Toms Modelworks produced a separate set of brass photo-etch devoted strictly to the F-14 Tomcats produced by Trumpeter in 1:350 scale (click for a review of Toms set 3549) but what about all of the aircraft that come with the big Trumpeter Nimitz. That poses no problem because with set #3548 Toms has all of the detail for all of the types of aircraft that come with the kit, including the F-4J Phantoms that served on the initial voyage of USS Nimitz CVN-68.

You can now stage your own Flight of the Intruder because Toms gives you the detail parts to deck out your set of A6E Intruders. Included in the parts count are main gear, nose gear, tail hooks, air brakes, fuel probes, inboard wing pylons, outboard wing pylons, nose gear doors and wing gear doors.

A6E Intruders

You can keep the Intruders company on ground attack mission with a flight of A7C Corsair IIs. With set #3548 you get nose gear (use kit main gear), middle pylons, inboard pylons, outboard pylons, nose gear doors, main gear doors, sidewinder AAM rails and entry ladders. 

A7C Corsair II

To suppress and eliminate those slinking submariners you'll need your S3A Vikings in top form. Toms gives you the goods with nose gear (use kit main gear), nose gear doors, main gear doors, wing pylons and tail hooks.

S3A Viking

For Search and Rescue SAR and other odd but essential missions the SH-3H Sea King helicopters can come in handy. Of course Toms set #3548 covers those necessary workhorses. Included in the parts manifest for the rotary wing guys are main rotor blades, tail rotors, rotor bottom hubs, rotor top hubs, cockpit doors, cabin doors, main gear, and tail gears.

SH-3H Sea King

Of course, any well prepared captain or aspiring admiral will have his Eyes Out to sound an early alarm in the case of trouble. That is the mission of the E2C Hawkeye. With set #3548 you get nose gears, main gears, propellers, entry doors, nose gear front doors, nose gear side doors, main gear front doors, main gear back doors, and tail hooks.

E2C Hawkeye

What about the Big Boys? Your Whale Riders of the A3D Skywarriors aren't left behind by Toms. Included in the fret are detail parts for the nose gear and main gear strut shocks (use gear from kit and add the brass shocks), nose gear doors, main gear doors, speed brake doors, bomb bay doors, lower entrance doors, anti-buffet fences and twin tail guns. 

A3D Skywarrior

For the last hurrah of the big, burly F4J Phantom IIs Toms has the gear. These flying bricks will be fully equipped with two piece nose gear doors, three piece main gear doors, nose gear struts, main gear struts, tail hooks, sidewinder AAM pylons, inboard pylons, outboard pylons, wing slats and air brakes.

F4 Phantom

Need to send out a Recce? To do this job you can task the RA-5C Vigilante, if she is up to the job. With Toms set #3548, she certainly will be. Included in the fret are detail parts for the nose gear strut shocks (added to kit gear), nose gear doors, two piece main gear doors, wing flaps, wing pylons, tail hooks and entry ladder. 

RA-5C Vigilante & Instructions

With the instruction set Toms Modelworks shows the parts needed to outfit each type of aircraft. Also provided are top plans, bottom plans and for most types, profiles. However, the drawings do not specifically indicate where each part is attached to the 1:350 scale version. Although the location is obvious for the great majority of the parts, further research may be needed for those modelers unfamiliar with a particular type of aircraft. 

Verdict
Toms Modelworks Brass Photo-Etch set #3548 is specifically designed to provide all of the brass detail for the aircraft types provided with the Trumpeter 1:350 scale Nimitz kit. In that capacity, Toms provides a lot of parts for the money, as Toms set #3548 is the most economical set of brass detail parts for the Trumpeter Nimitz aircraft available from the Big Three.

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