New to forums, would like info on these custom 1/18 tomcats.

[astronut1885]

Hi guys. I'm new to the forums, and I have been mulling over the decision to buy one of the JSI tomcats for quite some time. I've read several of the in-depth threads on here and have learned a ton about the 1/18 Tomcat. The new BK tomcat really doesn't do it for me, and the more I read about the spots, chicken leg gear, etc on the Jolly Roger version, the more I feel like passing on it. That was, at least, until I started seeing some of the custom jobs on here, and all but fell out of my chair. WOW! WOW WOW WOW! That's all I can say. I've found some of the resources like skyworkstoys for the awesome aftermarket parts, but it seems many of the paint jobs are individually done, and by members of these forums (I was told by MTS that Skyworks is more or less out of the custom paint arena and focusing on other projects). I was never in the service, but I've loved the Tomcat since the first time my dad (USN-R ret.) took me down on one of his deployments to NAS Oceana and we had lunch on the tailgate of his old Land Cruiser sitting about 20 yards from the fence on the incoming side of Oceana's main runway. Nothing beats good subs and repeated touch-and-go's by Tomcats, Hornets, and everything else the Navy was flying back when a carrier deck showed some more diversity. Ever since then, I've loved the F-14 in a strange yet completely understandable way, like a guy loves a classic car he'll never drive. I was privileged to see one of the last F-14 demos performed by VF-101 Grim Reapers during the 2004 R.I. ANG Open House and Air Show. They flew a low-vis F-14D Tomcat with nose number 160 like nothing I've ever seen flown. It's a memory I'll always treasure, and one I want to recreate. The biggest problem is I can't paint for crap, and I have plenty of older 1/72 and 1/48 scale birds that can attest to that. I'm not sure of the policies on this forum in regard to discussing custom work, prices, etc, but if someone could point me in the right direction, I'd love to see if recreating this prized memory is something I could afford. I am attaching a picture from that day, not my own, because I had a crappy camera that took some grainy shots not worth showing, but one from a professional shooter. As luck would have it, he captured the same moment I did that day, and this is what I want sitting on my shelf, old glory and all:



Thanks for all the info you've already posted before my thread, I've learned a lot, and I look forward to anything else you guys can teach me about the 1/18 Tomcats. If anybody is interested, I can attach a video of the actual flight I am referencing.

[astronut1885]

The best high-speed pass I've ever experienced.

[astronut1885]

Someone has to know something about getting the ball rolling on one of these projects. I'd really like to know the ballpark expenses involved and who I should be in contact with to start getting a JSI from a spot-cat to a fair representation of what you see in those pics. I can get my hands on a series 1 version for reasonable prices on that giant auction website we all know about...Thanks guys!

[toyktdlgh]

I would start by scouring this forum and contacting people who have done it or had it done. There are a handful of individuals on here that can do that kind of work. It’s been my experience from reading these posts in the past that the price can really get up there. This is a very large plane and it could easily cost another $200-$300 to get the work done. You may end up with $600 or more in it by the end of the day. Personally I would start by buying a bird and then researching someone to work on it. Even if you never get it done you will be very happy with the BK once you see it in person. There was a time when TKO was doing repaints for the Jolly Rogers. He may be a good source to contact. I’m not sure if the BST rules apply to this kind of thing but there is no harm in researching it and waiting for your 6 months to be up if it does. Good luck with your project and welcome to the forum!

[tko211]

I'm not in a place were I can take the time to type out a detailed reply to you. Give me a couple hours to wrap up this thing I'm in the middle of and I will give you some info.

[astronut1885]

Thanks man. I was hoping to hear from you!

[tko211]

Ok, done with my morning meeting! Here are a few things to help you decide what to do next. I will tell you a little about myself and my process which may help you to understand all that is involved with custom work, regardless of who ever does it for you. There a handful of talented people here that do these things, we all do the details a little differently but they are all cool. Overall this will give you an idea of what to expect.

