JSI 1/18 F-14A Tomcat S2 Possible IRIAF Repaint

According to German etailer warbirdmodelle‘s preorder page, the next repaint for the JSI 1/18 F-14A Tomcat will be in the original paint scheme of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force(IRIAF). The 1/18 IRIAF F-14A Tomcat is set for release in autumn of this year.

In Iranian service, the F-14A Tomcat first served with the Iranian Air Force, and then with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force after the Iranian Revolution. While the official kill count for the US Navy’s F-14’s in air to air combat has been 5-0(2 SU-22’s, 2 MIG-23’s, 1 Mi-8 Hip helicopter), the kill count in Iranian service has been exponentially higher, although the exact figures are hard to verify. Kills accounted for include gun kills and kills with the AIM-54 Phoenix missle(the only combat kills on record for this missle), the longest range air to air missle in service at the time.

The IRIAF still maintains a fleet of aging F-14A Tomcats, and have new camouflage with distinct shades of gray(and some hints of blue). The S2 scheme is of the initial paint scheme worn by the IRIAF Tomcats in the 80’s. This is also the more recognizable paint scheme of the 2. Will JSI retool the Tomcat to be more accurate for the S2 paint scheme? The IRIAF Tomcats are older block F-14A’s produced in the late 70’s, whereas the JSI S1 Jolly Rogers release last December used the a much later block number F-14A mold. As noted previously, that mold is only accurate for squadrons such as VF-41 Black Aces and VF-154 Black Knights prior to their transition to the F/A-18F Super Hornet.