Subject: Re:
From: "Steve Bamford ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 01:24:35 -0800

Hi EJ,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks for
sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 9:27 PM

> "1/32 Tamiya F-14A Tomcat converted to an F-14D "Bombcat"
>
> by "EJ DeVivo"
> --------------------
>
> Put jpg 01 and jpgcard here.
>
> As we escort the Tomcat off the carrier decks and usher the Hornet aboard,
one cannot help but get teary eyed at the thought of bidding farewell to
this legendary fighter. It seems as if the United States Navy is
accelerating it's retirement every time I turn around with Boeing turning
out the Super Hornet off the assembly line so fast.
>
> Don't get me wrong, I love the Hornet.  It's just not the Tomcat. I think
the beefy F-14 made the movie Top Gun more awesome than the F-18 could have.
That is of course, if the Hornet was flying in 1986. The Tomcat is an
American icon, sort of like the Chevy Corvette or Harley Davidson.
> Some analogies I like to make are like this. If the Tomcat were a car, it
wouldn't be a nimble sports car. It would be a brutish loud as hell muscle
car with glass packs the whole nine yards. If it were a pro-athlete it would
not resemble a baseball or tennis player, but a huge linebacker ready to
plow anything in it's path. I think most will agree the F-14 or rather the
"Tomcat'" is the best known fighter in America for it's name while probably
the F-16 is better known for it's number. In 1995 my girlfriend (now lovely
Wife) stepped into my Corvette for the first time which had an illuminated
tangerine instrument cluster. "Wow, it look's like an F-16 in here." But she
somehow knew Tom Cruise flew a Tomcat.
>
> Nuf said onto the kit.
>
> I bought this kit about 2 ½ years ago and it sat in the closet of future
build projects for all that time. To be honest, I lacked the testicular
fortitude to build this kit. It was my first 1/32, and Iv'e got to say
that's its different from 1/48. Painting is more difficult because you have
to figure out a way to hold the beast. Also, the kit is old. Once completed
with some good detailing it's stunning but you will need to purchase an
aftermarket resin cockpit and certain ordinance if you wish to build a
Bombcat as I did.
>
> Kit: Tamiya 1/32 scale F-14A Version 1994.
> Aftermarket items used:
> - Teknics cockpit and airframe conversion set
> - Cutting Edge Lantirn pod and adapter
> - Verlinden "Remove before flight" tags
> - CAM decals
>
> The office.  I'll speak in detail of this because it interests all. I used
the awesome Teknics F-14 B/D custom cockpit set and let me tell you that
this is truly THEE cockpit to use for this kit. The switches and dials are
so nicely raised and your provided with a nice sheet of photo etch brass. I
have the Black Box set for another F-14 project which by the way is stunning
in it's own right but what really sets these two resin wonders apart is the
way the Teknics goes together. The pieces are more solid, and just sit nicer
on the tub. They are like blocks that fit into place.  Little to no effort
in manipulating the way the cockpit and RIO cockpits lay on the tub. More
important, you are given the option of building a Bombcat as your  provided
with the PTIDS screen and Lantirn control stick. The only modification I
made were to the ejection seat handles. They looked a little bulky so I used
brass wire in lieu of the resin. I also added a wire going from the RIO's
control box to the canopy. Nice touch I thought
>
> Put jpg 2,3,4 & 5 here.
>
> By the way, get ready to sand.
>
> I used Model Master interior black for the side panels which I find goes
on amazingly well. It applies so smooth as gives a perfect flat appearance.
The switches and dials were painted with Tamiya Alluminum and the CRT
screens were painted with MM gloss black with about two coats of future to
give a nice glass like finish.
>
> The HUD (Heads up display) I have my Wife to thank for this although not
intentional at all. She actually has little to no tolerance for my obsession
however one night I was in the crafts store with her  and don't ask me why I
was there I just was and by accident I stumbled across these large rolls of
vinyl material. Black, grey, red clear yellow green. When I saw the Black
and grey I stopped dead in my tracks and thought,, intake covers!!!!! When I
looked at the clear green and yellow I said to myself, HUD displays!!!
>
> My good friend Doug at the Hobby Super Store once told me that when you
really start become obsessed with his hobby you tend to look at things
different. How true that is. How many times when visiting Home Depot do we
walk past electrical wire and think, wow landing gear wires. Now I'll get to
