once the filler had dried, I sanded it all smooth and re-scribed any panel lines that were lost in the process. Both are now ready to be fitted and painted once the rest of the jet is done. I’ve put them into long storage obviously, as we both know the jet won’t be anywhere near ready for paint anytime soon…

Read more

Armed to the Teeth - pt. 2

Posted on July 30, 2022 by Niek Nijsen

After the last update, I was left with a few outstanding jobs which were needed to finish the weapons. Among these were the fire protective coating on the bombs, their pallet(s), and the wing pylon. Once they were all ticked off, I could begin work on the next item on the endless list: installing the first (of many) LED lights.

But first, back to the weapons. The GBU-31 bombs that I stole from Tamiya are very nicely detailed, but for some reason miss their signature fireproof coating. It may be that the USAF version doesn’t have this applied and is only used on aircraft carriers in the Navy? Either way, I needed to add this coating as they bombs didn’t come with this textured appearance.

Read more

Armed to the Teeth

Posted on July 08, 2022 by Niek Nijsen

For a multi-year project, it seems the first update has arrived somewhat early. Don’t be fooled though, as I’m sure there’s still plenty left to do in order to stretch this out for a lot longer. It just so happens that I’ve started with a different sub-subject than usual. Instead of starting with the cockpit and following the instruction manual in the correct order from there, I went straight to the last page and began assembling the weapons. Why? Well, because I wanted an easy start on this project, something that would get me motivated and not ready to give up straight away. Also, it turns out that during my previous “dabbling” with this kit, I already assembled a few of the missiles.

Read more

Time for another Super Build

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Niek Nijsen

It's been a long time since my last super build, which was the 1/16 King Tiger, and I think it's about time we get our teeth into a new one! May I present to you the 1/32 F-14D “Super Tomcat”!

I dabbled with this one back in 2019, when I first opened the box in January that year. However, as I was working on a few commission models at the time and we moved house not too long after, the model ended up in the box again for the few years that followed. Despite that, I continued to acquire an almost endless list of goodies and aftermarket parts I wanted to use. A full list for this super build is as follows:

Read more