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1/48 FB-111A


gingerbob

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Figured I'd better do this before I conveniently forgot/ chickened out.  I'll have to go find the kits now- I've got a Hobby Boss and an Academy upstairs somewhere.  I'm planning on wings out, leading and trailing edges showing off, but if I get complacent (insanely ambitious) I might do the second one "all tucked in".  After all, if I don't do it now, I'll never do it.  No doubt a certain amount of parts swapping will be included, but I need to brush up on "where other people have boldly gone before"...

 

Oops, meant to say that it would be the 509th at Pease Air Force Base, back in the good old days when they were regularly flying overhead (I lived in Exeter then).  I think I need to go shopping for decals.

 

bob

 

Edit:  Step one completed surprisingly easily- I found the stuff!  Squadron canopy, Avionix cockpit set, and the two kits, all sealed virginally in plastic- but that's gonna change :Tasty:

 

DSCN6354_zpseayvwnb8.jpg

 

The keen-eyed among you- or those from the land of Oz- will notice that one of them is purportedly an F-111C.  It is my understanding that this is, for my purposes, pretty much the same as an FB-111A.  Enlightenment welcome, so long as you don't hold me accountable for choosing to look the other way should I deem it necessary!  (And yes, I am a rivet counter...)

Edited by gingerbob
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Yes!!! Another FB-111.

 

There are a few differences. I believe that the C used the plow I inlets where the FB used the plow II's. Also was the beaver (?!) tail different.

And there was something about a satelite antenna?! in front of the cockpit. This is all from mind and I don't have any reference at the moment.

The cockpit is also different I think (minor).

 

The plus side is that they both have the same extended wings.

 

I hope it helps.

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Hi Arnie, You did quite well!

 

The Academy kit provides both sets of plows (I and II).

 

Don't know about the tail yet- I've seen comments that the FB's is unique, but haven't dug out the kit parts to see what I need to do about it. 

 

The thingie in front of the cockpit shouldn't be hard to address, and between the resin cockpit and the multiple instrument panels in the kits I'll take what looks closest and call it good.  If I do get as far as the second, "put to bed" one, I may well put a cockpit cover over the clear parts (if I can find evidence that such was used).

 

As for the extended wings, those on the Academy (I think it was) had very poor alignment of the wing extensions- there's an obvious line where they swapped mold parts! (pic later)

 

bob

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Well, I've got the "FB-111A" conversion set on order- correct pylons and the fuel dump thingie, which is unique to the FB (that'll take care of the Academy C).  Also a Monogram A-10 tank, and I'm pretty sure I can come up with another locally.  And, last but not least, an ancient SuperScale decal sheet for two 509th birds.  One is the Tiger Meet that the HB kit also gives (or similar), but I want to do the "classic" SAC paint job that I remember, and I'm sure that sheet will help with all the odds and ends.

 

And I've been studying up, so I'm slightly more informed than I was.  Next step, liberate some parts from the sprues and see what I think!

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Well, I did the first liberating, as threatened.  Usually that's maybe the single best moment of a model project (well, aside from stepping back and saying, "It's done!" but I only dimly remember that).  Even better than peeling back the shrink-wrap and sliding the lid off for the first time...

 

Academy nose halves- slightly warped, no big deal.  Top "turtle shell" more warped.  I'm sure it'll behave when it comes to it, but...

Hobby Boss- well, nothing really bad, I guess, but I'm not a big fan of the "we have to show all the structural details- skin panels and fasteners- because that's what they call 'surface detail'" school of kit tooling.  Especially when said detail is right alongside an unnecessary join (escape pod?) that guarantees a struggle.

 

Yeah, I knew what I was getting myself into, but when the very first holding together of parts suggests that you're in for a fight?  I guess it is all part of helping me lower my standards!

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Welcome aboard Bob, and you seem to have sorted yourself out.....maybe?

 

Yeah you just can't use a C model to make a FB version, the C was a cross between the A model and the FB (wings and gear from the FB). There is some minor differences in the cockpit as well, though the HB model gives you a selection of IP's used in all the different models, though I'm a bit suspect with the accuracy of them!

 

I'll be interested to see the differences between the Academy and HB models, the HB one is meant to be the best for a RAAF version, but even that one has a few issues.

 

Well good luck with the build/s, will be interesting to follow you builds and hopefully we'll see them in the gallery. 

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Spot the FB-111A instrument panel:

 

IPs_zpsnugpvky7.jpg

 

The top row are all in the Hobby Boss kit.  The lower left is (obviously) from the resin set, and the lower right is the "new & improved" F-111C from Academy.  It is SO improved that it wasn't worth disgracing the photo with Academy's original effort.  Hmm...

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Going by the drawing in the manual, that's the correct answer, Rich!  I had a wild idea of cutting up some of the spares to cobble together something closer, but is it really worth it?

 

Off to a contest today (with, as usual, nothing to enter).  Maybe I'll find some FB-111 parts!

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This will be interesting to watch! I live in Rochester and remember well the FB-111's flying around quite a bit. I have the Academy kit with almost all the Scale Down add ones to one day build as a 509th bird, I keep putting it off, my current excuse is I am waiting for Caracal to release their promised F-111 decals!

