The Hunger for a 1/18 F-14 TOMCAT thread!

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 8:38 pm

Hello everyone!

During my years on the net, some, if not most of you have grown to know me as either someone with a passion for macross, or the kid who keeps begging hasbro to find some way to reissue the skystriker, or the kid who begs any company to make a 1/18 F-14 Tomcat. So I guess I have an infamous reputation.

As it turns out, a TON of people are tomcat fans. The first thing some of us thought, or wished for, when we learned BBI was making 1/18 modern jets, was for a 1/18 Tomcat! Some of you were kids of the early 80s who grew up with the skystriker, who when older one day pondered, "man I wonder what it would look like in true 1/18 scale?".

As it turns out our big favorite Grumman Iron Works bird is retiring after 33 years of service next year. It is on its final cruise, serving in its bombcat role overseas and realizing its potential a bit late, and a bit cut short. Nonetheless it served our country, (and depending on whose sources you trust the most, Iran) pretty well, and it was borne of the hardlearned lessons of the vietnam war, being the first of the 4 teen fighters, the generation borne of the troubles of vietnam and meant to fix everything that went wrong. A glorious fighter, able to both intercept, dogfight(sure its not the ideal one but hell it at least can), self armed recon, FAC, fleet defense long range, high speed bomber and more. A great follow up to the navy's phantom, a popular aircraft even before Tom Cruise's hit movie, even now, a aircraft revered by many in the face of more capable aircraft. Nonetheless, like the phantom and crusader before it, this plane shall live with the hearts of many even into the future when the next superfighters are created, and perhaps we can look back and claim it as a superfighter of the 70s.

So of course naturally a lot of people want this thing in 1/18 scale. BBi has already done 2 of the 80s teen fighters. An eagle has been hinted at(apparently but I forgot where, just something I read), and a tomcat would round out the final 4!!! Sure it would cost a lot to develop, simply for its sheer size, but if people can beg for a 1/18 B-24 or B-17 then I and others can beg for a 1/18 Tomcat! Surely we can assume that it would sell well, and although it does not have as much liveries possibilities as the F-4, there are still a TON of repaints that could potentially be made with this!

BBI, 21st, new company making the 1/18 F-86, it would be AWESOME if you made an F-14!!!!

Possibilities for liveries.

F-14A

VF-41 Sukhoi killers 1981(with stickers for numbers and flight crew of fast eagle 102 and 107!)

VF-154 Black Knights

VF-111 Sundowners

Black Bunny VX-4

Prototype with orange

VF-1 Wolfpack

IIAF OR NFWS/NSAWC Topgun aggressor schemes!(There are 4)

Top Gun Movie version(potentially 1 for maverick, 1 for Iceman, I do not know if this would even be licensed or whatnot but hey a lot of the public knows of this movie and it could make some good money as well as be sold at the paramount theme parks giftshops, online, and at their general gift shops as memoribillia!)

VF-84 Jolly Rogers(FINAL COUNTDOWN ANYONE? I KNOW you want this to recreate scenes with your BBI 1/18 Zero!

F-14B

NAWC DFCS(Digital Flight Control System) prototype pax river

VF-103 Jolly Rogers

VF-74 desert camo

F-14D

VF-2

VF-31

VF-11

VX-9

NSAWC Pax River

So as you can see my friends, that is not nearly all of the squadrons available but already we have potentially a lot of repaints there!

So if you want a 1/18 Tomcat, and I know quite a good number of you do, post here and discuss!

Jericoeagle1 · Post by **Jericoeagle1** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 8:41 pm

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, good luck!

fredricchio · Post by **fredricchio** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 9:11 pm

Man, I've been hoping bbi would tackle the F-14 since I first laid eyes on the F-18. I don't care that it's a much larger plane and more intricately put together, I just wanna see it happen

The one thing that gives me hope is that after the A-10 (assuming it happens), the F-22 is probably the next likeliest plane bbi would do given that its the USAF's newest fighter; that is, assuming they want to continue doing modern jets. But if they can do the Raptor then they're starting to get in the vicinity of the Tomcat size-wise, which I would guess is one of the major things holding it back right now. But once the precedent is set maybe it'll open things up.

