1/48 Monogram F-14A

"Ferris" Scheme

by Mark Kubes

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This is the old Monogram Tomcat A built out of the box with the obvious exception of the paint scheme. This was my second effort at modeling after returning to the hobby. The first was the ESCI 1/48 S-3A Viking, but it's probably best that we not speak of that here. The Monogram Tomcat went together pretty easily with no major problems. I tried my hand at rescribing some of the detail on the nose section that was lost during the filling/sanding process and did a fair job.

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The paint scheme is one of the experimental schemes designed by aviation artist Keith Ferris in the late 1970's. While it looked really neat, unfortunately the military found that the scheme made the aircraft more visible instead of less so the program was abandoned.  
This model represents F-14A #158979 of VF-1 based at NAS Miramar. There are three shades of gray used, all masked with standard masking tape: Dark gray FS 36118, Dark Gull Gray FS 36231 and Light Gull Gray FS 36440. All paints are thinned Model Master enamels sprayed with a Paasche H airbrush. Decals are from the Microscale sheet #48-57, F-14 Tomcats #2.

Mark

Photos and text © by Mark Kubes