At least you made it to the show........I started twice, but never got out of town..... 

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12 hours ago, Flagon said:

This will be interesting to watch! I live in Rochester and remember well the FB-111's flying around quite a bit. I have the Academy kit with almost all the Scale Down add ones to one day build as a 509th bird, I keep putting it off, my current excuse is I am waiting for Caracal to release their promised F-111 decals!

 

They are coming and I promise will be worth the wait - my track record is out there on the Web site for everyone to see. 

I recommend anyone who is planning to invest the time and effort to build an FB-111A to wait until mid summer. 

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7 minutes ago, CaracalModels said:

 

They are coming and I promise will be worth the wait - my track record is out there on the Web site for everyone to see. 

I recommend anyone who is planning to invest the time and effort to build an FB-111A to wait until mid summer. 

 

Oh yes, I am a huge fan of your decals, and know it will be worth the wait. Kind of why I  am holding off, waiting for a better alternative in markings choices for the FB.

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29 minutes ago, Flagon said:

 

Oh yes, I am a huge fan of your decals, and know it will be worth the wait. Kind of why I  am holding off, waiting for a better alternative in markings choices for the FB.

I'll buy a set of 1-111 a decals too off them if they have them on sale before the end of this build, i shall enter the fray this week

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16 hours ago, CaracalModels said:

They are coming and I promise will be worth the wait - my track record is out there on the Web site for everyone to see. 

I recommend anyone who is planning to invest the time and effort to build an FB-111A to wait until mid summer. 

 

A good track record doesn't get decals on my model in time to meet the group build's ending date!  (Fortunately I have a perfect record of failing to meet those deadlines anyway, so you might get your wish- but don't tell anybody (especially Rich) that I said that!)  I wouldn't want you to rush on a product, but maybe you could give it a somewhat higher priority?  Probably too late in the cycle for such things anyway.

 

Hewy, if I can find decals of one that I like, I might well do a nose-art bird, but I'm just as happy to do an "anonymous" one.  Definitely the earlier SAC scheme, though.

 

Yesterday's show was fun, and I saw the friend that I only see at the spring and fall shows.  When I mentioned the FB project he said, "Did I tell you that I worked on those at Pease for a few years?"  I'm sure he had, but I had not remembered that!  He suggested the serial ending in 509, which at some point was named "Spirit of the Seacoast".  He said that it had been a Plattsburg aircraft, and they traded a really good one to get '509- which was not a very good individual! 

 

I didn't find any parts, but I did get some needed supplies.  I also saw Monogram F-111s ranging from $5 to $30.  Took a peek in one box for old time's sake, and passed on it even for $5.

Edited by gingerbob
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I spent a couple of hours staring at parts yesterday, trying to visualize getting the vac canopy (shaped for Academy) to fit the Hobby Boss kit.  I think I have an idea, or rather I have AN idea, but I want to do some testing today to see if it is a good idea...

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7 hours ago, gingerbob said:

I spent a couple of hours staring at parts yesterday, trying to visualize getting the vac canopy (shaped for Academy) to fit the Hobby Boss kit.  I think I have an idea, or rather I have AN idea, but I want to do some testing today to see if it is a good idea...

 I'd like to see how you go about this bob , I'm yet to  look properly on mine  and then decide on the next plan of action , a ,buy a vac canopy ,b ,hack and adjust the kit one, c,live with the inaccuracy , we have to draw the line somewhere don't we,

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 I'd like to see how you go about this bob

 

Believe me, so would I!  I've just spent some more time, and then when I compared the two fuselages side by side, they looked comparable, which seemed to nullify my possible conclusion.  However, I did figure something out, which is probably old news to everybody else: (Hobby Boss in front, Academy in back)

 

DSCN6358_zpskkfvajgb.jpg

 

One thing I had seen right away is that the "notch" where windscreen meets the canopy gull-wing doors is significantly farther forward on the Hobby Boss, so the canopy is relatively wider and the windscreen narrower (or shorter) at the base.  And yet the Academy clear fits the "hole" front-to-back quite well.  But look at the line between the two components.  Hobby Boss have this line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (that is, "vertical"), but Academy and General Dynamics have it perpendicular to the bottom edge-line of the canopy.  Ah ha!  That explains some of the "something's wrong".  Another problem with the Hobby Boss is that the windscreen profile makes a continuous curve with the canopy (more or less) while it should be pretty-much a straight line.

 

Now, having the canopy open allows easy substitution of other parts (except that there's a lot of stuff around the glass, which the resin kit gives), and avoids any concern about the canopy precisely matching the hole in the fuselage.  But that still leaves the windscreen...

 

Don't miss the next exciting episode: "It is all clear to me now!" or "Gone with the Windscreen", coming soon to a Group Build near you!

Edited by gingerbob
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Nice comparison there bob, I'm  reading into that that the hobby boss canopy is un fixable, so it will be "a" or "c" for me ,i eagerly await the next thrilling installment :P

Glynn

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See, that's been the rub- I can't see how to use the Hobby Boss clear and have it remain clear.  Which forces us to aftermarket, which is shaped to fit the Academy kit.

