JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

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Jolly Roger
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JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Jolly Roger » Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:22 pm

So did they fix the gear breaking, or is it still weak as the original.
I'd like to throw down for the black knights, but I'm hesitant with what happenes
to the Spot Cat.
Still withering away from the A-10 Hunger Striker.

Black Lion VF-213
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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Black Lion VF-213 » Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:37 pm

It's improved..only by an infinitesimal amount. Same plastic, same parts, same dimensions, same movement. Only difference is they tightened the joint tolerances. Less wobblyness, which is good. That will permit some small degree of added strength but not enough to convince me to leave it displayed on the gear for any long period of time where it might experience a slight bump.

mine's hanging from the ceiling

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by tmanthegreat » Mon Aug 20, 2012 1:40 pm

Like Jolly Roger, I've been tempted to get this. (I've got an s1 "Spotcat" that's been repainted and which had few QC issues to begin with). Thanks for noting the aparent changes...

My question is could the ordinance pylons on the Black Knights aircraft be modified to carry the standard air-to-air compliment of the VF-84 version?
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by tko211 » Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:09 am

The hard points on the Black Knights are very different. I don't see how to convert them with out some major cutting, glueing to make work. In the case of the LANTRN Pod hard point, it's a totally different hard point from the air to air and would simply not work unless you had a a replacement from VF-84 or a resin casted copy.

The Black Knights is by far the most "sorted out" of the bunch, but as others have already indicated- the improvements are very minimal but noticed... Worth the purchase in my opinion. The weapons themselves are excellent!

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by tmanthegreat » Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:12 pm

tko211 wrote:The hard points on the Black Knights are very different. I don't see how to convert them with out some major cutting, glueing to make work. In the case of the LANTRN Pod hard point, it's a totally different hard point from the air to air and would simply not work unless you had a a replacement from VF-84 or a resin casted copy.

The Black Knights is by far the most "sorted out" of the bunch, but as others have already indicated- the improvements are very minimal but noticed... Worth the purchase in my opinion. The weapons themselves are excellent!
Thanks TKO, thats exactly the sort of information I needed :D
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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Jim@Merit » Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:25 pm

Besides better paint decoration, VF-154 Black Knight does have improved main landing gear with lengthen steal core for full length of the landing gear strut.

The housing for all electronic components is all new tooling vs. the “Weekend of Heroes” limited edition of the VF-84 with lights. They both have same MSRP of $299.98. Of course, the VF-154 has all new tooling LANTRN pod and 4 x GBU smart bombs with movable fins as pointed out by tko211.

There will NOT be a release of the VF-154 “Black Knight” without the light function. The total edition is 888 pcs, including the limited pre-release version sold at San Diego Comic Con with resin GBU bombs and LATARN pod.

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by thatf14guy » Thu Aug 23, 2012 7:52 am

HEY JIM, WHERE IS JSI!!

Jolly Roger
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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Jolly Roger » Thu Aug 23, 2012 10:59 am

Jim@Merit wrote:Besides better paint decoration, VF-154 Black Knight does have improved main landing gear with lengthen steal core for full length of the landing gear strut.

The housing for all electronic components is all new tooling vs. the “Weekend of Heroes” limited edition of the VF-84 with lights. They both have same MSRP of $299.98. Of course, the VF-154 has all new tooling LANTRN pod and 4 x GBU smart bombs with movable fins as pointed out by tko211.

There will NOT be a release of the VF-154 “Black Knight” without the light function. The total edition is 888 pcs, including the limited pre-release version sold at San Diego Comic Con with resin GBU bombs and LATARN pod.
Thanks for the intel, I'll have to check out a few more pictures before pulling the trigger.
Hopefully some Metal Gears will make it out again at some point.

Also, I saw a post in a review saying there was front movable control surfaces?
Is that just the wrong word or has there been articulated flaps added?

Also, since there is no good reviews out, how many lights exactly are on this model?
Still withering away from the A-10 Hunger Striker.

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Black_Dragon_One » Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:19 pm

Jolly Roger wrote:
Jim@Merit wrote:Besides better paint decoration, VF-154 Black Knight does have improved main landing gear with lengthen steal core for full length of the landing gear strut.

The housing for all electronic components is all new tooling vs. the “Weekend of Heroes” limited edition of the VF-84 with lights. They both have same MSRP of $299.98. Of course, the VF-154 has all new tooling LANTRN pod and 4 x GBU smart bombs with movable fins as pointed out by tko211.

There will NOT be a release of the VF-154 “Black Knight” without the light function. The total edition is 888 pcs, including the limited pre-release version sold at San Diego Comic Con with resin GBU bombs and LATARN pod.
Thanks for the intel, I'll have to check out a few more pictures before pulling the trigger.
Hopefully some Metal Gears will make it out again at some point.

Also, I saw a post in a review saying there was front movable control surfaces?
Is that just the wrong word or has there been articulated flaps added?

Also, since there is no good reviews out, how many lights exactly are on this model?

no moving flap... 6 lights two wings, two under the canopy and two in the engines
whats up doc....

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by A-10LOADER » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:36 am

I have both versions and the Black Knights version is WAY better looking. It's a shame the VF-84 version did not have better QC checks before being shipped. The weapons are extremly well done, having loaded the real deals for the Air Force. I could not be happier with the BK version and would love to see some more modern releases in the future.
My wish list would be as follows,

A-10 with weapons
A-6E TRAM with weapons
F-111F/G with weapons
A-4E/M with weapons
F-4G with missles

Steve
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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by thatf14guy » Mon Aug 27, 2012 1:24 pm

i have owned both versions and sold both versions, and neither one compares to my cherry red 2007 mustang!

