MAW Decals

1/48 LAU-7/A Sidewinder Rail For the Hasegawa F-14

Stock Number: 48-R005

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $4.99 Review copy provided by: MAW Decals (www.mawdecals.com). You can order directly with free shipping in the US. The F-14 is a popular modeling subject and the 1/48 Hasegawa family of kits is recognized as being the most detailed in that scale. Still there are a plethora of aftermarket sets available for the modeler who wants a definitive F-14 model. MAW Decals has entered into this market with a new offering - detailed LAU-7 Sidewinder missile rails. While the kit rails are sufficient if you mount Sidewinders; if you want empty rails the MAW rails are a lot more detailed both on the exterior and in presenting the rail face where the missile mounts. The LAU-7 rails come two to a pack and are molded in cream colored resin. I coated one rail with primer so that you can see the detail present. According to the M.A.T.S website the LAU-7 rail can be fitted to either the side (station A) or lower station (B) of the multi-purpose pylon. This product is designed as a drop in replacement for the kit part which is the side mounted location - station A. (Of note the LAU-7 is interchangeable from side to side.) The way the LAU-7 rail comes from MAW Decals, it could also be easily adapted to station B. Below is a picture I took at the Udvar Hazy Annex of the Air and Space museum of the F-14D on display. (Note: this aircraft is fitted with the LAU-7 rail rather than the LAU-138 BOL rails fitted to F-14B and Ds after 1996.) This is a simple set that is easy for the less experienced modeler to add more detail. The only preparation required is to remove the pour block (which is indented to accommodate locating pins on the rail) and clean up the mold seam. This took only a few minutes of time, the rail coming easily off the pour block. I used CA to mount the part onto the kit multi-purpose pylon. While the rail is designed for the Hasegawa kit, it could be adapted, with out much surgery to other F-14 kits. I have included a comparison photo of the mounted rail on the Hasegawa pylon with the pylons from the Monogram kit and the Academy kit. Overall, this is a nice detail set that will not break your budget. It dresses up a high profile area and is recommended if you choose to leave your missile rails bare. Reference: Multi-purpose Pylons.

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