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US Navy F-14 Pilot Bust

R2 Miniatures, 1/9 scale

S u m m a r y
Catalogue Number, Description, Scale & Price

R2 Miniatures Item No. #R19-B09 - US Navy F-14 Pilot Bust. USD$79.00 plus shipping from ebay.
Contents and Media:

3D printed resin parts; instructions
Review Type: FirstLook
Advantages: High level of detail; excellent printing quality; perfect fit; realistic face and flight suit; careful packaging.
Disadvantages: None noted.
Recommendation:

This is a fantastic kit with very good detail, one of the best pilot busts I have encountered.  Patience with removal of the parts and careful painting will result in a bust that will be the centerpiece of anyone’s collection.  Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Matt Wellhouser

FirstLook

 

If you are a fan of “Top Gun”, or have an interest in US Navy aviation, here is a kit you may be interested in.  It is a 1/9 scale kit, comprised of 7 parts.  It is 3D printed. 

 

 

Printed in smooth grey resin, the parts are- torso, head and helmet, oxygen mask, and base or plinth and a couple of plugs for the base.  Also included are a sheet of decals for the helmet, and instructions. 

 

 

Being 3D printed, the parts are shipped in small printing cages as they come off the printer.  Each is wrapped in a plastic bag   and secured with bubble wrap. 

 

 

The bust is impressive with all the equipment a Naval aviator would wear while flying a F14  (or pretty much any Naval aircraft of that time period).  This really about a half- figure sized bust because the equipment hangs down to about waist level.  The printing is top notch.  There are no indications of any printing lines or striations that I have seen on earlier printed kits.  As a matter of fact, once the runners are removed, it looks like it was a cast resin kit.

 

 

The detail is impressive and realistic.  The basic fit of the parts is spot on.  It is amazing what is being achieved with 3D printing.   The instructions guide you on removal of the runners and assembly.  You must use caution removing the parts from the runners as there are a few fragile straps and details that could be easily broken off.  The runners are small, and the cleanup went very quickly despite the sheer number of them. 

 

  • R2 Miniatures Item No. #R19-B09 - US Navy F-14 Pilot Bust Review by Matt Wellhouser: Image
  • R2 Miniatures Item No. #R19-B09 - US Navy F-14 Pilot Bust Review by Matt Wellhouser: Image
  • R2 Miniatures Item No. #R19-B09 - US Navy F-14 Pilot Bust Review by Matt Wellhouser: Image
  • R2 Miniatures Item No. #R19-B09 - US Navy F-14 Pilot Bust Review by Matt Wellhouser: Image
  • R2 Miniatures Item No. #R19-B09 - US Navy F-14 Pilot Bust Review by Matt Wellhouser: Image
  • R2 Miniatures Item No. #R19-B09 - US Navy F-14 Pilot Bust Review by Matt Wellhouser: Image
  • R2 Miniatures Item No. #R19-B09 - US Navy F-14 Pilot Bust Review by Matt Wellhouser: Image
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The face on the kit bears a resemblance to Tom Cruise, and the decal sheet is labeled “Maverick”.  

The decals are specific to the helmet worn in the 1986 movie, including the word “Maverick” on the front of the helmet. The instructions guide you in decal placement.  Of course, you could paint the helmet as you wish to depict any pilot.   

There is also a “Tomcat” and US flag decal to use as shoulder patches. 

 

 

Conclusion

 

This is a fantastic kit with very good detail, one of the best pilot busts I have encountered.  Patience with removal of the parts and careful painting will result in a bust that would be the centerpiece of anyone’s collection. 

Highly recommended.

Text and Images Copyright © 2024 by Matt Wellhouser
Page Created 24 January, 2024
Last updated 24 January, 2024

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