[wp_913]

Hi

WOW,,,

This is certainly a most fantastic forum for new collector like myself.... Was at a local hobby shop the other day and discovered the amazing world of 1/72 diecast airplanes, Truly incredible models. So after lurking around on this forum for while it seems that one of Century Wings 1/72 F-14's will be a perfect choice for my first purchase. But would any of you have a recommendation as to which of the various F-14 models I should get.

Do all of the variations feature the movable swept wings ???

Are all the models basically all the same ???

and if not, what would the differences be??

Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions from a new collector...

And finally, and maybe this is not the correct forum,,, but would any of offer any comments about 1/72 aircraft from the other manufacturers... I'm mainly interested in 1950's to present military aircraft, and it seesm like 1/72 is a popular scale.

But I did see a 1/48 scale F-14 at the hobby shop and it was amazing, but perhaps a bit large for my shelf

Thoughts, opinions and comments most welcome and appreciated... Thanks

[admin]

Hello and welcome to our diecast clubhouse. Can't go wrong with the Century Wings Tomcat. Well, unless you get an earlier issue with the gap problem.

[Lakota Mech]

My first CW F-14 was the Grim Reaper. I also have the Black Knight and Sundowners. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the F-14's . So take your pick of which one tickles your fancy.

[STARMAN 352ND]

Welcome to the Model Hangar...Now for your first F-14 i would get a Century Wings...They are the best on the market today.
I have the Jolly Rogers and Sundowners F-14 and love them..They may cost a little more then the others out there but they are worth it.
JP

[wp_913]

thnaks,

but another question, I have read that some are in "launch configuration" what does this mean??

Also, do they ALL feature movable swept wings ??? Do they all have removable landing gear so that the model can be displayed in either flight configuration with the gear up or on the ground with the gear down...

thnaks for answering all my novice questions...

[STARMAN 352ND]

I'll show you a picture of mine..For the launch configuration the front landing gear is compressed and the wings are fixed with the slats deployed .
The rest of them have movable swing wings and removable gears as well.
They also come with a clear plastic stand.

[wp_913]

Hi

That is a VERY nice photo of a great model of course, what an incredible model. Apparently from what I have been able to gather is that Century Wings is currently one of most respected manufacturers.

Ok then... another question regarding the model in the photo, I can see that the flaps are down, do they move to the up position and do the wings swing in on this particular version ???

[STARMAN 352ND]

Originally Posted by wp_913

Hi
That is a VERY nice photo of a great model of course, what an incredible model. Apparently from what I have been able to gather is that Century Wings is currently one of most respected manufacturers.
Ok then... another question regarding the model in the photo, I can see that the flaps are down, do they move to the up position and do the wings swing in on this particular version ???

No they are fixed...Wings and slats both.
JP

[wp_913]

Ok then

Thank you so much for the information and clarification, now to place my order...

[Min]

Originally Posted by wp_913

but another question, I have read that some are in "launch configuration" what does this mean??

Also, do they ALL feature movable swept wings ??? Do they all have removable landing gear so that the model can be displayed in either flight configuration with the gear up or on the ground with the gear down...

Have a look at Century Wings' website: CENTURY CORPORATION

From there you can see what's available so far and perhaps the pics will help in your decision.

In answer to your questions, no, not all the models feature moveable swing wings. The ones listed as "Normal" do have moveable wings, but the ones reading "Launch" feature fixed wings, with the slats deployed. The other difference is that the "Launch" birds have their nose gears compressed, which depicts the planes as they would sit while hooked up to the catapaults on carrier decks awaiting launch.

All CW models have removeable gears and can be displayed in-flight or on-the-ground, depending on your preference. The stand for displaying the model in-flight is also included and I personally think it's a stable and great looking piece. Some others on this forum may disagree but it's like they say, you just can't please everyone.

My favourites are the NF101 Black Knights and the Sundowners models.