The Tomcat has been a kit subject of many manufacturers. In 1/72 scale I have made (in the past) the following kits:

• Airfix kit: a typical kit of this brand with basic parts but reasonable accuracy; it had the initial "old shaped" tail and dates back from 1980...
• Matchbox kit: a very rough kit with the well known trenches but I liked the decals at that time
• Hasegawa kits: several were issued, the first release was the best at the time (1977); Hasegawa released complete new F-14 kits later on with recessed panellines (but with NO STORES!!). 
  

Various kits have been re-issued, with small changes to the parts and with added newer parts of metal.

  

In 1988 came the Fujimi kit in 1/72; it was also issued in several releases, I have the kit no. series I-2 released in 1989.


 

The kit is nice and has many delicate and optional parts and engraved recessed panel lines; It is the best kit in 1/72 scale. It is "top notch" in those days with a full set of stores!!

It enables you to choose between various sub-variants with different nose pods and also the armament and stores provided are very good and there are a lot of choices here. Nice touches are recon pods and missile choices of the AIM Phoenix, Sparrows and/or Sidewinders. Also you get some fine metal etched parts for the cockpit canopy and "rubber tires". 

The kit has very nice parts (over 180!), some of them being separate slats and flaps! This in fact requires you to put the wing in the forward "take-off" position, for which also a "shorter" nose leg is provided. Also in landing the wing is spred. There is choice also in rubber bags behind the wing area so can fix the wing in the rear over swept "stowed" position is you want; cut off the slats and tracks and glue every smoothly in place.

This kit has the later style "beaver tail" and some options depending on sub-variant: different canon gas grills, ECM knobs, pitots; for older F-14 variants, remove the strengthening plates next to the vertical fins and do not fit the nose pitot.

A nice touch in this kit is that you can paint with wings also separately, they simply click into position later on. You also get a detachable radar section and two engines on dollies! 

This Fujimi kit was also issued in several "special schemes" and decals. The Fujimi decals of this kit are OK and there are 3 choices in US Navy schemes (VF-84, VF-41, VF-32). The NOSTEP should be separate words and squadron colours are a bit to deep; use some Microscale decals for the specific details if you can. The dataset of Microscale no. 72-248 is very worthwhile.

Cockpit detailing is nice but you can add some details your self with some strips and pieces of plastic. Instrument panels offer two choices: decals or raised panels of plastic. Cockpit hatches for crew entry and a ladder on the left fuselage side are also provided and two pilot figures with separate heads and arms! Also add the engine throttle and the HUD glass on the forward instruments-cover. 

You will need to remove and polish the small seam on the canopy. This can be done with tooth ort polishing paste. The cross sectional canopy shape is not entirely correct, but just leave it as is.

The kit seems otherwise quite accurate; the only areas of improvement I suggest is to cut out two small slots at the ventral fins (see drawing) and if you want, you can paint the rubber wing seal bags demarcation lines slightly in another position.
The bags have a dark grey colour on the older US Navy style machines.

This model was finished in the Fujimi provided VF-85 Jolly Rodgers scheme with gull grey/white finish. They were stationed at the USS Nimitz and flew the F-14A. The black tails with white "bones" will be nice. This squadron was also one of the stars in the American movie "the final countdown".

I always also airbrush the finer parts, the stores of this kit needing all a white finish (pylons, missiles etc.) 

I found some small things to be corrected:

-(1)- seat floor (#95) was positioned (probably by accident by me) too much forward, the forward seat once placed in position would leave a very small room for the pilot. I removed the seat rails from the seat (#77) and thus could get some 2 mm more space. The mid instrument coaming (#50) thus also need some cutting in order to fit but gave no serious problems. Small gaps were filled with white glue.

-(2)- canopy etched parts were a bit oversize, especially #XB-2. I trimmed it, otherwise the fine details with the mirrors is very nice indeed. 

-(3)- wing halves were set in the forward position with extended slats and drooped flaps. A small hole was still present near the inboard flap and the fuselage glove, forward of the "rubber bags" (parts 5/6). I covered it with white glue and painted it grey as the bags.

 

Next will be the placement of decals. I still have numerous older sets from Microscale (such as data set 72-119) and other F-14 Tomcat kits and will search for the best individual decals.

 

The decals as supplied with the kit went on fine; I always apply water based "paper" glue to the surface before sliding in the soaked decal. Than press on the decal with a brush and cloth and it prevents air bubbles being trapped. 

.....
The kits decals no steps were replaced with spare ones from the decals-box with the words "no steps" separated. I also wanted to have the larger stars and bars VF-84 "older style" scheme on this model, so replaced the smaller ones of the kit. In order to prevent the dark black/yellow striping near the cockpit to shine through the white area of the stars, I applied a small "withe"  decal underneath. Carefully cut and apply the separate decals around the opened steps and ladder area..

The leading edges of the wings, stabilizer and vertical tails were given a strip of aluminum coloured Bare metal foil. It gives nice results and is easily applied. Use a sharp new blade to cut the foil and apply with its self attaching backing glue. 

The various "stores" were also decal led, with excellent detail striping and stencilling being provided in the kit for the Sparrows, Sidewinder and Phoenix missiles. Four Phoenixes, two Sparrows, a single Sidewinder and a fuel tank were attached to the model.

Total recalling time for this kit was about 6 hours, so there is a lot to be done, but worth every effort.
 

After a day of drying of the applied decals, the model was give a protective coat of Johnson Future clear varnish with a wide brush.   

 
The radar cone was set open to display the radar. It hinges upwards. 
 

US NAVY Tomcat F-14A, nice and shining with a spectacular VF-85 scheme!

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