First- a little about me: I don't do custom work as a "business" meaning- I do not see this as a way for me to feed my family (thankfully). I have been customizing 1:18 planes for close to 5 years now and I have made about 75+ planes. Some for myself and others for fellow collectors. Lately F-14's are what I have been doing mostly. They are such neat planes when they are all custom painted! You can see some of my work on this thread: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13746

I am a founding partner in a design agency located in Salt Lake City, UT and as a result my life is quite busy during the week. Weekends are then split between my family, my other passion (driving and maintaining 2 sports cars) and finally modeling 1:18 planes. So - this means that I work kinda slow... It's a tough reality, but it is what I have to deal with. These projects, and especially the Tomcat's take many hours. I can usually spend 20-30 man hours on a single plane easily. They also chew up materials as it is such a large bird. I only use the best and more expensive materials as it's easier to work with, dries fastest, and give the most durable and realistic finish. For me, I am talking about Tamyia brand paints, tapes, and clear coats.

About the process:
If you are looking at an F-14 the best one to buy hands down, is the new Black Knights. It's been the best of all the releases and I am working on one as we speak. But it's a 300.00 donor plane to start. The next best is the second release tomcat VF-84. The last and the one I would recommend to avoid is the first release VF-84 (no lit). I would not even think about the VF-84 lit version. IT's proven to be a QC nightmare!

Typically you send me a plane. I inspect it for any QC issues and there is always at least 1 of some kind. These days I am seeing the boarding ladder door being glued shut. NOT STUCK but actually seemingly on purpose, glued shut. Other wise no real deal breaker issues these days.

I mask off any useable details from the original plane paint scheme that we can use for the new desired scheme. Everything get a primer paint player and dries. I then lay down the colors required for the base color of the plane. In the case of a low vis plane this is Light and dark ghost greys. Everything is then given a quick shot of flat clear coat. I then do a combo of weathering techniques to give it that look. (customers choose the level of weathering) . The plane then gets final markings. This is where my process seems to diverge a little... I design and print vector vinyl masks for the markings. For example the Reaper on the tail... I place a reverse cut vinyl sticker stencil of the reaper onto the tail and then spray out the color. It dries and I then remove the mask to reveal a custom painted marking. So in these larger more important areas I avoid using decals. This mimics the factory tampo print process fairly close. Smaller details such as warning panels, danger triangles and rescue arrows are custom made clear decals. once applied I seal everything with a final layer of flat clear coat to protect and seal stuff.

Costs:
Each low viz conversion uses roughly 50 dollars in paints and tapes and masks. So automatically we have to add that to the cost, then finally my time. in my real job- I make about 100.00 per hour. At this I make about 7-8 dollars an hour which brings these planes to 225-300 paint materials and time charge on top of the model cost.
so not cheap and as you can see now why this is not a business decision for me! - or anyone else in their right mind! I do it because its fun and I love to help people get something they can own as a piece of art.

Availability:
I ALWAYS have 2-6 planes going for people and like I said they take a while to squeeze them in my busy schedule and they take care and time anyways... I'm typically 8-12 weeks to turn one. This is due to finishing other commitments, and trying to balance some personal life in there. Schemes will also play roles in costs and availability. So it's best that we speak directly on the phone prior to doing one, and from there we will remain in contact directly through the process as questions and status updates will come up.

Hope this helps you in your research. I currently have 3 planes in various stages of production. 1 high vis reaper is 75% complete, and 1-2 F-18's. The hornet(s) are for 2 board members. The High Viz reaper is for a Navy Commander in the Pentagon.

[VMF115]

I have to concur with what TKO211 wrote, I do enjoy my VF-101 F-14B and have placed it for all too see in my living room, but as TKO has pointed out the turn around for your bird will take time. But first, astronut1885 would please tell us a little bit about yourself? It's not normal(?) see the BST thread around here for people to ask for services in their first posts.

[astronut1885]

Wow, great info TKO, and VMF, your bird is absolutely a masterpiece and all the evidence I need of TKO's ability to make my memory tactile. I am honestly in no rush to get it done, I'd rather see it done right by someone like TKO than try and hack it myself. I've been kicking around the idea of a JSI Tomcat since back when they were first announced, but I waited to see the final production piece (learned my lesson on other pre-orders), and I'm not impressed with the out of the box product for $250. Now that I see someone has the ability to resurrect what could have been a real winner of a display piece, I'm back in the mindset of getting one, and making it represent one of my favorite Tomcat memories just makes it 1000x better. Honestly, I think an investment like what it would take for TKO to Reaper-ize a 1/18 Tomcat is worth it, because I'd probably stare at it for hours. I'd show it off too, but nobody I know would have the appreciation for it that I have, nor would they have the sentimental connection to that particular jet like I do. I can honestly see it sitting on my shelf with 1/18 pilots and a scale American flag hanging out of the cockpit, just like when they rolled by me back in '04.

