1/72 F-14 Tomcat 

How to fasten the wings to the fuselage

by Marcin Witkowski

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The next step in my 1/72 Tomcat work was the special wrists, which carry F-14 wings. I haven’t planned to do these elements earlier because I haven’t exact documentation to show these elements with open access panels. As you can see I found some documentation so there was nothing to loose. I’ll try to explain all of the steps in this part of my work as simple as I can. First of all I don’t want you to lose a whole day for reading. 

          Always when I’m starting to do something new in my model I’m doing some simple concept drawings. That simple drawing, make all of the work much easier. You can see some of them on the pictures.  

          The first step was making the concept draws. Also drawings, in the model scale. I haven’t found it of course in the publications so I had to do it by my self. I used my earlier wing draw and after some mathematics calculations and the precise analyses, all of the photos and drawings I made the exact draw for wing jackscrew. Then I ascertain that I have to make the wing carry-through box ending first. These parts I’ve also drawn. Main problem was with the materials, which I used to make it. All of the parts have to be very strong because as like in the real plane as in my model a whole wing will be fasten in the only one point. In my little F-14 this point will be visible from top in the right wing side and from the bottom in the left wing side. So I have to make it like in the real Grumman jet but I won’t do wings with changing the wing sweep. I’m going to do it as strong to hold a whole model for a one wing!  

          I decided to make the wing carry-through box ending of aluminium because it is strong and light. To this element I fastened the plates of the material similar to copper which can solder. All of these elements I’ve cut and file by my own hands.  

          During works I invite very interesting way to fasten these metals without the glue. As you can see the plates are putted in to the chinks in the “aluminium cube”. I’ve drill apertures in aluminium part and in the plates.  Through these apertures I’ve planned put off, a single wire. But the better idea was put a four thinner fixed wires. Try to look at the picture to understand why. Four fixed wires I’ve set apart in the wide aperture end. Next I’ve soldered it and filled. Very easy, isn’t it? Already element will be fastened to wing carry-through box in the Tomcat fuselage, which I’m going to make of plastic plates. The aluminium cube has special slits for plastic plates and apertures (similar as in the plates case) for plugs. 

          Finished element helped me in works on the wing jackscerw. In the model it is double rounded almost parallel 0,5mm plates of copper. I decided to do it from one piece of material to avoid separate them during soldering other parts to them. After arching I filled exact shape of each plate. A whole part is a six soldered together elements. Other smaller elements I’ll fasten after integrate with the wing. As you can see there is a spar which I made longer by gluing a needles. This is a very important to make the very strong wing.  

          A whole element will be finished already after integrate with wing. On the pictures you can see some trashes and rests of the solders. That will be removed after integrate. All of the parts, which you can see in this article aren’t already finished. After the “hard works” I’ll polished it and paint. 

If you have questions send me an e-Mail: mwitkowski@go2.pl

 

Marcin  in Poland 

Pictures and explanations

 

A 1/72 scale draw of the right F-14 wing witch jackscrew elements

Click on images below to see larger images

Photos of jackscrew and wing carry-through box ending. Source: www.anft.net/f-14

Scale draws of the “aluminium cube” on the special paper

Left side wing carry-through box ending parts

Left side wing carry-through box ending parts

Left side wing carry-through box ending parts

Left side wing carry-through box ending – “aluminium cube”

 

Left side wing carry-through box ending – “aluminium cube”

Right side wing carry-through box ending

Right side wing carry-through box ending

Right side wing carry-through box ending

Both wing carry-through box endings in different work steps

Both jackscrews in different work steps

Left wing jackscrew

Left wing jackscrew

Left wing jackscrew

A whole mechanism after a meantime connect

A whole mechanism after a meantime connect

 

 

Left wing with jackscrew an connect

Left wing with jackscrew in almost connect position

Left wing with connected jackscrew with picture of the real plane in background

Left side wing carry-through box ending seeing through the access panel in the fuselage

Left side wing carry-through box ending seeing through the access panel in the fuselage

Not already finished right side wing jackscrew 

 

 

Concept draw of “aluminium cube”

Concept draw of jackscrew

Concept draw of jackscrew

Left jackscrew just before soldering

Left jackscrew during soldering

Left jackscrew during soldering

Left jackscrew after soldering

Photos and text © by Marcin Witkowski