There are several things to keep in mind if you want an accurate Tomcat. First, determine the Bureau of Naval Aeronautics number, or BuNo of the airframe you want to model. The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (i.e., responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of Naval aircraft and related systems. Aerial weapons, however, were under the cognizance of the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd). In 1959 the Navy merged BuAer and BuOrd to create the Bureau of Naval Weapons (BuWeps). The BuNo is a visible marking on the Tomcat. You will find this BuNo on the rear fuselage engine covers, underneath the horizontal stabilizers. The BuNo will help you find out which construction block number your airframe relates to. In 1941 block numbers were added to aircraft designations to show minor equipment variations between production blocks. The block number appears in the designation between the model suffix and manufacturers code (for example F-14A-075) for a block 75 Tomcat. Initially they incremented in numerical order -1, -2, -3 but this was changed to -1, -5, -10, -15, i.e. in increments of five.

Production of the F-14A was divided into blocks, with detail changes occurring in each block. Blocks are separated in multiples of five (5) with blocks 1 through 55 used for the F-14 development aircraft. The first production F-14’s started with Block 60 and Bureau of Naval Aeronautics codes (BuNo) 158612-158619. The BuNo is a handy reference tool when modeling the F-14 since many airframes were passed around to various “VF” fighter squadrons. By having the BuNo you can also improve the details on your model by correcting or determining which modifications to the kit are required (if you care about such things). The five items listed above, the gun gas purge vents, tail stiffeners, beaver tail style, pitot type and chin pod variation are usually associated with a production block and BuNo combination. For example, block 70 (BuNo 158978 – 159006) had revised wing glove fairings with shorter outboard wing fences.

Just when life seemed orderly and logical I noticed differences in two excellent references which explain block number details. There appear to be two Block 75 production runs, with BuNo 159007 – 159025, 19 airframes with a second block 75 production run with BuNo’s 159421 – 159429. Another excellent reference noted: “Block 75 had only four (4) airframes, BuNo 159007 – 159010, and started the modified, i.e. a smaller cut back tail representing a new beaver tail design with a squared off speed brake including a hump in its center section. The block 75 changes also included moving the rear position light from the beaver tail to the tip of the port vertical fin.” So, be aware and cautious something is remiss with our valuable references and my BuNo summary should be taken as a general guide and it is not gospel. There is a lot I don’t know about the Tomcat. But, BuNo’s are very useful to help with determining some modeler detail concerns when photographic proof is unavailable. A complete list of BuNo/Block Numbers for all F-14 Tomcats can be found after page 168 in the first foldout in DACO # 3 Uncovering The Grumman F-14A+B+D Tomcat by Danny Coremans. There is some information in MDF 15 F-14 Tomcat SAM Publications 2008, on pages 17-19, for details on production line changes by block and BuNo. KoKu-Fan # 56, F-14 Tomcat (1991), has its list on page 41.

Since I plan on building several Tamiya Tomcats, I put together a reference list of Tomcats changes by BuNo that follows to keep track of my desired changes and used it to keep this build as accurate as possible.

F-14 Block and BuNo's + Chin Pods + ECM gear + Gun vents list

YF-14A (BuNo 157980 - 157991) 12 units for YF-14A test aircraft

YF-14B (BuNo 157986) a converted YF-14A test aircraft

F-14A-60 (BuNo 158612 - 158619)

-- BuNo 158613 to 158618, 158620, 158624, 158626, and 158637 were later refurbished and modified to block 130 standards for service with VF-201 and VF-202 at NAS Dallas.

F-14A-65 (BuNo 158620 - 158637)

-- -- BuNo 158620, 158624, 158626, and 158637 were later refurbished and modified to block 130 standards for service with VF-201 and VF-202 at NAS Dallas.

F-14A-70 (BuNo 158978 - 159006)

-- no alpha probe

-- early beaver tail

-- IRST/ALQ-100 chin pod or just ALQ-100

-- 7-holed gun vent

-- starting with BuNo 159978 the production standard wing glove fairing with shorter outboard fences on the top of the wing was implemented.

-- Notes of interest: BuNo 158621 had the short gun muzzle with no gun vent. Some jets had the 7-holed gun vent replaced by the standard 2-holed gun vent later in life, even while retaining the original beaver tail. They also received the nose alpha probe later in life, even if they didn't have a Block 135 upgrade.

