This twin engine, variable swept wing Navy strike fighter kit comes with two Cartograph decal versions: one for the F-14A VF-2 “Bounty Hunters” USS Ranger 1993 and one for the F-14A VF-102 “Diamondbacks” USS Ranger. Complete with a full complement of external stores, the F-14 has moveable swing wings. After assembly, the wings can be swept back into a parked configuration. Cockpit and landing gear are finely engraved for accurate detailing.
Academy F/14A Bounty Hunters
- Highly detailed two seat, twin engine, Navy strike fighter
- Choice of two Cartograph decals included: F-14A VF-2 “Bounty Hunters” USS Ranger 1993 and F-14A VF-102 “Diamondbacks” USS Ranger 1982
- Precisely engraved cockpit and landing gear details
- Moveable, swing wings sweep back to depict parking configuration on aircraft carrier
- Various weapons included
- MSRP: $31.00
- Street Price: $27.99
Following the release of the 1/72 Academy F-4J Jolly Rogers and Showtime, Academy bring us the USNF-14A ‘VF-2 Bounty Hunters’ in the same scale. The kit is humbly comprised of 3 sprues in light gray and 1 clear. Decals are from Cartograf and feature markings as specified above and most if not all stencils are included. The panel lines are finely engraved and good enough to satisfy those looking for ”to scale’ lines. As with its bigger 1/48 brother, the new Academy F-14A also has the mechanism to swept the wings back and forth.
The cockpit is well appointed for a kit this scale and I quite safely say that it will build good out-of-the-box. There is room for improvement in the cockpit but unfortunately as with the F-4J, the canopy is a one piece deal leaving it permanently closed. The canopy is finely engraved as well with no seam lines and without being overly thick. No flow marks from the injection process are present on my production sample.
In all the new F-14A from Academy will make nice a nice addition to your modern aircraft model kits collection.
Not my scale of choice but I highly recommend this kit.
My sincere thanks to Model Rectifier for the review sample.