About me: I'm 26, a registered nurse with a bachelor's degree in science of nursing, and the son of an honorably discharged Lt. Cmdr. from the US Navy Reserves. I'm getting married in less than three weeks, I am an avid diecast collector ( 80+ 1/24 stock cars pf #16 Greg Biffle, and 6 or 7 nice 1/72 planes), NASCAR fan, Ford + Mustang man (I have a well modified 2010 GT that eats up most of my money ), and supporter of our armed services. I suck at model building and painting, which is a drag because I actually enjoy it, but I am super critical of my work, and it just never measures up. I'm of the minority who love naval aviation and the F-14 not because of Top Gun, but because it was the baddest thing prowling the skies for a generation. Honestly, I like Top Gun for the Tomcat scenes, and not the other way around. I love seeing old pictures of Tomcats intercepting Soviet Bears and keeping them at bay. Nothing beats a 90 mile shoot-down radius for you and 3 of your bad guy buddies, which in my opinion is why the Rhino is just a bit limp compared to the F-14 it sidelined.

My dad was mostly stationed at now closed NAS South Weymouth, MA and was part of the Atlantic Intelligence Command. I don't know much of what he did beyond that, because he's not really allowed to discuss the details. NAS South Weymouth was kind of a sleepy base, mostly P-3 Orion squadrons and a crapload of A-4 Skyhawks I never saw up in the air, for all I know they were mothballed and just sitting there. Most of my childhood memories from NAS S/W come from the annual summer picnics they used to throw, and I just loved being on base. While stationed there, my dad has said that he looked at recon photos and did damage assessments, and other stuff that he can't tell me much about. Since he was Navy-R, I've always had a love of naval aviation. There's a special something to planting a jet on a rolling deck at night that just says you are the best.

I've been to almost every airshow up this way since I was a kid, and I still do the 2-day cook in the sun every summer to watch them fly both days the RI ANG air show is open. This year the : are coming to Quonset and I can't wait to see the blue and gold light up the sky, as its been a few years for me. As I mentioned in my post above, my particular love for the Tomcat came as a little kid when we took a family trip down to VA Beach with my dad while he did his "2 weeks a year" part of the reserves. We stayed right on what I think was Atlantic Blvd and I used to plane-spot from the rooftop pool of our hotel until my mother wanted to kill me (because I had to announce what each and every distant shape was). One of the best memories I have of that trip was my dad and I having lunch sitting in the back of his old sixty-something FJ40 LandCruiser. He found a spot where there was a small outdoor air park with several jets on static display, and on the other side of the road was the runway at Oceana. (or atleast close by, I am recalling this from about 18 years ago) After touring the jet park, we parked right at the fence line on the inbound side and had lunch while all manor of Navy jets came in overhead. It was incredible, but nothing was better than when the F-14s would come in and then go full burner on a bolter pass and shake the hell out of us. Another of my fond memories is watching an entire squadron of A-6 intruders come over the boulevard in a giant formation, something I was told later was probably a squadron returning from a deployment and doing a parade flight to announce their return. If you've watched the well circulated video of the "last flight of the Tomcat" with the squadrons returning to Oceana, it looked just like that, except all Intruders, and it was breathtaking, even for a little kid. I can still picture them coming in just above the rooftops...

Anyway, since then, I've loved all things naval aviation to a point where I can identify any aircraft in Naval inventory with nothing more than a pin-sized silhouette on the horizon to reference. I'm that guy who stands around for an hour after the airshow, looking at the static displays and just taking in the sights of the birds. I've actually had the chance to get very close to a Tomcat, as Quonset Air Museum acquired one a few years back. It was actually repainted into a high-vis VF-101 jet that looks drop dead awesome. My fiance kinda found it strange when I stood there and just held my hand against the nose... she tries but she doesn't get it. I had the great chance to tour USS Midway this past year, as I was in Cali for about a year on travel nursing assignments, and my fiance booked us a trip aboard for my birthday. I plan on getting down to USS Intrepid in NYC some time this year since I am back on the east coast. One of the other awesome jet related experiences I had in Cali was while I was in San Diego. I lived outside the city, and more or less on MCAS Miramar's back yard. I know it isn't Top Gun anymore, but to actually be at fightertown USA was a thrill. While every one of my neighbors was cursing the constant overflights by F/A-18s, I was outside drooling as VMFA-225 Vikings and VMFA-232 Red Devils came back from their combat training. It was also fun to watch VMFAT-101 SharpShooters train what the locals called the "new drivers", but their flights were less about high speed carrier breaks and more about low speed dirty passes over the runway. I even got to see a C-2 Greyhound practice carrier approaches on Miramar's secondary runway complete with the meatball, a C-17 do a hot-stop for fuel, and the first V-22 be delivered to Miramar, all from a distance of course. I used to sit on an abandoned overpass left behind from when they redid the highways around the base, and I was dead smack in the middle of the arrival pattern, with hornets circling 360* over my head, and I never got bothered. Well, once a MP came by, asked me to please not take pictures, which I wasn't planning on anyway, and otherwise to be safe and enjoy the show but that where I was was completely safe and legal.

