1/48 Academy F-14 A Tomcat

[DesTROYer8564]

Hi every one i recently got back into model making after a 15-20 year break, by reignighting my love of the craft with the mobius and Revel BSG viper and Raider ships. they were fun and as I said helped re-ignight my passion for modelling, but that was all just the build up for my first aeronautical love, the F-14 Tomcat. Ever since 1980 when I first saw 'The Final Countdown' I've loved this plane and even still cry a little when I think about how so many have been sent through the shredder at the Boneyard. Being an Australian I have never seen one in person, so the next best thing is to build a kit as best I can and display it on a nice diarama.

For this project I have secured myself a 1/48 scale Academy Models Bombcat kit and have been spending the last few weeks collecting as many images and reference pics as I can find. The 'Home of M.A.T.S.'http://www.anft.net/f-14/index.htm website has been a great reference source as it has photos of the Cat up close with all the panels and doors opened up and of course in flight.

I am planning to do my diorama with the Tomcat on the deck of the Carrier hooked up to the cat ready for launch. While I wait for the kit to arrive, I have been thinking about how to do the deck and thought I would come here to see if you good folk have any ideas. I have used the search funtion to have a look at other Tomcat kits done here and also searched for Aircraft Carriers, but there has not been much to work with. Any ideas or sugestions on doing the kit or the deck would be great. Cheers.

 

[jedimaster]

Hey Troy.... Troy from TAG right?... Simon... Filthy on the tag. HTF are ya? Anyhoo hang tight. At our Model Club House we got a scratch built enterprise controll tower and deck with 2 Toms and crew etc on the deck dio. I'll see if I can get some pix.

 

[Robiwon]

Not much of an aircraft modeler, but what about these?

Logo Flightdecks

Skunkworks 1/48 USN Carrier Deck with Jet Blast Defector (4 figures inc) # 48020

 

[division 6]

For good reference photos you should check out the US Navy site, they have lot's of nice large pix.

As a side note I did the artwork for the Jolly Rogers last Tomcat Tour patch and BBQ apron.
A buddy of mine was corresponding with the supply officer of the squadron at the time.
He also went to Oceana NAS for the decommissioning of the planes.

 

[DesTROYer8564]

Hey Simon, yes, it is I. I am well considering I just had a month off work recovering from an operation on my leg which gave me a tonne of time to put together some kits and spend money I shouldn't have on new ones.

Thanks Robiwon. They look good.

Thanks Division 6, I will be sure to check them out. You got to design the logo for the final tour, very cool. That's history there mate.

I was thinking about the texture for the deck and thought that maybe black sandpaper or grip tape from a skateboard might work well. It would need to be a fine grit of course.