F-14 Tomcat Aircrew
R2 Miniatures
1:48

Whilst US Navy aircrew flight equipment evolved during the 1980/1990's the core components remained consistent with a focus on safety and survival. The main flight gear consisted of a fire -resistant CWU-27/P Flight suit over which other items were worn including: anti-g garment CSU-15/P, torso harness MA-2, survival vest SV-2, life preserver LPU-23/P, fire-resistant flight gloves GS/FRB-2 and for F-14A crew the leg restraint garters used on GRU-7A ejection seat.

As far as 3D printed parts go I noticed that the R2 figures were very smooth (no visible layering) and there was very little cleanup of the supporting tree's needed. The arms of all figures are printed separately and the shoulders have rectangular alignment cutouts into which the arms lock snugly.

I attached the arms to the body using a drop of CA (Super) glue. As you can see the fit was gap free and he is now ready for paint. The level of detail obtained by 3D printing still continues to impress with every crease and fold of the flightsuit clearly visible even in 1:48.

Choosing an interesting (realistic) pose when designing a figure for a model has to be one of the most important decisions. By designing the pilot to only fit the Tomcat boarding steps, R2 has intentionally restricted the range of aircraft models this figure will suit. I applaud this approach as a couple of standing crew would be far more generic but far less appealing or interesting.

Both sets (for Tamiya or AMK) come with a standing RIO. Due to his body stance you are able to see a bit more of the equipment and the level of detail R2 has managed to incorporate into their 3D print. The microphone cable attached the oxygen hose in particular is super delicate and care is needed when removing the printing supports.

Quite by accident I discovered that the cleanest way to remove parts from the tree is to break them off, rather than try to use a sharp knife and cut. I know this sounds like bad advice but the small attachment points a so small they snap off perfectly cleanly and using a knife edge just increases the chance of a slip or blemish.

Despite most model figure designers leaving the helmet off it's amazing that when you go searching how many photos of real aircrew on flight-lines show them wearing their helmets. The one thing that I would have liked from R2 was perhaps the choice of a couple of extra heads that could be swapped between depending on the scene you wanted. This would mean mean more parts and assembly but I think the flexibility this could offer would more than compensate.

The standing figure has a lot more supporting framework and so more effort to clean him up.

A few minutes work and the tree is removed. The resin used can be sanded or cut with a sharp blade. I did find that it did not like being scraped so consider that as you tidy up the small attachment marks left behind.

A couple of "close up" photos to let you really appreciate the level of detail present.

The AMK figure I received had a different pose for the left arm from the figure for the Tamiya set, but I believe that you could use either pilot interchangably. The thumbs-up gesture is pretty universally associated with Top Gun these days and I'm sure both Goose and Maverick would agree.

It's always good to see more manufacturers entering the 3D printed market, especially when the subject matter is so well researched and reproduced like we see here from R2 Miniatures. These digital sculpts are available in all three common scales and I highly recommend then for your next Tomcat build.

You can secure one or any of these sets (no pricing information as of yet) by contacting R2 Miniatures via their Facebook page.