It just stinks that its probably going to be awhile, especially now that bbi has gotten into the WWII game and they can more easily produce smaller and more inexpensive fighters.

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 10:00 pm

From what I remember Mike saying, Lockheed actually asked BBI about making 1/18 JSF and F-22.

The thing with the F-22, the hardest obstacle and undertaking would be making the internal launch rails and weapons.

Either way i would not be surprised if we see one, it is truly awesome and being that BBI is getting along fine with lockheed, yea I wouldn't be surprised.

BBI has already made quite possibly the most important WWII naval bird, and the one of the first cats of the Grumman Iron works, what a wonderful follow up to that legacy would the tomcat be!

Post by **p51** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 10:38 pm

I'll have to post the photos I took of Lockheed's 1:18 scale F-117 and F-22 Raptor they had on display at the Edwards AFB Airshow. When you see them in person, it all becomes clear that they need to make those planes!

The F-117 looked even cooler than the F-22 did!

But I'd LOVE an F-14 Tomcat as well. Great paint schemes to do.

Sentinel · Post by **Sentinel** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:46 am

Now here's a "hunger" I can add my name to.

I'll take a VF-86 w/Hi-Viz markings to start!

(make it two)

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 1:03 am

P-51, please post the pics!! I would love to see 1/18 F-22 and nighthawk!

What liveries were they in? And who had them on display, was it just some airforce enlisted men who scratch built them for fun? Or a new company>?

WGP Klaus · Post by **WGP Klaus** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 5:22 am

Been a fan of the kitties since I was 6-7 and one of my uncles who flew them took me on the Ranger and I got to check 'em out up close and personal. They've since transitioned into the bugs (F-18's) but still favor the 14's to this day. Within the past year + the various squadrons have been phasing out of the tomcat and setting up shop in the Hornet community, and with some of the recent airshows (Oceana in particular) the Navy has been bringing back various retro schemes, and for lack of a better word, it was awesome! I've always said that one of the first modern jet aircraft produced in 1:18 should have been the F-14, I realize there are issues in regards to the size and how they'd be able to get one comfortably into a box that the retailer would be happy with, but where theres a will, theres a way? Now that we've got a zero, what better to compliment than a VF-84 F-14, so we can replay the incredible scenes from the movie "Final Countdown".

Keeping fingers crossed.

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:45 am

To give an idea of scale..

I stumbled upon these on google images looking for 1/18 BBI stuff.

These are desktop models made in Czech, but they are 1/18!!!!

http://www.hph.cz/gallery.php?click=1&z ... =2&lang=en

momaw nadon · Post by **momaw nadon** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:22 pm

Doesn't the Tomcat still hold records still?

I think you can add the F-14 to the multi-ordinance that it can carry also. A plus and the swept wing would be awesome in 1/18th scale.

I remember back in the day modifying my Skystiker to be able to move the winds without lowering the gear for dog fighting.

It is one cool bird and I thing any of us would spent $150+ for one in 1/18th scale with any color they wanted to paint it.

momaw nadon

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 1:15 pm

Momaw how did you mod your skystriker to do that? I assume this lets the wings sweep back with the gear down as well, freeing up a LOT of shelf space!!

I have the carcass of the black skystriker(night force night boomer), and intend to buy some parts in order to rebuild it. Just for fun, I tried putting the bombs and pylons from the rattler and it WORKED! Instant bombcat for gijoe!!

And ordanance for the tomcat would be cool! Some of you have asked BBI before for weapons sets, and being that the tomcat can carry a ton of ordanance similar to the hornet and falcon, why the heck not right?

JDAMs, LGBs....whoa it would be cool! Plus a TARPS pod! I hope if BBI does make a tomcat it has at least a full CAP load...