the intake covers later on but lets  talk about the HUD. First I took a
piece of green vinyl with a pair of surgical scissors and cut a small piece
and placed it on the already positioned HUD frame. Using a straight edge and
a razor, I now cut the desired size and shape which by the way came out
perfect the first time and glued it to the frame using white transparent
glue. I used the same technique on a Hasegawa 1/48 Tomcat along with the BB
cockpit and it came out exquisite.
>
> This kit is a lesson in patience. There are stages of this model when the
sanding, grinding and fitting get tiresome and frustrating but the end
result is worth the wait. Some mornings I would walk through the garage and
gaze at the previous nights work and wonder what did I really accomplish?
>
> One regret is that I should have taken more digital images when the kit
was in its raw build stages, so that if any newcomers come on board to ARC
and need reference it could have helped. Put jpg 6,7 & 8 here.
>
> I used a variety of Tamiya acrylics to achieve the finish as I really like
the way they 'bite' onto the already primed model. They also provide a nice
flat finish which I like on Naval Aircraft.  This particualiar aircraft is
usually depicted in light ghost grey but you know what, I don't believe in
exact replication. I enjoy simulating much better. By the way, VF-31 does in
fact have one or two of these in the dark ghost grey so there!!!
>
> Weathering methods employed were a combination of pre-shading, spot
shooting and panel line washes. Pastel chalks were used in certain areas but
not much as I have grown to dislike them for a variety of reasons..
>
> Put jpg13,14 & 15 here.
>
> Converting the airframe was no picnic, but not the nightmare I thought it
to be. I used model master jet exhaust for the cans. Put jpaf here.
>
>
>
> Two things that I enjoy detailing the most on military aircraft is the
cockpit and landing gears. The Tamiya kit gives you a nice gear, main and
nose. I used fishing line for the hydraulic/brake hoses and weathered the
gear using pastel chalks with a some water and dishwashing liquid. I applied
this method in the areas where the crew would normally grease. The rest of
the weathering was achieved through enamel washes. Put jpg 9,10,11 & 12
here.
>
> My own website will be up and running soon. It will be a place for
modelers to visit and learn different techniques. I will post more pictures
of this particular Tomcat plus the Hasegawa  F-14D I'm building now. This
kit I'm taking step-by- step images and will discuss in detail.  The intake
covers were made with vinyl.
>
> Put jpg17here.
>
> If any of you are struggling with intake covers, please feel free to email
me and I will show you the way.
>
> The guy talking on the cell phone is my pal Doug from the Hobby Superstore
where I live. Put jpg 19 here.
>
> He has taught me a lot of stuff over the past few years and I can't thank
him enough. This dude actually taught me to airbrush over the phone, no
joke. He builds RC cars, and airbrushes ladies nail polish on them. I
laughed at first but the end result is breath taking.  The images aren't
that great, but you can see some of what the other guys who frequent this
place build.
>
> Nice Tamiya by Danny, same kit as mine..  Put jpg 21 here.
>
> EJ's big cat in the window. Put jpg 20 here.
>
> My other cats.. Put jpg 31 here.
>
> Put jpgs 22,23,24,25,26,27,28 & 29 here.
>
>
>
>
> Sadly the time is drawing closer than we think to say farewell to our
Tomcat.  Operation Iraqi Freedom is probably the last time we will see the
Tomcat fly in anger. During OIF, I recall watching CNN as the camera crews
were aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The newscaster was talking to one of
the pilots as an F-14D sat on the catapult in the background about 2:00am.
They were situated in the middle of the sea and the darkness seemed
hauntingly eerie. Watching the F-14 barrel down the carrier deck and light
up the Indian Ocean with  it's huge GE-110's afterburning flames  was an
incredible sight to behold..
>
> The F-14 was from VF-31 and the camera crew also got into VF-31's briefing
room. Of what I saw was a banner on the wall of Felix carrying the bomb with
the rainbow behind, much like what's on the tail of this kit.  Well, that
inspired me to model that squadron. The pilot being interviewed spoke of
dodging SAM's for what seemed to be the longest 7 minutes of his life. The
F-14's launching that hour were looking for any resistance from MiG-25's.
>
> Evolution..  Sad but true.  Now I guess this is how the F-4 Phantom guys
felt.
>
> Photos and text © 2003 by "your name goes here"
>
>

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