 

Here's the Academy on the Hobby Boss fuselage (you might need to look at the original and zoom in to see the gap between the clear and the fuselage edge):

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt285/gingerbob/DSCN6360_zpsqlksj6ny.jpg

 

DSCN6360_zpsqlksj6ny.jpg

 

The frame dividing the avionics bay should be vertical, which throws off some of the other panel lines, but let's not worry about that for now (at least!)

 

The line of the top edge of those avionics bays should pretty-much continue back and be the bottom of the windscreen "fairing strip" (the panel line, not the top edge) AND the sill where the gull-wing canopy latches. 

 

The diagonal angle forward of the windscreen is slightly different on the Hobby Boss, which is more evident at the back edge of the canopy in this picture.  That, however, might possibly work to our advantage.  The windscreen is a bit narrower, and shaving the lower edges would serve to make them wider, though it might be an insignificant amount.  The big change, though, seems to be the need to bring the sill up, which will help quite a bit with the narrower canopy (you can see a top view here (umm, I'll have to find it again), and here is Melchie's test fit of the Falcon/Squadron vac; and news flash! while looking for the top view I found some great drawings from Tommy, which might help).

 

Where was I?  Sorry.  A couple of other ideas:

1) It might be possible to squeeze the top of the fuselage in a bit, by shaving a little down the centerline between windscreen and radome (or rather, a narrow wedge ending at the radome).  This would require some work around the windscreen frame, too, so let's not do this unless we have to.  (Note, however, the slight "hump" in the above picture- adjusting the front frame might help with that.)

 

2) Since the windscreen is (I think) a single curvature, it might be possible to make our own windscreen to fit the revised sill.  If so, you could possibly correct the front angle of the gull-wing canopies and not have to buy any aftermarket!

 

Well, it isn't ALL clear yet, but perhaps we're getting there- or has my rambling made it even less clear for you, dear reader?

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Changing focus for a moment, I got the OzMods "FB-111A Conversion" yesterday.  This includes four pylons and a new "back of the fuselage between the nozzles thingie", called by some the "boat tail".

 

Both Academy and Hobby Boss give you six identical pylons.  Comparing the two, the location of the sway braces is slightly different, and the curve where it meets the wing is different, but the basic shape matches.  The OzMods pylons are obviously adaptations of the Academy pylons, with the leading edge carried down to a point, as is correct for the FB-111A/F-111G.  There may, however, be other details lacking.  I think I can do something similar with some of the kit pylons by grafting in a section from one to the bottom of another, and if I wanted more than four on one aircraft the outer pylons would be different anyway- which raises further questions.

 

As for the boat tail, Hobby Boss attempts to mimic the FB style, with the "external" fuel dump, but doesn't change the shape of the basic fairing.  As you can see by the comparison at the bottom of this page, that's not right.  OzMods is obviously much closer.  I'll have to see if I can modify a kit part to get near enough for the second bird.

 

My opinion is that if you want to build an FB, it's worth getting this set if you can find one for a reasonable price.  I got mine (in the US) from "RebelAlpha" on eBay.  (Note: I think Academy did an FB release at some point, but I don't know whether they made any attempt to get these details right- I'm guessing not.

Edited by gingerbob
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looking at the conversion kit Oz Mods (or ScaleDown) turn out I have this feeling they're really for the Academy rather than the BH one as well, I know they say for any model. I had been looking at the main wheel well mod kit, mainly for the intake tunnels, but there is an awful lot of surgery required and if some shape is not correct.....

 

You may want to look at getting some replacement wheels as will the HB ones are way too thin for a FB (the ones in my C are and they're meant to be the same as the FB!). 

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Thanks Rich, a wheel comparison is on my agenda, but other than getting the relevant sprues near each other, I haven't gotten there yet!  (Yesterday was a busy day for my daughter- a "Public Speaking" event for 4H, which she did fantastic on at 11) so I just managed to squeeze in the "conversion review" before dinner was served.

 

One happy discovery this morning- I'd gotten out the tailplanes, and the Academy ones (still on sprue) looked warped, as I've found on some other parts.  But when I removed them this morning, they're all flat- I guess it was just the weight of the plastic where I had them sitting.  I wasn't liking the thought of trying to "re-flat" them!

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Right, I've had a look at wheels.  Both (revised) Academy and Hobby Boss give you hubs that at least attempt to be right for the FB.  There's a noticeable difference in depth, which I may try to adjust, but otherwise I think I'll consider them close enough.  The Hobby Boss (rubber) tires do not give the "splash guard" on the nose-wheels, though I'm not sure that I need them for my mid-'80s subjects.  For the main tires, Academy is the right diameter, probably a trifle narrow, but since they're split in halves I can just add a sheet wafer to the join if necessary.  The Hobby Boss mains are slightly smaller diameter, but pretty close, and also narrow.  P'raps I'll have a rummage through the spare tire collection and see if something suits, but I may just shrug, too!

 

(I didn't really look at nose-wheel hubs yet.)

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