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Hey y'all, so I picked up a partially 'built' Hase F111C on the auction site for cheap. Naturally it was missing parts, the entire nose gear leg and struts plus wheels, and one of it's engine/exhausts, I've already got a resin wheel set on the way and plan to scratch build the nose gear strut/leg assembly with spare parts and plasticard rod, and I've got a nice Resin F model engine/exhaust set on the way as well. pretty much everything else was there, all structural and aerodynamic parts are. Except the glove vanes/canards/leading strakes where the swing wing shoulder meets the fuselage, both of those pointy bits are missing, and I don't think anyone makes a replacement for those, and they are rather aesthetically important, so I'm going to have to scratch build them. I'm wondering if any has ideas of tips on scratch building curved aerodynamic parts like that. My other question is, what external differences are there between C and F 'Varks besides the engines, I got the F model resin parts because they were cheaper, and also the F is a little cooler I guess. So I was wondering if there is any small external changes I should make to conform to the F aesthetic. From the Initial Pics on Ebay you can see the Fuselage wasn't in good shape, it was worse in person: This is Her Current State, I've disassembled the fuselage roof plate and the intakes, add the main gear bay ceiling, then I've reattached them all with modern Plastic Cement (Tamiya extra thin) rather than whatever yellow adhesive was used before, and I broke out my clamps and also finger held the slightly bent belly in place to even out the sides and most huge gaps are close and things are a much tighter stronger fit, I also assembled one wing to test fit the wing slot and fitment on the fuselage, same with de-sprueing the vertical and horizontal stabs and checking fitment:

Im also in with this kit. Have some decals via the excellent Afterburner Lakenheath Varksand various bits Ive picked up. This will also be modeled in flight as per the raid (just need 2 more erstwhile 1/48 USAFE 1980s crew figures - there must be hundreds sat unused on sprues in spares boxes!). Photobox is down so will add my own pics later. http://theaviationgeekclub.com/operation-el-dorado-canyon-the-long-range-f-111-strike-mission-that-destroyed-gaddafi-terrorist-training-camps-utm_mediumsocialutm_campaignagcutm_sourcetheaviationgeekclub-com/ On the night of April 14-15, 1986, the U.S.Air Force undertook its first combat since Vietnam and first from Great Britain since WWII. Twenty-four F-111F Aardvarks (including six spares) launched from Lakenheath, supported by five EF-111A Raven electronic jamming planes from Upper Heyford, nineteen KC-10A Extenders and 10 KC-135 Stratotankers. Having been bought up in Lakenheath and at home on leave the night of the raid, thinking WW3 had broken out, this can be part of my USAFE memories project as well....hopefully the 'twin' EF model build will go ahead concurrently! I am no detail builder but may use some of the aftermarket cockpit, but mainly the Pave Tac pod and ECM Pod. Will decide which aircraft to model later, various aircraft interest me from various accounts of the raid - which in reality was not over successful, but an amazing feat of planning and airmanship. Its likely it will be a GBU armed aircraft, the Revel F15E may come into the stash to assist - I can't seem to find any reasonably priced correct MK82 AIR BSU-49 bombs - 12 of which were carried. The decals when cut up should allow most of the aircraft flown to be depicted. Sadly one F-111F, tail number 70-2389, Radio Call Sign "KARMA 52" was the only aircraft lost that night. This F-111F was piloted by Major Fernando Ribas Dominici (AC) and Capt. Paul Lorence (WSO). Pilots who flew on the mission reported seeing a fireball fall into the sea during the raid, and in the light of a lack of any other evidence, the USAF concluded that the plane was lost to a SAM or AAA. After years of denying that they had the bodies of the two crew members, the Libyan authorities returned the remains of Fernando on request from the Pope. He was identified by dental records. Paul Lorence has never been returned. I have various reference books to help. Anyone who has more info (or spare pilots!) it would be welcome - as most know I enjoy the research as much as the build and this mission was part of my life, as was RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall and various other bases in East Anglia.

Hello guys! I am happy with our Normal One and Liverpool! But now for the serious things: 1:72 Model Monogram built 1996, so 25 years old, nearly Oldtimer! Verlinden Cockpit, Microscale, a lot of scratch. hope you like it... Cheers, Tom

Better late than never!

