 VF-11 Red Rippers F-14D Tomcat. This model was airbrushed in standard US Navy TPS. I prefer building line birds as opposed to colorful CAG birds. No aftermarket parts were used except for the ordinance that came from another kit. I think I may try one of those beautiful aftermarket cockpit sets next time. They are beautiful works of art when completed. I weathered the Tomcat using random "spot touch-ups" like on the real aircraft. The recessed panel lines were darkened using watercolor pastels. These are easy to use because if you make a mistake it washes off with alittle water. When all this was done, I applied a glosscoat prior to setting the kit decals to seal the weathering and to prevent that horrible "silvering" effect. After another coat of gloss to seal the decals I then sprayed a final coat of flat clear to tone down the overall appearance. Model Masters enamels were my choice of paints. Construction took about 40 hours total over a 2 1/2 week period.
Photos © 2005 by Jeff Fuerte November 14, 2005 |