2 Aim-9, 2 AIM-7, and 4 AIM-54!

Bombcat load could be

2 AIM-9, 1 LANTIRN pod, 1 AIM-54, 4 JDAM or LGB!

momaw nadon · Post by **momaw nadon** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 5:39 pm

Shin Densetsu,
Doing the mod you can never put it back the factor way, but you have to open it up by removing the seven screws with the landing gear down. Then you can remove the teeth from the wings or the gear slide. Mine has the teeth removed from the slide. The wings will have to be opened one at a time. I was thinking of adding a gear or something to the wings so you can open one and the other would follow. I haven't done that yet, but one day. Maybe I will make a kit, so others and do the same. They also look better lined up on the USS Flagg when you can close the wings. I have two, but I would like to get a few more some day. The Skystriker and Conquest are the coolist IMO. I hope that helps and you like it if you opt it.
momaw nadon

airforcecop67 · Post by **airforcecop67** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:06 pm

I asked this bit of trivia once before with regards to the Cats, but who really got pissed off about "The Final Countdown"

No prize if you come up with the right answer, but it will show just how much you really love the Tomcat.

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:55 pm

Ahh I duno the answer! And I love the bird! Perhaps I do know but forgot? Hmm...

I agree the skystriker and conquest were the coolest! I actually have a 1999 reissue camo conquest, the designs were so awesome!

I actually did mod my skystriker back in the early 90s, although it was a bit brutish, I ended up just unscrewing some parts, and intentionally misaligning the wings so their gears would not catch the slide gear. So it functioned the same but it had a huge seam due to this, right now it is back to its corrected, aligned state. Some day, hopefully this year, I will score all the pieces I need, repaint them, and put this sucker together!(The only reason it is broke is because we used to babysit my former childhood neighbor and he snapped the fins RIGHT off...what the hell!!!!?)

Aside from that I misplaced the other parts over time, and the canopy hinge was broken. Night boomer parts are hard to find, so chances are I will get skystriker tailfins but hopefully I can get ones without the decals, so I can repaint it grey to match the nightboomer's original fins and also buy some after market vinyl decals for it! Even with the new gijoe thunderwing, and the later planes of the ARAH line like the X-16 ghost striker(joe scale F-16D), I still like the skystriker the most.

See kids back then loved it, we grew up, pondering in the back of our minds, "I wonder whjat it would look like in realistic full 1/18 scale?" Well BBI has shown they can do this with the F-16 and F-18, I can't even COUNT how many navy giftshops this thing would sell at(Mike if your reading this, Oceana back home in va beach ended up being the home of the tomcat, and the plane is very popular back home and onbase...you should have seen the turnout for the airshow for its last demo last month!(I was there too!!), and not to mention the norfolk base used to have them as well, and there are 3 naval exchanges in the vincinity, a Nauticus naval museum, the VA air and space center, numerous hobby stores, need I go on? In VA alone you could sell a lot of tomcats! Not to mention pax river's giftshop could get the NAWC tomcats, and such. And TRU lynhaven is close to oceana its a common sight to see tomcats overhead!

Heck this thing would make a lot of people happy, the grown man's skystriker toy!

And a combat command one would be cool too!(No doubt in mind BBI can succeed in making a better joescale tomcat than hasbro! And plus with hasbro saying the skystriker is too expensive to reissue and is missing molds, the market is OPEN for a "joescale' tomcat!

but most importantly, we need a grown man's awesome 1/18 realistic scaled bad arsed, armed to the teeth, highly detailed F-14 tomcat!

Post by **p51** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 9:20 pm

Shin Densetsu wrote:P-51, please post the pics!! I would love to see 1/18 F-22 and nighthawk!

What liveries were they in? And who had them on display, was it just some airforce enlisted men who scratch built them for fun? Or a new company>?

It was the booth for the Lockheed company. They had a JSF as well, but it was larger than 1:18 scale.

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 10:07 pm

Thanks for the pics! Those look BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Guys remember when I first joined, and asked Mike "Hey how about 1/18 JSF or F-22?", and Mike replied "Lockheed asked us the same thing!"?

Man I hope we get 1/18 versions of the JSF, F-22 and F-117!

To complement an F-14 of course!

Black_Dragon_One · Post by **Black_Dragon_One** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 10:27 pm

i remember back in the high school days of 1993 that there were a company that did a 1:16 or 1:18 scale f14 glider,

it resemble the rocket f14 glider concept with better wing shape and matrial.