Back to the request for work to be done: More or less the Tomcat is like a hero to me. I know that might sound weird, but some people idolize Babe Ruth, I idolize the Tomcat. The last time I was able to see a tomcat operational was the 2004 RI ANG air show, and the pictures I posted above are from that actual day and flight. I remember feeling a pit in my stomach when they said it was going to be the last demo at Quonset and that the following year the Tomcat was being retired. I still mourn a little bit, so I can imagine what the guys who actually flew her feel. Since I am a collector type, I would love to have a jet done to replicate the aircraft that forever will be my last impression of the Tomcat. It would be a personal centerpiece to a collection that I feel more or less exemplifies me. I'm glad I saw this last flight while old enough to make sure it was imprinted in my memory forever.

Thanks for the responses, pictures, info, and for giving me a chance to remember those great memories!

[astronut1885]

Way off topic, but this is my most expensive diecast, a 1:1 2010 Mustang GT lol. I show this thing off like it's my kid

















TKO, I'm pretty sure I saw somewhere that you had a newer Shelby GT... may I see the beast? Don't worry about spamming up my thread, this is a fun conversation, and you already pretty much provided everything I need to know in your excellent response above. I took these pics up in Napa Valley, my last stop while I lived in Cali last year. I also have some awesome pictures from the California Capital Airshow if anyone is interested, they had some of the best static displays I've seen.

[8416w]

I can also attest that Zach's work is great! I love my "Vicky" 101.

[astronut1885]

If any letters start coming out funky on here (nkdnsfopinrg;pnerg), it's likely because I drooled all over the keyboard and shorted it out. Vicky is one sexy 'cat.... I do like the low stand she sits on too, it gives it a very sleek appearance. Is the height adequate to allow you to drop the gear as well? She, TK's own VF-143, and VMF's reaper are probably my 3 favorite so far. While I love the Hi-Viz CAG jets that usually get all the fanfare, the work on these low-vis realistic birds just looks like it leapt off an episode of "Wings Over the Gulf."

[tko211]

Funny- We must be drinking the same cool-aid! Here is one of my passions in 1:1 scale.

[Nugget]

Astronut, according to my father, those A-4s at NAS S/W flew a lot when the reservist pilots came to do their monthly flying. I was born a couple years after it closed, had it remained open, I'd be in heaven right now .

[tko211]

Mine is 2007 Shelby GT. It's the 4.6L V8 motor with a few extra bits for sharper throttle response. It's not like it's larger GT500 brother. Mine is lower, stiffer, and more nimble. But- no super charger so not a quick from zero. It's a very balanced car and I like the Hurst Shifter that came stock on her. I track it a few times a year.

[8416w]

Yes the stand does allow for the gear to come down. Board member Pizzaguy makes the stand; the remove before flight tags; and the intake covers.




By the way Zach, stop posting pics of sports cars and get back to painting Tomcats!!!

[astronut1885]

Nugget- damn shame I didn't see the skyhawks airborne back in the day, but then again I probably would have been like "Oh shit, it's Jester!" Lol

8416- Vicky looks good from all angles I am sure I'll be sending some $ PizzaGuy's way once TKO and I are done making Reaper 160 later this summer, because his covers and tags are icing on the detail cake and that stand seems like a smart move whether or not I use Skyworks landing gear (still on the fence).