Source: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234967246-148-republic-rf-84f-thunderflash-by-tanmodel-released/?p=2200681 V.P.

General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark and EF-111A Raven Warpaint Series No.104 Controversy and competency is the best way to describe the first variable geometry combat aircraft to enter operational service anywhere in the world. This was the F-111 Aardvark, the typical Cold War below the radar strike bomber. It was born in one of the most politically-motivated and incompetent procurement processes ever, and experienced a troublesome gestation period with spiralling costs in development and production, and an unimpressive first deployment to Vietnam in 1967. Yet, all this was forgotten when the F-111 matured and proved itself to become a devastating weapon and a formidable penetration strike aircraft in its second tour in Southeast Asia in 1972-73, helping to prove that its sophisticated attack and terrain-following radar systems enabled the delivery of a large number of ordnance with unerring accuracy at ultra-low level in a hostile environment. Thus equipped, the F-111's long-range all weather missions on targets in Libya in 1986 and in the Gulf War of 1991 confirmed that the Aardvark had become the spearhead of Tactical Air Command and USAFE, and for many years represented the cutting edge of NATO's deep strike forces. It is enough to say that during the Gulf War only two aircraft types were allowed to attack downtown Baghdad and avert collateral damage: the F-117 and the F-111. The longer-span FB-111 was developed with bombing avionics for undertaking the nuclear delivery role with Strategic Air Command, while later still a major re-do resulted in the EF-111A Raven in which were installed the most sophisticated and state-of-the-art electronic countermeasures and signals jamming systems available to assist in SEAD missions. The swing-wing F-111 was a familiar sight in Britain in the 1980s and early 1990s when it equipped two USAFE wings at Lakenheath and Upper Heyford, the latter base also hosting a squadron of EF-111As during part of the same period. The F-111 tactical strike fighter served with the RAAF as well, and was retired from service as recently as 2010. The F-111 was even ordered by the Royal Air Force in the late 1960s to replace the cancelled TSR.2 but was then itself cancelled at great expense amid nationwide controversy to which a whole chapter is dedicated in this publication. The Book This new title, produced by Charles Stafrace and presented in the now familiar blue card covers with an evocative colour image of the F-111 in flight, should be very welcome for post war jet fans. There are 96 pages, including the covers and general-arrangement plans, and it is brimming with historical and technical information, complimented with colour and monochrome photo's, profiles plus tabulated data inserts of specifications. There are thirty-nine full colour side profile illustrations; all drawn by Richard J. Caruana, with some giving three or four views that delineate the camouflage and also shows the position of markings and emblems on the various aircraft. Throughout the book the development, history and politics of the F-111's career is written in an easy to comprehend style, with one hundred and eighty colour plus twenty nine monochrome photographs accompanying the text to highlight the aspects described. The profiles are accompanied by short descriptive narratives, each providing specific details of a certain aircraft; by type, bu number, where based and time period referred to in the drawing. Occasionally, an additional plan view is inserted; as with the version below, which has been drawn specifically to highlight markings that appear on the top of the wings and fuselage. In addition to the detailed and informative textual history, there are tabulated data sheets included as inserts at various stages throughout this publication. The example below shows the US Air Forces serial number allocations to the F-111 and EF-111A production programme. The book is sub-divided into sections by type, with the first section covering the F-111 version and the second section covering the history of the EF-111A electronic warfare variant. As already mentioned, the information and history is interspersed with good quality colour or monochrome photographs; each with a short dialogue pertaining to that aircraft's history or markings etc. Most Warpaint series have a pull-out plan inserted, either in the centre pages or inside the back cover. The plans for this edition are printed on one A3 size sheet and show side profiles of the F-111 and EF-111A series on one page plus top and underside plans on the second page. These plans are printed to 1:72 scale by Richard J. Caruana. Conclusion This new Warpaint title explains the F-111's development, service history, failures and successes, in all its versions whilst in service with both USAF and RAAF, with full text and supplemented with specifications; squadron tables and more than 180 photos, most of which are in colour. Review sample courtesy of

FB-111 Pics taken by Darwin at the SAC Museum in Nebraska