Dragon Models Limited (DML)

F-14D Tomcat "The Final Tomcat Cruise: VF-213 Black Lions"

Kit Number: 4593

Reviewed by  James Kelley, IPMS# 42106

MSRP: $9.99 Available from Dragon Models (www.dragon-models.com). For 34 years, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was the mainstay Fleet Defense weapon of the United States Navy. Providing secure, long-ranger Combat Air Patrol (CAP) for underway battle groups to which they were assigned, the Tomcat also possessed full capability of projecting force into the hearts of any threat real or perceived. 2006, sadly, saw the passing of a legacy. As happens to all aging airframes, the beloved Tomcats were systematically phased out of the fleet to make way (on deck and in-budget) for the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets. Over the previous 5 years or so, many "VF" squadrons transitioned to the newer aircraft, becoming "VFA" ("Fighter/Attack", denoting the multi-role mission capabilities) squadrons. Others, such as VF-84, were simply decommissioned. DML, never a company to miss an opportunity, has re-released yet another variant of their venerable 1:144 F-14 kit. With almost as many reincarnations as its Grumman-bred namesake, beginning with the F-14A variant, the kit has again resurfaced in the market, this time as a "-D" series Bombcat. In the same vein as their successors, the F-14D "Bombcats" were chosen airframes receiving upgrades to enable multi-role fighter attack missions. Outfitted with a forward-fitting rack for a pair of 2000-pound Paveway II bombs, along with the newer AN/AAQ-14 Targeting Pod, the Bombcat was a fully mission-capable Fighter/Attack platform. Able to still maintain it's air-to-air defenses with hard-point stations carrying a loadout of Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles. Eliminating the need for fighter escorts, the "Bombcat Community" paved the way for today's current generation of Fighter/Attack weapons platform tactics. A few years back, I picked up the DML "F/A-18 Blast Off with Flight Deck" set at the local Hobby Shop. I was there to get a jar of paint or something, and, as usual, went home with a kit I didn't need. With a copyright date of 1989, it was only 5 or 6 dollars, and I figured it would be a fun, quick weekend build. 3 weeks later, after sanding the damned thing to the point of no detail at all, I what passed as a Hornet. But it was an FLH (Funny-Looking Hornet). The highly detailed Flight Deck, replete with padeyes and raised Jet Blast Deflector (JBD) was a sight to behold. But the Hornet, whose parts just were not made to fit, was really bad. The worst part, however, was the canopy. Brittle and misshapen, it looked like George Jetson's canopy for his commuter briefcase car. Despite all of the unexpected self-inflicted pain and suffering, I was nonetheless hooked on this micro scale of modeling. And, I'm pleased to say, that the DML line of F-14 kits, dating from the late 80's/early 90's itself, is a much better kit. First of all, for the MSRP of $9.99, DML includes not one, but two complete kits in one box. Each one has a full set of markings for the same squadron, this time around VF-213's "Black Lions". Essentially the same kit in a re-boxed format, the 2006 release includes a newly tooled parts tree with 2 GBU-16 Paveway II bombs, racks for the Paveway IIs, an LAU-138 launcher for the AIM-9 missiles, and a nicely detailed AN/AAQ-14 targeting pod. Also included are a set of new exhaust "petals", indigenous to the later-model, upgraded GE powerplants. Otherwise, the kit is what was originally produced. That includes movable "swing wing" wings, which I cemented in place in a 3/4 almost-supersonic deployment. This helps hide the resultant gap, plus they're a tight fit and don't move well anyways.

The one-page instruction sheet, folded in half to become four pages. Page 1 is a half-page picture of the box art, and a half-page parts map. Page 2 is split between the Gunze-Sangyo color callouts, and the 2-step instructions (!). Page 3 is the painting and decal guide for the Hi-Viz , colorful "CAG" option, while page 4 concludes with the same for the Lo-Vis "line bird". Only two steps for the entire assembly, regardless of scale, is a bit crowded. The two CAD-style drawings are a bit confusing, with some parts being "arrowed" to a general are only. Actual F-14 photos are a big help to have on hand to ensure proper placement of parts. Overall fit isn't bad. The aircraft itself goes together easily, with a minimum of filling. The weapons/targeting pods and racks, however, don't have locator pins or holes that seem congruent, and fit is marginal. I cut and sanded off all locator pins, and cemented the pylons and pods flush with the aircraft. A touch of putty was required here and there, especially with these items. The canopy, however, is as equally hateful as the one in the "Blast Off" Hornet kit. DML's money would've been better spent on molding a new, correct canopy that fits, and maybe cut back on the two decal options, or even the two-kit package. Transparent parts are bad enough to work with, but trying to flush one in this scale is near-impossible without leaving a trace. In fact, of the completed model you see in the accompanying photos, the area around the canopy base is the only part I'm totally unsatisfied with. A modeler with access to a vacuform molding device would do well to carve a new form out of wood and press out a new one altogether. I don't know of anyone who offers sale of Vac-canopies in 1:144, so your options are limited. The engine intake ducts are thick for scale, and could be filed down for a more accurate profile. Also, after installing the interleaved exhaust petals, you can see all the way forward. Internally blocking off the non-existent "engines" would solve this, but I didn't bother to. This will allow me a place to slide a thin metal stand into the aircraft, with one end mounted to a base. The nicely-registered, colorful decals go on nicely without much fuss. The opacity is acceptable, and they settle down well with Mr. Mark Softener. I chose the "Hi-Viz" CAG option, in a wheels-up configuration. As DML includes two mutant pilot/RIO blobs (I'm not being mean…they're blobs), the canopy can be left unpainted. I was ambitious enough to "scratchbuild" an instrument panel for each aircrewman, as I didn't want there to be nothing in there with our Nation's finest, most well-trained blobs. I also just wanted to see if I could paint instruments that tiny. I can't. Unlike the first kit I built when introduced to this scale a few years back, you can complete the DML-F14D as a fun, weekend project. As the external differences of the D aren't that major from other variants, what is included in this offering is passable as the intended subject (Bonus: If you have the "Blast Off F/A-18 kit, it will fit on the cool flight deck, too!). And, for two full kits in a box for under ten bucks, I recommend this kit. My thanks to IPMS/USA and DML/Stevens International for the review kit.

And some nifty composite photography and editing to show the bird off !!!

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