Revell 1:48 Fuji International PMC F-14EJ Kai

[sv51macross]

well, with that 50% Micharls Coupon in my inbox, a $9 Revellogram F-14D sounded great for my first rescribe project. The aircraft comes from a Japanese-style 'light-novel' I'm trying to write, the bird being the sled of my protagonist, Major Maya 'Princess' Kudou.

*Fuji International/ MHI F-14EJ/Kai 'Hyper-Tomcat'
-Developed in 2010 as a naval-borne fighter to equip the JMSDF aboard the newly christened Neo Akagi, the F-14EJ was the AST-21 level F-14 Tomcat, with new-build airframes made from titanium and carbon-composite/nanotube materials to give a much greater performance envelope. The wings were given fowler flaps, the leading edge slats extended. The tails were canted out/down to form a X-tail of sorts, and license-made Saturn AL-31J OVT engines were installed giving greater than 1:1 with full fuel and A2A weapons. Backseater cockpit replaced with 1200 round ammunition drum for the 30mm version of the previous M-61 and fire control/avionics completely replaced with the then-latest AESA radar and fully integrated/programmable flight control, including HOTAS sidestick/revised throttle, 5-MFD glass cockpit and 1st generation cybernetic interface (later retrofitted with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generational interfaces). An Eurofighter-style IRST was added to the nose  Weapons integration consisted of all the weaponry in the JSDF airborne weapon inventory including the AAM-3/4/5 as well as all GCS, GPS, and dummy guided A2G ordnance.
-The 'Kai' variant is the type currently employed as half the force of Fuji International PMC. The main difference if the new Phoenix Mach-1 engines as well as a swollen dorsal spine containing an additional 20% internal volume fuel. The main difference sensor-wise was the incorporation of high-speed cameras on the underside of the fuselage (where the TCS pod mounted on American F-14s) to provide 270-270 view for the pilot, a final rearward facing camera adding the final 90 degrees to both axises.

Cockpit: (Note, since this photo was taken, the side consoles were painted black and detail re-rushed white, and the cement 'boots' around the controls painted tan)



Side view of the forward fuse, you can see cockpit installed, hole for the ladder cut, and the faired-over RIO seat.


And a topside view of the enlarged wing gloves and leading-edge flaps.


Loadout will be the two HARMs you see there as well as the eight unpainted AAM-4's to the right of the F-14. The rest of the ordinance was me bored one afternoon and building the rest of a Kinetic F-16 weps set. I have yet to scratch AAM-5s for the missile rails (sealed-round missiles = no need for LAU-138s!)

[Shasper]

Looks similar to the Super Tomcat 21 proposed by Grumman handed to NAVAIR for what resulted in the SBug coming into service.


Shas

[sv51macross]

Looks similar to the Super Tomcat 21 proposed by Grumman handed to NAVAIR for what resulted in the SBug coming into service.


Shas

Exactly. 

[Mike Wren]

go on, you know you want to put all those weapons under it... 

[cthulhu77]

very nice work, love the concept !   

[nev]

You could just get some IRIS-Ts for the AAM-5s, the Revell Eurofighter is once source.

[sv51macross]

You could just get some IRIS-Ts for the AAM-5s, the Revell Eurofighter is once source.

Well, I was thinking about dispensing with the AAM-4s and bashing eight of these:




Though the IRIS-T idea is good as well, but the wings are narrower and further up the fuselage, and the fins are further back as well. I'm just going to take a pair of AIM-9X's and scratch the wings/mod the fins for it.

[pyro-manic]

Interesting! The wings give it a rather Valkyrie-esque look, but then given your username I'm sure you know that..

[Talos]

Looking good! I like the pattern you used for the extended leading edges and gloves. I may borrow the former for some of my drawings! 

That actually reminds me of a VF-0/F-14 kitbash drawing series I've done, F-14E, F-14F, and EF-14G Tomcat II. I put a pair of HARMs on my EF-14G too.






Good to see more Macross fans here, be sure to check out Damien and mine's threads if you haven't before. We have a lot of Macross VFs in them.

[sv51macross]

Talos, cool profiles. Definitely gave me an idea for a EF-14G. Imagine, an integrated ALQ-99 suite like the Sparkvark, four each AIM-120 and AGM-88, two Hornet 310gal fuel tanks, and an extra engine (centerline-mounted, podded and braced)


Back to the Japanese 'Hyper Kitty'. I've gotten the wing gloves done and the extended elevons.





Just realized that the AAAM won't work, as I won't be able to centerline mount it (I assume that even though there's an IR missile under there, the radome is flush with the body (as big around as a AMRAAM), and the booster is only bigger, so no semi-recessed mounting.

[sotoolslinger]

That is one good looking AC right there

[John Howling Mouse]

(With the voice of Ralph Wiggum from the Simpsons) That picture of it with the wings retracted makes me all feel tingly inside...   

[Taiidantomcat]

I think you found the most elegant solution to make room for canards on a Tomcat i have ever seen 

[sv51macross]

I think you found the most elegant solution to make room for canards on a Tomcat i have ever seen 

Sorry, not enough room for canards that would be big enough to do anything (at least without severely interfering with the wingss aerodynamics while swept forward). I tried, but nothing doing.

[sv51macross]

Update, I modded the tails, they're drying at a 45* angle.



And here's the loadout, 2x each of AGM-88, AGM-65, and AAM-5, as well as 8x AAM-4. The AAM-5s are scratchbuilt from Kinetic AIM-9X's with styrene wings.

The F-14EJ Kais of Fuji International PMC's Shinigami squadron often were tasked with flying top-cover for Fuji PMC strike packages and operating in the SEAD/DEAD role against Chinese SA-29 and SA-31 SAMs. The license-build rights were purchased under the table from Hughes and Texas Instruments, though payment was in easily-liquidated consumer goods rather than currency to help obscure a paper trail (with the disappearance of a container ship being reported as hurricane-loss).
The AAM-4s manufactured by Mitsubishi underwent several upgrade programs to improve range and ECCM, often employed against AWACS and the ECR EJ-10A in the ARM role, as well as standard medium-range engagement AAMs.
The AAM-5 was largely unchanged aside from a newer rocket motor and revision of the electronics to allow LOAL. A new feature was the installation of a IFF reader and a restartable rocket motor. If the lock of the original target was broken somehow, the rocket motor was shut-off and the missile moved to acquire the nearest enemy IFF signal before restarting the motor and homing on the target.



I have yet to figure out how to mount the other four AAM-4s (the top four are semi-recessed in the Sparrow channels). I was thinking a cross between the setups the Hornet and Strike Eagle employ, a stub pylon with attachment rings for a rail-less drop-launch.