TKO- Nice ride dude, I wish I had a place to track my car around here. I'm so much more into road courses like that over a drag racing setup, nothing beats lateral Gs. Those Shelby GTs are a nice piece, they have a great look, some nice factory improvements, and they carry a little extra notoriety and prominence thanks to the Shelby origin over a regular GT like mine. The black with silver stripes is a very nice look, too. Mine is a 2010, same 4.6L 3V motor package as you, with the same suspension under it as the 2008 Bullitt special edition. Since Ford wasn't hooking up the 2010 guys with the new 5.0 motor package, they decided to throw us a bone with the upgraded Ford Racing Bullitt suspension that lowers it and stiffens up the handling instead of the factory 2005-2009 GT suspension. I have to say, after 5 Mustangs in my past this one is leaps beyond my '04 or my 80s fox bodies, especially in the chassis department. For performance, I have the factory cold air intake, also stolen by Ford from the Bullitt, an aftermarket tune (if you don't have one, you NEED to do it, it's like crack for your car and throttle response goes through the roof), magnaflow mufflers for some more sound, and a Shelby strut tower brace to stiffen her up a bit. My long term plans include some mean cams, a FRPP intake, all the bolt-ons, and some worked heads with a goal of 400 RWHP naturally aspirated along with a full Roush trak pak suspension and brake upgrade. For creature comforts I have the SYNC system (love it and it plays so nice with my Droid X with Pandora), Shaker 1000 audio with twin trunk mounted factory subs, leather interior, HID headlights, and a spoiler mounted backup camera that shows a screen in half the rear view mirror while in reverse. I also did some appearance mods to make it look more like the old school Muscle I admire with CDC's chin spoiler, rear panel blackout, and rear window louvers. I had the vinyl stripes done while in Cali. Sitting in my cousin's basement is a full set of 18x9 and 18x10 American Racing Shelby redline rims in gunmetal that will be hopefully shod in BFG KDW-IIs and put on the car for the late summer/ early fall season before I go back to stockers for the winter. Living in New England is like a constant fight against corrosion, and polished rims are an easy victim in the winter. She's financed, so the payments are a little rough but I lucked out and got it at invoice with 0% financing right before the 2011s with the new motor landed, and the majority of my play money after the payments get dumped right back into the car. Needless to say my wallet has a car problem lol... As you can tell I am a total Mustang nut, so if you ever have a question on the car, feel free to hit me up, because I've been through just about it all with these cars. I can also recommend Stangnet.com as a resource, I post there all the time and have been a member for years. If you ever have a question and no answer, somebody over there will figure it out for you.

[snake]

Welcome to the forum, astronut1885.

You certainly bring some enthusiasm.

Great to hear your love of the Tomcat, and even with all its flaws, it is still very impressive in 1/18.

As you clearly want this done right, take some time [and money], and let the "pro's" do this right for you. You will be very satisfied when she is done, and in your possession.

Can't recommend TKO, and pizza guy enough.

[tko211]

The Shelby GT uses the same suspension set up as the Bullitt so... Sounds like you are running the same! I love how stiff it is in the lateral direction, but still bearable for street use. The lowered height looks good on our cars. I forget that we are on a 1:18 forum here so I'll try to get back to a tomcat topic! Sorry everyone.

I'm working on a red reaper tomcat for a good friend of mine. I'll post some pics when it's finished.

[astronut1885]

I got a sneak preview of that red reaper, and it's as hot as the colors on it!

[Nugget]

Nugget- damn shame I didn't see the skyhawks airborne back in the day, but then again I probably would have been like "Oh shit, it's Jester!" Lol

Yeah I know how you feel. 10 minutes from SoWey and it closed right before I was born .

[Folkwulfe]

If I didn't know better....I'd swear that you guys are trying to make me feel bad about driving a Yugo......and succeeding!

[VMF115]

If I didn't know better....I'd swear that you guys are trying to make me feel bad about driving a Yugo......and succeeding!

Yup I think this thread about making us all that don't have cool cars feel bad about our selves...lol

I am already feeling bad that I don't have a C-6 Corvette ZR1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFKKl0z0mQk

[astronut1885]

Not trying to make anybody feel bad, honest. Just two Mustangheads babbling away. So, anyone else have a custom bird to show or any recommendations about taking care of and / or upgrading the Tomcat? Ideals like pilots, ground crew, 1/18 accessories like PizzaGuy's covers. What is out there to pimp one of these things out?

[aferguson]

there was going to be some deck handling equipment, made by JSI, but i guess that's fallen by the wayside? Least i haven't heard anything about it in a year or so. Too bad, it was some cool lookng stuff they were gonna make.