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Beeavision » Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:41 pm

thatf14guy wrote:i have owned both versions and sold both versions, and neither one compares to my cherry red 2007 mustang!
So does this mean your thatp51guy now? :mrgreen:

For me, after removing the spots on both VF-84's I purchased and adding a good deal of weathering with an airbrush in all the right/ideal places they actually turned out looking even better then the Black Knights version. Granted it did take me over a week or so of masking and studying countless reference photos of real weathered F-14 fighter jets in action to get it darn near perfect if there is such a thing. lol

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by tmanthegreat » Mon Aug 27, 2012 3:44 pm

Speaking of the JSI F-14, I actually decided to take mine down from its hanging perch last week, for a good dusting and to insert my new accurate BBI pilot figures. I can't remember when I last took it down - its likely been nearly two years.

Anyways, it was a pretty scary endeavor! I thought I could take the plane down without removing the missiles under the fuselage (first mistake), then unlooped the fishing line in the wrong order (second mistake). I should have unlooped the tail section first, then pulled the other look around the nose, but instead, I stood precariously on a stool, holding the massive plane with one had, fiddled with the strings to get them around the tails and stabilizors with the other hand, and all the while had phoneix missiles raining down. Luckily I had moved everything that sat beneath the plane beforehand!

In the end, however, all was well. I got the plane down in one piece with nothing broken, put in the new pilots, didn't fuss with the landing gear, and about half an hour later, re-hung the aircraft.

I have come to the conclusion that while the JSI F-14 is one of the pinnacles of 1:18 manufacturing, its too big, too awkward, and simply too fragile to really be practical. I can only display mine hanging as on the ground, it takes up too much space and runs the risk of landing gear breakage. While mine is a first-series plane, it doesn't sound like JSI overly fixed things with their second series. At least the BBI F-18, BBI F-16, 21c F-104, and so on are smaller, more solid, and much easier to handle.

Now I see that I really don't need another F-14 as one is more than enough :wink:
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

Jolly Roger
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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Jolly Roger » Mon Aug 27, 2012 5:04 pm

tmanthegreat wrote:Speaking of the JSI F-14, I actually decided to take mine down from its hanging perch last week, for a good dusting and to insert my new accurate BBI pilot figures. I can't remember when I last took it down - its likely been nearly two years.

Anyways, it was a pretty scary endeavor! I thought I could take the plane down without removing the missiles under the fuselage (first mistake), then unlooped the fishing line in the wrong order (second mistake). I should have unlooped the tail section first, then pulled the other look around the nose, but instead, I stood precariously on a stool, holding the massive plane with one had, fiddled with the strings to get them around the tails and stabilizors with the other hand, and all the while had phoneix missiles raining down. Luckily I had moved everything that sat beneath the plane beforehand!

In the end, however, all was well. I got the plane down in one piece with nothing broken, put in the new pilots, didn't fuss with the landing gear, and about half an hour later, re-hung the aircraft.

I have come to the conclusion that while the JSI F-14 is one of the pinnacles of 1:18 manufacturing, its too big, too awkward, and simply too fragile to really be practical. I can only display mine hanging as on the ground, it takes up too much space and runs the risk of landing gear breakage. While mine is a first-series plane, it doesn't sound like JSI overly fixed things with their second series. At least the BBI F-18, BBI F-16, 21c F-104, and so on are smaller, more solid, and much easier to handle.

Now I see that I really don't need another F-14 as one is more than enough :wink:
I went ahead a decided against it. Simply due to it still be very hard to display. At least at the display point I want it. Plus I have about 4 other 1:18 birds, I have yet to even take out of the package. I have no place to display those right now, so Tomcat, not this time. Maybe a Fixed wing modern bird, but not this brittle.

My F-14 stand will have to turn into another stand.
Still withering away from the A-10 Hunger Striker.

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by thatf14guy » Tue Aug 28, 2012 3:22 am

No but I think Maverick in Top Gun should have had a Ford Mustang instead of a motorcylce. As for the spotcat it was ugly, but made for a great platform for repaints! The Vf-154 though is simply awesome, bang for the buck and all that! owned three, two repaints and one I painted the tips black and the sunglare black, like the 2000 version.

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Beeavision » Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:44 am

Ooops,

Correction: thatfmgtguy :mrgreen:

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by thatf14guy » Tue Aug 28, 2012 2:51 pm

I still love to drive an F-14 to work.

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Star56 » Wed Aug 29, 2012 1:15 am

I love my F-14 but I agree that it is on the edge of being too fiddley/twiddley to display. I have mine hanging also. Looks great but one good bump and the various twiddley parts will come raining down :(

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by A-10LOADER » Wed Aug 29, 2012 6:31 am

For all you guys who are unhappy with you F-14's, you can send them my way. I'll gladly add more to my collection.

Steve
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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by Beeavision » Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:15 am

thatf14guy wrote:I still love to drive an F-14 to work.
Same here. Just as long as I can avoid the overpasses. lol

Image

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Re: JSI Black Knights vs. Spot Cat.

Post by A-10LOADER » Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:59 am

I am looking for a Tomcat tailhook to add to my collection ...... maybe someday (fingers crossed).

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