F-14 Tomcat in Detail and Scale

Printed Book

Reviewed by Floyd S. Werner Jr.

When I think of jets I immediately think of the F-14 Tomcat.  And why not?  It’s a movie star.  From “Final Countdown” to more recently, “Top Gun” and “Top Gun- Maverick” the images of the F-14 has imbedded its shape into our consciousness. 

This is the fourth book on the F-14 from Detail & Scale.  The first three dealt with the colors and markings.  This book is the more traditional Detail & Scale book which features the developmental history, walk around photos and the modeler section.  Let’s get in there and see how it looks in a digital format. 

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Before I begin, let me explain the benefits of this digital format book.  The ability to keep all your publications in one place that takes up no more room than your iPad is pretty impressive.  Then there is the benefit of being able to ‘blow up’ the photos to see all that detail in the pictures.  You can print the pictures if you want a hard copy. Then there is the added benefit of a ‘book’ costing less than the printed version.  One other reason is as new information becomes available, the digital book can be updated.  There is also a search function that you can’t get with a traditional printed book.  There are plenty of reasons to switch over to the digital format.  If you don’t want to do that, you can still obtain a printed version. 

So let’s get started.  The first part, as usual, is the developmental history of the airplane.  This tells you not only the good points but the bad as well of the first F-14As.  The test aircraft are covered in extensive detail.  Then its time in Fleet service with the full color markings that endeared the Tomcat to me.  The Jolly Rogers in “Final Countdown” were always a favorite after that.  Not forgotten are the Tomcats of Iran.  The 1980s saw the F-14 catapulted (see what I did there) to fame as a movie star in the movies I mentioned.  Amid real world tensions the F-14 came into its own.  Finally seeing combat in the Gulf of Sidra, proved that the Tomcat had teeth and wasn’t afraid to use them.  Not to be forgotten is the Iran-Iraq war.  The F-14 played a pivotal part in that war.  The evolution of the F-14 into a strike fighter is discussed.  Of course, all good things must end so the retirement of the Tomcats is discussed as well. 

The next chapter goes into the nuts and bolts of the aircraft, the airframe and systems.  This goes into the various versions and the differences between them.  As a modeler this section will prove very valuable.  Air-to-air missiles, Air-to ground weapons and External Fuel Tanks, Pods and other stuff are also featured in this chapter.

I have to say that up to this point in the ‘book’ the pictures have been nothing short of phenomenal.  Great references for the modelers and historians alike. 

In keeping with that perception, the next chapter is the Walk around detail shots.  This is one of those areas where the digital book is much better than the printed one.  It starts with the cockpit of all the variants and moves throughout the airframe.  Vital information for the modeler.  The amount of information in this chapter alone makes the cost of the book.  There is nothing overlooked.  From the pitot tube to the fuel dump valve configurations in the tail are covered.  Flight gear is even covered which I thought was a great idea. 

Then comes the section that sets Detail & Scale apart, the Modeler’s Section.  This covers all relevant scales from 1/144th to 1/32nd .  Remarkably according to D&S, there are 510 individual boxings of the F-14 released since 1970.  That is a lot of Tomcats.  What I always like about this section is the unwavering attention to detail on every kit.  The good and the bad, presented in an unbiased way that allows the modeler to make the choice.  There are first class builds in this section from well known modelers.  It is what I love the most about this series of books. 

Not only do you get the history of the Tomcat, but you get detailed walkaround photos AND the modelers section.  The Detail & Scale series of books really are a one stop shop for modelers.  They are a bargain, especially in the digital format, and should form a basis for a modelers library. 

Highly recommended

Thanks to Detail & Scale for the review copy.  You can get yours by going to iTunes and downloading the book or on Amazon to get the printed copy.  Either way you are getting a great bargain.  D&S goes from one strength to the next.  Excellent references all around.  Another great ‘book’ from Detail & Scale.  Don’t forget to check out the F-14 markings books, there are three of them. 

Thanks to Detail & Scale or the sample.

Review Copyright © 2023 by Floyd S. Werner Jr.
This Page Created on 18 July, 2023
Last updated 18 July, 2023

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