Caracal Models has been doing a series of 'early years' sheets that covers basically prototype and preproduction aircraft. This one covers the F-14 'Tomcat' and provides fourteen markings options. The F-14 did change somewhat as it evolved so one has to be careful when choosing kits to ensure that the various differences match the early planes. The options for this sheet are identical to those provided in 1/48 so I've used that image for this sheet. For this sheet, the Fine Molds kit is recommended, but in reality, there are no markings that are kit specific so you could use most any F-14A kit out there as a basis. All aircraft are gloss light gull grey over white with most of them having international orange bits.

Here is what is offered:

F-14A No.1 prototype BuNo. 157980

F-14A No.2 prototype BuNo. 157981

F-14A No.3 prototype BuNo. 157982

F-14A No.4 prototype BuNo. 157983 (Phoenix Missile System development markings)

F-14A No.4 prototype BuNo. 157983 (PMTC markings)

F-14A No.5 prototype BuNo. 157984

F-14A No.6 prototype BuNo. 157985

F-14A No.8 prototype BuNo. 157987

F-14A No.9 prototype BuNo. 157988 (Naval Missile Center markings)

F-14A No.11 prototype BuNo. 157990

F-14A No.1/X prototype BuNo. 157991 (NASA 991)

F-14A BuNo. 158612

F-14A BuNo. 158616

F-14A BuNo. 158619

The set provides sufficient data markings for one aircraft and you can use kit decals if you wish to do additional aircraft from this set. The decals themselves are superbly printed by Cartograf.

January 2021