I wrote to them once asking when they will be releaseing a f14 tomcat and they reply that they are in the process of getting a supporter for it.

it was about for to five feet long with really long swept wings, it would use some rocket to bost it off the ground and the wing wound unfold after the burn was gone and the glider would fluter to the ground,

but i forgot about it untile now. do you guy remember any of it

let me know

pastel_monster · Post by **pastel_monster** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:50 am

I would buy multiples of each F-14, F-22, F-117 AND JSF if they were came out!

I received my bbi F-16C and a Skystriker (bought off Ebay) on the same day last week and opened them together. LOL when I was a kid the Joe plane was huge now with them side by side I can't believe it's always been this small!

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:00 am

Dude post pics!!!! Miss the skystriker!

Quixote511 · Post by **Quixote511** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 11:35 am

Wow P, those are sure nice.
Aaron

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:19 pm

Black Dragon, the glider you speak of did come out, it was released by Estes.

I do hope either admiral toys, BBi or 21st does an F-14. It would be a FIRST for this market!

And besides with the F-16 and F/A-18 already done, all we need for the rest of the teen fighters are the eagle and the tomcat! And what better time than now to make the "FIRST" teen fighter of the 70s!

digger · Post by **digger** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:43 pm

I think there are a lot of planes that "need" to be done. And I think most will be. But I think we need to a little more patient/realistic. Everyone wanted a Zero, finally got one, and before it is warm in their hands they are onto the next demand. Let them at least finish coming off the production line! We saw a bbi Hellcat and it may come to be soon, but someone said they need it NOW!

As a groundpounder I want an A-10. But I do think the F-4 should be done before perhaps anything else. However, let's not forget those who would say we need a 262 as the first real combat jet. And we need an Anton, we need a MiG, and a.....

Sorry for the rant, enjoy your hunger strike.

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:41 pm

No prob, I'm just hoping some of the manufacturers read into this and feel the same way I do.

btw digger, I notice it says you are from nyc, are you digger from art asylum?

digger · Post by **digger** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:50 pm

Shin Densetsu wrote: btw digger, I notice it says you are from nyc, are you digger from art asylum?

No - but he has a cool site.

I didn't realize there was another but I might have to track him down.

JoeS · Post by **JoeS** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 5:18 am

Hi

From an online and retail shop 1/18 dealer here in the UK I'm informed that BBi are considering a few modern and US jets for release. He told me that he had visited the production facility in China but didn't say what was being scheduled for production despite me pressing him/threatening him

. Yes I asked about the A-10 he shook his head on that one citing tooling costs- Sorry Birdog but don't give up the hunger strike just yet! I say this because of the Zero saga, and now we've got three manufacturers producing them!

My personal pragmatic feel is that it really is a 'wait and see' situation, the manufacturers are listening and given time I think most wishes will be granted. The interesting entrant to this suddenly dynamic market is Admiral, I think these chaps will be full of surprises as limited release may spell a more niche marketing strategy.

Other jets I would like to see are the F-100 Super Sabre, A-4 Scooter or the Grumman F-9 Panther (sorry if I've got it wrong)- reminds me of the William Holden Korean War film 'Bridges at Toko Ri' Again sorry if I've got the title wrong. The end of that film has Holden crashlanding in a ditch along with Mickey Rooney (he gets shot down in his Heli whilst attempting to extract Holden) and Skyraiders strafing to keep the enemy at bay. Reminds me of the pseudo remake in the form of Flight of the Intruder, they had A-1 Sandys in that film too. Anyway you guys know the films.

Other birds would be F-8 and of course the F-4 and maybe the Thud, weasel and fighter. From the European quarter a Mirage (keep SuperSonicFiFi happy), Eurofighter and the elegant Rafale and of course the our British Tornado.

If I here any more I'll post, until then Happy Christmas and wishing everyone a wonderful and peaceful New Year.

Regards

JoeS

Small Scale Military Headquarters

The Hunger for a 1/18 F-14 TOMCAT thread!

The Hunger for a 1/18 F-14 TOMCAT thread!

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