This is from the description on the Flying Mule. Sounds like it is a special edition with some extra features.
Calibre Wings have designed their tooling to include many features that are important to F-14 fans, including a couple that aren't currently offered by the competition:
Martin Baker GRU-7 ejection seats (for A/B version)
Realistic pilot & RIO figures
Canopy in open or closed position
Working glove vanes
Positional airbrakes
Movable sweep wings & horizontal stablizers
Interchangeable engine nozzles in open or closed positions
Landing gears extended or stored
Jet intake covers
Wheel chocks
Rubber tires
Pay load ordnance (based on operational readiness)
Limited edition serialised metal plate
Collector's box
If CalW could do like Hachette series did long ago F-14 (and F-4) ..... for $200-300 at a 1/72 scale (instead of 1/32 as shown) and in diecast and already built.... I’m ALL in.....
If CalW could do like Hachette series did long ago F-14 (and F-4) ..... for $200-300 at a 1/72 scale (instead of 1/32 as shown) and in diecast and already built.... I’m ALL in.....
Is that Hachette release that progressive release where buyers would get a few pieces at a time to build the model, which resulted in a ridiculously detailed build in the end? I remember seeing that some years ago and thinking just how much money and dedication that would take, on top of the steady hand to properly build it out.
Is that Hachette release that progressive release where buyers would get a few pieces at a time to build the model, which resulted in a ridiculously detailed build in the end? I remember seeing that some years ago and thinking just how much money and dedication that would take, on top of the steady hand to properly build it out.
Yep ....... it’s Hachette ...... I can’t read French, but it looks to me you CAN still buy this plane in its magazined separate pieces.
A person definitely requires some skill.
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This is from the description on the Flying Mule. Sounds like it is a special edition with some extra features.
Calibre Wings have designed their tooling to include many features that are important to F-14 fans, including a couple that aren't currently offered by the competition:
Martin Baker GRU-7 ejection seats (for A/B version)
Realistic pilot & RIO figures
Canopy in open or closed position
Working glove vanes
Positional airbrakes
Movable sweep wings & horizontal stablizers
Interchangeable engine nozzles in open or closed positions
Landing gears extended or stored
Jet intake covers
Wheel chocks
Rubber tires
Pay load ordnance (based on operational readiness)
Limited edition serialised metal plate
Collector's box
In surfing the www awwwwwwwile back... I came across an obscure Manu, name doesn’t come to mind, that did some 1/72 diecast military planes that had movable rudders...... since CalW is making improvements, perhaps like the movable horizontal stabilizers mentioned.... they should add movable rudders like below .... then all they’ll need is movable ailerons....for the full Monty
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This is from the description on the Flying Mule. Sounds like it is a special edition with some extra features.
Calibre Wings have designed their tooling to include many features that are important to F-14 fans, including a couple that aren't currently offered by the competition:
Martin Baker GRU-7 ejection seats (for A/B version)
Realistic pilot & RIO figures
Canopy in open or closed position
Working glove vanes
Positional airbrakes
Movable sweep wings & horizontal stablizers
Interchangeable engine nozzles in open or closed positions
Landing gears extended or stored
Jet intake covers
Wheel chocks
Rubber tires
Pay load ordnance (based on operational readiness)
Limited edition serialised metal plate
Collector's box
I’ll give credit to Calibre for trying, but I don’t think all their decisions have been the best.
Canopy. It’s hinged. I think hinged canopies belong on toys. I suspect it’s one reason why Calibre’s F-14 canopy doesn’t fit properly at the front when closed. Optional/ interchangeable positional canopies, are in my opinion the better way to go. The usual result of “working” features is a toy, not a finely detailed model. As said on another thread, if you want to play with toys, LEGO is available.
With few exceptions, “working” features on 1/72 scale models are a big mistake. They are massively over-scale and rarely work properly. That goes for folding wings, moving rudders etc. Optional position “folding” wings for example, now that’s another matter. One of the very few working features that actually works at 1/72 is swing wings, because there the mechanism is entirely hidden from sight.
I honestly worry about rubber tyres. True, they can be good when new, but, how will they be ten or twenty years from now? I’m more curious as to whether or not they mold tread patterns, loaded flat spots, or the never-seen-in-a-model-except-by-accident, unloaded gear for inflight extension.
Ordnance. I’d like to see one correct for a mission permanently attached weapon load set per release - differing between releases. I know that’s very much a minority view here, but, I don’t need to play “fantasy tasking authority” or “fantasy bombhead”. If you want that build a kit. They could even do the occasional near pylons-only training or RTB release, saving me the effort of having to clean one up. Let’s face it, that’s how most of these birds spend most of their lives. I would like, correctly fitting ordnance, with no pallet gaps etc. As kind of a side benefit, the guys that I hand over $100+ to for their product actually get to do all the work and finish it off. No more messing about with white glue, CA glue, X-acto knives, sandpaper, touch up paint etc. What a strange concept. Yeah, they have to do their research. How hard is it to look at a photograph.
In surfing the www awwwwwwwile back... I came across an obscure Manu, name doesn’t come to mind, that did some 1/72 diecast military planes that had movable rudders...... since CalW is making improvements, perhaps like the movable horizontal stabilizers mentioned.... they should add movable rudders like below .... then all they’ll need is movable ailerons....for the full Monty
I'm ok with the pivoting swing wings and the positionable horizontal stabilizers, but doing rudders flaps and ailerons in diecast is problematic. Some look fairly decent, but most have gaps that are over scale. I think it can be done well in scales greater than 1/72. I like that Century Wings includes 2 sets of exhaust nozzles on their Tomcat, but they fit too loosely.
Manufactures have a lot of "damned if you do, and damned if you don't" decisions to make when producing a particular model: which paint schemes will sell; do a clean version and a weathered version; weapons load configuration and options; landing gear positioning and for launch, landing or static; I could go on and on. All these decisions and features have the ability to increase a person's interest in obtaining or discouraging them from purchasing the model. Finding that middle road that will please most of us is difficult.
For my interests, I have found that Hobby Master usually has the right balance of these features. Even so, I have always enjoyed building models, so I usually find at least one thing on every model that I have to modify. That is the fun part for me: Making a model better and unique by adding my own realistic detail or improving its function.
Yeah, positionable stabs normally seem to work, but I've had the occasional split or jammed problem. I haven't personally had a problem with CalW F-14 exhausts - yet. If you're a modeller you'll probably always find something you'd like to tweak, but the way prices are going, I'm not sure you'll be quite so keen to as you maybe once were.
Pleasing everyone all of the time? That's a fool's goal. Put out a product you believe in. The market will tell you if you need a correction.
You can't please everybody all of the time, hence "damned if you do damned if you don't." You do have to do your research though, so you can please the largest percentage of people possible and hopefully make a profit that will enable you to produce future models.
I have the completed set of this 1/32nd Tomcat kits. My girlfriend found some purchasing agent in Japan and the entire releases lasted more than 2 years including the extended release of carrier deck, issued monthly. The total cost plus shipping is around 30,000 Chinese dollars.
Caliber Wings Sundowner F14
