Century Wings is the New Kid on the Block in 1:72, and right now it only has a series of Tomcats -- but theirs is THE Tomcat to have if you prize
accuracy above all else. (An Intruder is on the way this Fall!) They ain't cheap at $60 MSRP. However, when you consider you get pilot figures,
tons of payload options, classy packaging, high metal content, and good craftmanship I actually think the price is fair. (Particularly when you
consider Dragon and Witty's F-14s, which are not nearly as accurate for variant details and paint schemes and aren't cheap either at $45 MSRP --
though you can find them much cheaper on sale or on ebay, as I have.)
Should you fork out the extra dough? Yes, if having the cream of the crop for the model type is important to you. I'd say no, it's not worth it, if all
you want is a representation of the famous fighter and you don't care to get caught up in the all the rivet talk. I got Revell, Witty, and Dragon Toms
for about $25 each, and I highly recommend those for this latter group. They all display nicely together, too, unless you're an absolute stickler for
mold accuracy-- then the issues from these brands will stick out to you.
accuracy above all else. (An Intruder is on the way this Fall!) They ain't cheap at $60 MSRP. However, when you consider you get pilot figures,
tons of payload options, classy packaging, high metal content, and good craftmanship I actually think the price is fair. (Particularly when you
consider Dragon and Witty's F-14s, which are not nearly as accurate for variant details and paint schemes and aren't cheap either at $45 MSRP --
though you can find them much cheaper on sale or on ebay, as I have.)
Should you fork out the extra dough? Yes, if having the cream of the crop for the model type is important to you. I'd say no, it's not worth it, if all
you want is a representation of the famous fighter and you don't care to get caught up in the all the rivet talk. I got Revell, Witty, and Dragon Toms
for about $25 each, and I highly recommend those for this latter group. They all display nicely together, too, unless you're an absolute stickler for
mold accuracy-- then the issues from these brands will stick out to you.
Century Wings, 1:72
| Released: June, 2007 |
#587199 F-14A Tomcat, USN VF-84 Jolly Rogers, USS Nimitz, 1978
 | |  |
| | |
I agree, that CW's Tom is the most accurate, realistic-looking version you can buy. However, it's not perfect. Many are shipping with ugly gaps
where the wing sweep begins (see the rollover image below). However, if your model suffers from this affliction you can get it replaced for free
through The Flying Mule, which is the exclusive U.S. distributor for the CW brand. I don't think mine are that bad, so I'm not trading it in, I think (I've
seen pics of some online that are much worse.)
I also think the panel lines are too heavy, which is something Hobby Master gets widely criticized for but so far CW has not seemed to. The mold
was produced by the same folks that did FOV's Tomcat (which is perhaps FOV's finest aviation model) and, to a lessor degree, the garish panel
lines found on that series has carried over.
What I really don't care for is the visible gap you can see, between the nose and engine intakes on the fuselage (where the top and bottom of
the fuselage are joined during assembly), looking at the bird in profile. You can actually see clear through the gap with back-lighting. Admittedly,
this is next to impossible to see while the model is displayed. I still think that for the money we're talking for this model it shouldn't be there at all.
The gear can also be difficult to set up, requiring a bit of sanding/filing to get the pieces to fit in their respective slots. But this isn't unheard of
and is really not a big a deal. However, I didn't file mine down and as a result this bird's nose rides a bit closer to the ground than it should, even in
the model's launch configuration, which depicts the bird as if it's waiting for a catapult shot off the carrier deck. (Several of CW's Tom's come in a
launch config and standard config. The former has the wings extended permanently and the flaps down, and the nose wheel is compressed for
launch. The latter lets you sweep the wings (the flaps are up permanently) and have up or down gear--a display stand is included.
You don't get much for moving parts, either -- the elevators can be positioned, but rudders on the twin stabs are fixed, as are the speedbrakes,
and the wheels don't roll. This is not a big deal to me, personally. The canopy raises nicely and the hinge is hidden, as it should be, which is a nice
touch the others leave out. I did have some trouble getting the pylons to fit snugly on the bottom of the aircraft, and I hear that heating them slightly
can fix this--but I'll leave mine as they are. Any issues with weapons being in the wrong place on the model pictured are my own--I'm not a Tomcat
expert, so keep that in mind when you view 'em.
Recommended!
where the wing sweep begins (see the rollover image below). However, if your model suffers from this affliction you can get it replaced for free
through The Flying Mule, which is the exclusive U.S. distributor for the CW brand. I don't think mine are that bad, so I'm not trading it in, I think (I've
seen pics of some online that are much worse.)
I also think the panel lines are too heavy, which is something Hobby Master gets widely criticized for but so far CW has not seemed to. The mold
was produced by the same folks that did FOV's Tomcat (which is perhaps FOV's finest aviation model) and, to a lessor degree, the garish panel
lines found on that series has carried over.
What I really don't care for is the visible gap you can see, between the nose and engine intakes on the fuselage (where the top and bottom of
the fuselage are joined during assembly), looking at the bird in profile. You can actually see clear through the gap with back-lighting. Admittedly,
this is next to impossible to see while the model is displayed. I still think that for the money we're talking for this model it shouldn't be there at all.
The gear can also be difficult to set up, requiring a bit of sanding/filing to get the pieces to fit in their respective slots. But this isn't unheard of
and is really not a big a deal. However, I didn't file mine down and as a result this bird's nose rides a bit closer to the ground than it should, even in
the model's launch configuration, which depicts the bird as if it's waiting for a catapult shot off the carrier deck. (Several of CW's Tom's come in a
launch config and standard config. The former has the wings extended permanently and the flaps down, and the nose wheel is compressed for
launch. The latter lets you sweep the wings (the flaps are up permanently) and have up or down gear--a display stand is included.
You don't get much for moving parts, either -- the elevators can be positioned, but rudders on the twin stabs are fixed, as are the speedbrakes,
and the wheels don't roll. This is not a big deal to me, personally. The canopy raises nicely and the hinge is hidden, as it should be, which is a nice
touch the others leave out. I did have some trouble getting the pylons to fit snugly on the bottom of the aircraft, and I hear that heating them slightly
can fix this--but I'll leave mine as they are. Any issues with weapons being in the wrong place on the model pictured are my own--I'm not a Tomcat
expert, so keep that in mind when you view 'em.
Recommended!