Aj-210

I'm planning on doing F-14A AJ-210 from VF-84 off USS Nimitz as seen in The Final Countdown. Here is a pic of AJ-210 & AJ-201 from a Google search.  

Close up of the very non standard and distinctive 210. 

Screenshot of a still from The Final Countdown. AJ-210 appears in 4 separate scenes of the movie. This is the first one in the hangar. Note the glossy sheen to the light gull grey. 

A second or two earlier. The 210 is distinctive alright.  

Next scene after being pushed from the hangar on to the elevator. Here we can see the upper flaps and tailplanes are light gull grey, otherwise the scheme is the same as the initial scheme with white flaps and tailplanes. Also of note the 210 on the flaps does not have the odd spacing between the one and zero, but is normal. 

Later in the movie but probably the same sequence as the previous photo. (Note A-7E AJ-410 beside her) this shows the starboard side of the cockpit as it rises to flight deck level. Of note here is that the anti-glare panel stops at the radome hinge point and does not continue onto the radome.  

Glossy sheen. There didn't appear to be any pilot names on the canopy sill, unlike photo 1 in this list. 

Final appearance for now is this launch sequence.  

 

The Def Model/Jeight decals do seem to match this aircraft pretty well and quote AJ-210 as being Bu No 160391. HAD models decals also have an AJ-210 as 160391, but its an earlier scheme with white flaps. The Hasegawa old tool kit in the Hi-Vis boxing also has 160391 as AJ-210 but that's the later overall light gull grey scheme .I have no proof yet that the aircraft in the movie is 160391. 

But until someone proves me wrong I will build it as such... 

Note here the underside of the tailplanes still have the natural metal leading edges.  

160391 in early scheme before the wavy line between grey and white was straightend and moved lower. This is the initial scheme of VF-84. 

Around 1981 they went overall light gull grey and the fuselage national insignia was reduced in size and moved aft. This is 160391 as per the hasegawa kit decal  

A fairly famous photo of 160391. The white underside is still obvious here. The flaps are grey however. The 210 on the nose is more standard. I'm not sure if this is before or after the movie scenes.  

Probably taken at the same time as the previous photo, here the gull grey uppers are obvious. Photo is from the Nimitz 1979 cruise book. 

160391 stayed with Nimitz and VF-84. When lo-vis came in she was AJ-202. 

Google search. By now with USS Theodore Roosevelt.  

Later again, still with VF-84. Google search.  

Ditto.  

Then with VF-41 as AJ 102 on USS John F Kennedy.  

Ditto... 

And as AJ -120 on CV-67 during a visit to Ireland.  

160391 ended her career with VF-101. 

Apparently this is her last resting place.  

I had planned to do a decent photo report of the building but hey ho... life. I also built the Academy new tool as AJ-223 using ZDH decals and a Fujimi kit as AJ-102 Sukhoi Killer with D&S decals.  

Undersides. I used humbrol dark gull grey as a primer and then used tamiya lacquer paint for the matt white base and gloss white topcoat. Post shading techniques used. Later a wash of thinned mid grey enamel to highlight panels.  

Top was a 50/50 mix of Humbrol 129 and Xtracolor 16440 to get the light gull grey, again over Hu140 base coat. The wing bladders are raw Hu140 

The Def Model decals are good if a bit thick. I did substitute some stencils for old Microscale ones. 

Wings with flaps/slats down. 

I used the HAD models decals for the 210 on the flaps as the Def ones incorrectly show the same odd spacing as the nose ones. 

Undercarriage fit on Hasegawa always gives me fits.... 

Not sure if this is right but it works for me. 

Trying to get nose gear lined up. Time to let this dry and take a break... onto Academy AJ-223... 

Finished! 

Love how this turned out.  

I'm not sure if the crew names are correct.  

The Def Model decals are recommended.  

Another variation on the Jolly Rogers for the collection. I finally have an accurate model from The Final Countdown film! 

I can hear the music in my head now! 

Probably should have put crew figures in though...