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Fine Molds is making a 1/72 F-14D Tomcat; But wait there's a catch...
Topic Started: Mar 25 2015, 04:53 AM (2,216 Views)
Zemmix
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Beast
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Hot on the heels of the best 1/72 F-14 thread...

Just found out in the latest issue of Model Graphix magazine that Fine molds is making a 1/72 Tomcat.

The best part? It's a magazine exclusive. Not just one magazine either. It's being broken up into three parts/issues. The kit will have over 200 parts.
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Big Kohona
Hero
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. .
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White Wolf
Advanced Member
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Link: http://www.modelkasten.com/magazine/mg/f14tomcat.html

Posted Image
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White Wolf
Advanced Member
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Some more details from the magazine:

Posted Image

-New tool by Fine Molds
-Price will be 2130 yen + tax (for each magazine, I assume)
-Optional positions for access panels, radome, canopy, air brake
-Super detailed cockpit
-Parts will be split over 3 magazines
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f4h1phantom
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kitkiller
[ * ]
I am quite surprised they decided to tool a Tomcat, especially as the Hasegawa and Fujimi kits are very nice.

That being said, this one looks like it will be the most detailed one.

Judging by the sprue drawings, I would say deployable slats and flaps are not an option though?

The presence of glove vanes (am I correct?) and separate boat tail may seem to indicate the kit is designed to include parts for earlier versions too.

Looking forward to seeing the rest of the sprues. Hope I am wrong and the option to deploy the slats is there.


Jorge.
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Ruudster
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Hero
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well, that is a new one. I would think that it would be released normally at some point later on. I can't see paying for all that tooling and designing and then just "giving" it to a selected number of magazine subscribers. But i could be wrong...
Ruud van der Salm
SW WA
OMS-IPMS, Portland OR
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Ruudster
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Hero
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never mind:
http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....dpost&p=2699169
Ruud van der Salm
SW WA
OMS-IPMS, Portland OR
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dixieflyer
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Hero
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Ruudster,Mar 26 2015
04:19 PM
well, that is a new one. I would think that it would be released normally at some point later on. I can't see paying for all that tooling and designing and then just "giving" it to a selected number of magazine subscribers. But i could be wrong...

Well, they did it with their four different, new tool A6m Zero kits. Until Tamiya came along, these were the best injected 1/72nd Zeros on the market. (To be honest, there are still some aspects of the FM Zeros that I like better than the Tamiya.) That's a LOT of money for molds just to be sold in that format, but as Jbank will tell you, the culture around bookstores, scale modeling, etc. is just different over there.

They did a recent bit with the same molds, plus some gorgeous figures in another deal like that last year. I got some of the figures, but not all. :(

I hate this type of kit release, but we live in an embarrassment of riches in terms of 1/72nd kits these days.

Warren
"History is the lie we all agree upon."
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InchHigh
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It's a good day to build.
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dixieflyer,Mar 26 2015
06:13 PM
I hate this type of kit release ...

+1

Wound up paying almost $40 to have a Fine Molds Zero and two magazines which I couldn't read shipped in from Japan. While the logic of a Model Graphics bundle may serve well for releases of Japanese subjects, I suspect that they are leaving a huge amount of money on the table here in the U.S. with a subject like the F-14.
Jeff

Time spent modeling is not deducted from your lifespan.

I spent most of my money on beer and women. The rest of it I just wasted.
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Big Kohona
Hero
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jbank
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miscreant
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InchHigh,Mar 26 2015
09:09 PM
+1

Wound up paying almost $40 to have a Fine Molds Zero and two magazines which I couldn't read shipped in from Japan. While the logic of a Model Graphics bundle may serve well for releases of Japanese subjects, I suspect that they are leaving a huge amount of money on the table here in the U.S. with a subject like the F-14.

Mebbe so, but FM has defined a niche and they are going after that niche.
Life is too short for poor kits.
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Mark Schynert
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Yeast
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InchHigh,Mar 27 2015
01:09 AM
+1

Wound up paying almost $40 to have a Fine Molds Zero and two magazines which I couldn't read shipped in from Japan. While the logic of a Model Graphics bundle may serve well for releases of Japanese subjects, I suspect that they are leaving a huge amount of money on the table here in the U.S. with a subject like the F-14.

I don't know that they're leaving that much money on the table. Fine Molds is pretty difficult to come by over here, short of ordering through HLJ or another provider. and it's a good deal in terms of business certainty for Fine Molds--they sell the whole run in one shot and move onto the next project. Model Graphix must be making money at it--after this many projects, they'd have stopped if the idea was a dud.

All that said, everyone here knows how I feel about this approach, but given I need an F-14 kit about as badly as a nuclear-powered toilet plunger, I'm not exactly unstrung about this instance. As pointed out, we are embarrassed for choice in the scale--I'm happily puttering with four different new-ish kits and having a great time, so I've run a bit low on negative juices. I should probably hang out on HyperScale a bit more to get recharged B)
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Chuck1945
Hero
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I've stayed out of this discussion because modern aircraft just aren't my thing and a F-14 has no appeal for me.

I did acquire two of the FM Zeros and would be very hard pressed to ever go that route again. I do have a truck load of FM 109s, but they all came from either HLJ or bought from other modelers. As Mark said, FM doesn't have much if any market presence in the US, from comments read elsewhere I get the impression their presence anywhere outside of Japan is strictly limited so the magazine approach no doubt makes a great of sense to FM.
Chuck
Eastern WA, USA
Finished 2018:
Eduard Spitfire IXc, VIII, Monogram/Starfighter BFC-2
On the active bench:
Eduard Bf 110C, Hasegawa B-24D, SH P-40E
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Hhhalifaxxx
Advanced Member
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Here is a translation of the blurb, for those who care:

SPECIAL!
After about a year and a half, the "Magazine Kit" is back!

THE ULTIMATE F-14 TOMCAT
in the July 2015 issue of Model Graphix (on sale 25 May)
FOLLOWING THROUGH THREE ISSUES!!
(August issue on sale 25 June, September issue on sale 25 July)

Super-accurate 1/72 scale - Total parts number over 200!!
THERE IS NO BETTER TOMCAT THAN THIS ONE!

(so it says)
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Big Kohona
Hero
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