F-14A-75 (BuNo 159007 - 159025)

-- no alpha probe

-- early beaver tail

-- beaver tail and air brake changed or modified starting with BuNo 159241 onward. Earlier aircraft had their beaver tails cut down with the dielectric fairings removed to a similar shape for the new format.

-- ALQ-100

-- 7-holed gun vent

-- Notes of interest: Many of these jets retained the early beaver tail and gun vent throughout their life. Some were upgraded to Block 135 and had the standard beaver tail installed. They also received the nose alpha probe later in life, even if they didn't have a Block 135 upgrade.

F-14A-75 (BuNo 159421 - 159429)

F-14A-80 (BuNo 159430 - 159468)

-- no alpha probe

-- standard beavertail

-- ALQ-100

-- 7-holed gun vent

F-14A -85 (BuNo BuNo 159588 - 159637)

-- AN/ARC-159 UHF radio replaced AN/ARC-51A radio

-- no alpha probe nose-tip, just a solid metal nose tip used.

-- standard beaver tail

-- ALQ-100

-- Notes of interest: The early 7-holed gun vent was installed up to Bu No 159611. Starting somewhere within Bu No 159612 - 159615, the standard 2-holed gun vent was installed. The first definitive picture of this is of BuNo 159615.

F-14A-90 (BuNo 159825 - 159874)

-- Starting with BuNo 159825 a small angle of attack probe was added to the tip of the nose radome. High angle of attack performance was improved with the provision for automated maneuvering flaps.

F-14A-95 (BuNo 160379 - 160414)

F-14A-100 (BuNo 160652 - 160696)

-- a slip clutch and coupler installation was added to the flap/slat system, fuel system changes were made, AN/AWG-9 was improved and new anti-corrosion measures such as seals, baffles and drain plugs introduced.

F-14A-105 (BuNo 160887 - 160937)

F-14A-110 (BuNo 161138 - 161168)

-- starting with BuNo 161168 the AN/ALQ antenna was added to the beaver tail and above and below the wing gloves.

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

-- standard 2-holed gun vent

-- ALQ-100

F-14A-115 (BuNo 161270 - 161299)

F-14A-120 (BuNo 161416 - 161445)

-- ECM blisters under glove vanes and on the tip of the beavertail

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

-- standard 2-holed gun vent

-- ALQ-100

F-14A-125 (BuNo 161597 - 161626)

F-14A-130 (BuNo 161850 - 161873)

F-14A-135 (BuNo 162588 - 162611)

F-14A-140 (BuNo 162688 - 162711)

-- TCS/ALQ-100 chin pod

-- ECM blisters under glove vanes and on end of beavertail

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

-- standard 2-holed gun vent

F-14B-145 (BuNo 162910 - 162927)

F-14B-150 (BuNo 163215 - 163229)

F-14B-155 (BuNo 163407 - 163411)

-- TACAN antenna

-- ECM blister on left nose gear

-- ECM blisters on sides of intakes

-- NACA gun vents

-- GE F110 engines

-- TCS/ALQ-100 chin pod

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

F-14D-160 (BuNo 163412 - 163418)

F-14D-165 (BuNo 163893 - 163904)

F-14D-170 (BuNo 164340 - 164604)

-- dual IRST/TCS chin pod

-- new cockpit layout and SJU-17 NACES ejection seats

-- TACAN antenna

-- ECM blister on left nose gear door

-- ECM blisters on sides of intakes

-- NACA gun vents

-- standard beaver tail

-- nose alpha probe

-- GE F110 engines with distinctive engine nozzles when compared with P&W engines

-- ECM blisters under wing glove removed

Overall notes of interest: The above info is how they came out of Grumman. As the airframes aged, many were upgraded to Block 135 standards. Late in life, F-14A's began being upgraded with the ECM gear found in F-14B’s. This means the only way to tell the difference between a late F-14A and an F-14B is the engine nozzles and the glove vanes (A’s had them, B’s didn’t). The early 7-holed gun vent/beavertail arrangement could be found up to as late as 1989, if not even into the early 1990’s with the reserve squadrons.