I have always wanted to build a Tomcat with the Jolly Rogers markings and once the opportunity arose I went all out to make it right. I intended to make this on a 1/48 kit, but I ended up going with my favorite scale. I used the following aftermarket items:
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Campro VF-84 Decals
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Quick Boost ejection
seats
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Air Master metal Alfa probe and angle of attack
probe
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Edward's photo etched F-14 formation lights and self adhesive
placards
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Twobobs Aim-7 and Sidewinder missile
markings
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Scale Master Aim-54 markings.
I used a combination of Model Master acrylic and enamel paints for the paint scheme. This was a build with many challenges as the kit I purchased had apparently being exposed to heat while in storage and this rendered some larger parts and the landing rather fragile and I had to repair many larger parts. Moreover, it made the painting extremely difficult as I used tape to cover other painted areas, the covered paint would peel off very easily when the tape was removed.
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I added panel lines, opened up a few exhaust vents, and dressed up the cockpit with photo etch parts making this big bird an eye catcher within my display cabinet. I am extremely happy how this Tomcat turned out, and patience certainly paid off after all of the things I had to do to build this one right.