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USN F-14 Decals

DXM, 1/48 scale

S u m m a r y :

Catalogue Numbers:

Double Xcellent Models Item Nos.:

DXM 81-4230 US Navy F-14A Tomcat VF-1 "Wolfpack"
DXM 91-4235 USN F-14D Tomcat VF-31 "Tomcatters"

Scale:

1/48

Contents & Media

See below.

Price:

and specialist hobby retailers worldwide

Review Type:

First Look

Advantages:

Two sets of great schemes for the USN F -14’s of the VF-1 Wolfpack and VF-31 Tomcatters. Quality decals printed by Cartograf.

Disadvantages:

 

Conclusions:

For the lovers of USN F-14 aircraft, these are more of the must have decal schemes for 2 great fighting units.

Reviewed by David Couche



HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Squadron.com

 

FirstLook

 

VF-1 “Wolfpack”

Fighter Squadron 1 (VF-1) was a fighter squadron of the United States Navy. Originally established on 14 October 1972, the first squadron to be flying the new F-14A’s. It was disestablished on 30 September 1993. It was the 5th US Navy squadron to be designated VF-1. Known as the "Wolfpack" the squadron saw combat during the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. The squadron was de-activated and its personnel reassigned in 1993 when its carrier, the USS Ranger (CV-61), was decommissioned.

 

 

VF-31 “Tomcatters”

VF-31 received the F-14A Tomcat in early 1981. The squadron's first cruise was on board USS John F. Kennedy. VF-31 shifted carriers and air wings in April 1985 joining USS Forrestal along with its sister squadron, the VF-11 Red Rippers. VF-31 stayed with Forrestal until 1992, when the squadron switched carriers, planes and home bases. VF-31 (and VF-11) moved from NAS Oceana to NAS Miramar and to USS Carl Vinson, and exchanged its F-14As for the new and improved F-14Ds. In December 2004, VF-31 transferred from Carrier Air Wing Fourteen to its current home with Carrier Air Wing Eight and USS Theodore Roosevelt.

 

 

In September 2005, the squadron deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt with CVW-8 for the final F-14 deployment, again to the Persian Gulf. February 7, 2006 marked the last recovery of an F-14 Tomcat from a combat mission. While operating from Theodore Roosevelt in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, VF-31 was credited with being the last F-14 unit to drop a bomb in combat. VF-31 returned to NAS Oceana on March 10, 2006, for the final F-14 fly-in.

VF-31 remained operational aboard Theodore Roosevelt until July 28, 2006, when the last Tomcat landing and catapult launch took place off the Virginia Capes, with journalists from around the world (Mexico, UK, Holland, Germany and US) witnessing. VF-31 was the last Tomcat squadron, with the last F-14 flight occurring on October 4, 2006, as BuNo.164603 flew from NAS Oceana to Republic Airport. After spending a year at the American Airpower Museum, the aircraft is now on static display outside of the former Grumman Aerospace Corporation headquarters in Bethpage, NY.


 

DXM 81-4230  US Navy F-14A Tomcat VF-1 "Wolfpack" Decal set

This decal set, produced by DXM, who have previously released some really interesting decal sets, is an interesting coverage of schemes used by the US Navy’s VF-1 “Wolfpack” over a 12 year period of time.

 

 

The decals are printed by Cartograf, so you know they are of the best quality and will ultimately go down well on your model. There is an A5 sheet, a 2/3 A5 sheet and one small sheet of decals with high and low visibility ‘NO STEP’ decals. The sheet of NO STEP decals I received was actually smudged through the middle but there are plenty of them for you to use.

 

 

The set gives you 6 different aircraft, all the F-14A version, as options.

The aircraft covered are;

  • F-14A, NK-106, Bu No. 158995, VF-1, USS Enterprise, 1978

  • F-14A, NE-103, Bu No. 161288, VF-1, USS Ranger, 1985

  • F-14A, NE-111, Bu No. 162611, VF-1, USS Ranger, 1990

  • F-14A, NE-106, Bu No. 161294, VF-1, USS Ranger, 1986

  • F-14A, NE-107, Bu No. 159827, VF-1, USS Ranger, 1981

  • F-14A, NE-101, Bu No. 161279, VF-1, USS Ranger, 1981

Detail are crisp and appear to be in perfect register. Many of the decals are quite large, and will need care in their placement to ensure minimum moving to reduce the risk of tearing.

 

 

The instructions have most adequate detail on them, with colour call outs for Gunze Mr Color, Humbrol and where possible FS Standards numbers. There is a double page spread of the profiles for the 6 aircraft and the back page has profiles of the upper and lower surfaces of 3 different paint schemes used on these aircraft.

 

 

The decals are suitable for all F-14A kits as there is a list of 7 manufacturers suitable on the front of the cover.


 

DXM 91-4230  USN F-14D Tomcat VF-31 "Tomcatters" Decal set

This decal set, very similar to the previous set, is an interesting coverage of schemes used by the US Navy’s VF-31 “Tomcatters” over a 11 year period of time, late in the life of the F-14D Tomcats.

The decals are printed by Cartograf, so you know they are of the best quality and will ultimately go down well on your model.

 

 

There is an A5 sheet and a 2/3 A5 sheet of decals. The set gives you 7 different aircraft, all the F-14D version, as options.

 

 

The aircraft covered are;

  • F-14D, AJ-100, Bu No. 164342, VF-31, USS Theodore Roosevelt, 2006

  • F-14D, NK-101, Bu No. 164600, VF-31, USS Abraham Lincoln, 2002

  • F-14D, NK-100, Bu No. 164601, VF-31, USS Abraham Lincoln, 2002

  • F-14D, NK-200, Bu No. 163893, VF-31, USS Carl Vinson, 1995

  • F-14D, AJ-105, Bu No. 159619, VF-31, NAS Oceana, 2006

  • F-14D, AJ-106, Bu No. 164343, VF-31, USS Theodore Roosevelt, 2006

  • F-14D, AJ-103, Bu No. 164350, VF-31, “Tomcat Sunset”, 2006

Detail are crisp and appear to be in perfect register. Many of the decals are quite large, and will need care in their placement to ensure minimum moving to reduce the risk of tearing.

 

 

The instructions have most adequate detail on them, with colour call outs for Gunze Mr Color, Humbrol and where possible FS Standards numbers.

 

 

There is a double page spread of the profiles for the 7 aircraft and the back page has profiles of the upper and lower surfaces of 4 upper paint schemes and the 2 lower schemes used on these aircraft. The decals are suitable for all F-14D kits as there is a list of 7 manufacturers suitable on the front of the cover, including the new AMK kit just being released.


 

Conclusion

 

Both of these decal sets gives the USN modeller and lovers of the F-14 in A/D versions plenty of choices. Personally the “Tomcatters “Tomcats are only just slightly behind the Sundowners as my all-time favourite F-14 schemes so this set will definitely be used, it just depends of kit choice, Tamiya or AMK.

Thanks to DXM for the samples.


Text and Images Copyright © 2019 by David Couche
Page Created 18 October, 2019
Last updated 18 October, 2019

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