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:

- The kit itself, Trumpeter’s 1/32 F14D Super Tomcat
- ZactoModels corrected intakes and weapon mounts
- Eduard’s BigEd photo etch sets
- Custom made light system by MagicScaleModelling
- Aires’ cockpit, exhausts, wheelbays, weighted wheels, and missile covers
- Grim Reaper decals by DXM
- Brass gun barrels and pitot tube by MasterModel
- Many figures by Reedoak for the diorama
- A GPU vehicle by Verlinden
- Flight deck accessories by FlightPath
- “Uncovering the F14” book by Daco Publications

On top of that I’ll be scratch building the F110 engine to match the real thing, as well as many of the electronics hidden inside. Plus, I’ve got a few weapons left from the F-16 project, which are perfect for what I have in mind. Why, you ask? Well, because I’ll be displaying this model with most of the covers open once completed. Didn’t I say it’s going to be one of my super builds? Oh, and I’ll also be giving it a killer paint scheme, one-of-a-kind for sure!

This also means it’s going to be another long haul, probably a few years, by the time it’s all done and dusted. It will also be the first model in a long time I’ll be documenting in detail and writing frequent updates on as I go along.

Hopefully, this next update won’t keep you waiting too long. Currently, I’m making a list of what I want to do with this model and how to approach them, mainly because a project of such dimension will be overwhelming otherwise. I need small steps to keep my sanity, and you may recall the 5 page “checklist” I had for the King Tiger. Once I’ve got all that sorted, I’ll get back to you with an update and (fingers crossed) some actual building progress.

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