AdrianMF Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Right. So I'm back from travels and armed with my US-Airfix "F-111F" kit. I am currently slammed for time and know little about F-111s, so this will be more or less OOB. I won't be correcting any shape errors, but I will be adding some detail because my home audience (my daughter) likes stuff like seat belts! I will therefore spend some time on making it look less toy like: * cockpit detail, possibly opened canopy * deeper and detailed wheel wells * better wheels * engine details Extra detail will come from the spares box and scrap plastic. I also have an ample supply of filler, which I am sure I will need! It will be in an Upper Heyford scheme, which ironically is in the native but not the US boxing. I will cross that bridge when I get there. So gentlemen I beg your indulgence! The box and the parts: Paint scheme could be a little clearer... That pesky main undercarriage assembly sequence explained: Thanks for looking, Adrian 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted May 14, 2017 Author Share Posted May 14, 2017 Well, I've started sticking! image uploadingcertificity.com I've also found some pictures of Upper Heyford aircraft with black letters, which makes home-grown decals a cinch. I also notice I will have to read up on the vertical rear u/c door... Thanks for looking, Adrian 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Vader Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Built this many moons age and remember the thinnest tail on any model I ever built. The wheels are rubbish too you need to do something about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Nice start! Looking forward to your home audience approvals 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Saw these kits every now and then, but never seen one built, very interesting old kit, I see from zooming in It's circa 1979 so not really ancient, but getting rarer. All the best with it Adrian Glynn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted May 15, 2017 Author Share Posted May 15, 2017 1 hour ago, Hewy said: I see from zooming in It's circa 1979 so not really ancient Thanks Gentlemen. The wheels are firmly on the hit list, as per my opening post. The kit was actually first released in 1967, as described here. Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 ah yes i take it back adrian ,it is ancient, looks like you will need some tasty sandpaper for that seam down the centre of the cockpit too, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 That's the wheel wells sorted: Given that the main well is covered by a great big door I think it will do. Thanks for looking, Adrian 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Nice work to add all that detail to the undercarriage bays - well done. Andrew. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 I agree Great job on the lg wells adrian i like that Glynn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted May 20, 2017 Author Share Posted May 20, 2017 I was going to scribe the bomb bay doors but the plastic is very hard and difficult to scribe, my scribing sucks at the best of times, and the raised detail that I was following was wrong anyway. So I thought I might as well cut them out and have an open bomb bay: I've given the inside bits a coat of off white, and I've got some bomb bay door hinges to make. I will file some slots in the edge of the bay to simulate the recessed hinges that let the doors slide up the fuselage. As you can see, I have also modified the kit main undercarriage a bit. Thanks for looking, Adrian 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Hi Adrian, welcome aboard with a real classic even if it's in a rather unusual boxing for most people. I remember my brother building this model (well the original UK Airfix one), I was into tanks back then but it was so cool with the "swing wing"! Good to see you're off to a great start and WOW that is some really nice scratch building work you've done on the main wheel and weapons bay!! Good luck with the build, it's great to see fresh life being breathed into some of these really early models! Looking forward to following the rest of your build and seeing her in the gallery. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Top job on the bomb bay, ang lg bays adrian ,really looks good Glynn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 6 hours ago, AdrianMF said: I was going to scribe the bomb bay doors but the plastic is very hard and difficult to scribe, my scribing sucks at the best of times, and the raised detail that I was following was wrong anyway. So I thought I might as well cut them out and have an open bomb bay: I've given the inside bits a coat of off white, and I've got some bomb bay door hinges to make. I will file some slots in the edge of the bay to simulate the recessed hinges that let the doors slide up the fuselage. As you can see, I have also modified the kit main undercarriage a bit. Thanks for looking, Adrian G'day Adrian, Wow, really nice details and good onya for having a crack at an open weapons bay. I see that you even got the small forward doors correctly orientated, a lot of people glue these retracted outwards, Looking forward to more, cheers, Pappy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallysDad Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 You are doing some really interesting work there, sir. I am looking forward to more of your build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted May 20, 2017 Author Share Posted May 20, 2017 A question. Do I need nose weight? And if I put the wings back, what then? Thanks, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted May 21, 2017 Author Share Posted May 21, 2017 In the absence of replies I will stick it all together with masking tape and see if it needs a nose weight. I was wondering what to do about the see through-ness of the wings. I have resorted to some 30 year old draught excluding foam stuck in with superglue. It should be resilient enough to actually work - say 20 sweep changes while constructing, 10 more when my daughter gets back from college and then two sweeps per year: The wheels have been sanded down to more ballon-like tyres from the original buttons, and new rims have been made by winding fuse wire around a paintbrush, which gives a nice variable diameter former: Hub lightening holes will be added with a fine marker pen. Thanks for looking, Adrian 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Adrian, although mine is the Hasegawa kit and it may be a bit late for an answer, I have just done a trial fit with wings at full sweep and the nose falls forward and there is no weight fitted to mine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 I like the draught excluder for the wing glove,great idea ,re the nose weight although mine is 1/48 hobby boss, no need for weight on that one ,good job really because i completly forgot after tinkering around with the vac canopy, some impressive scratch building on display here adrian Cheers, glynn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted May 21, 2017 Author Share Posted May 21, 2017 Thanks guys! With opening everything up I'm running out of forward internal space. At least I've still got the nose cone... Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Another Airfix classic gets the Adrian treatment! Some great scratch building on the u/c and bomb bays mate, superb! I look forward to seeing what you do with the cockpit, and the rest of the build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallysDad Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 That is a great idea to use the weather foam..... in the pics it looks like the real thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 again lovely work Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted May 22, 2017 Author Share Posted May 22, 2017 Time to make the nose gear. The Airfix part isn't very accurate and has terribly thin wheels. I decided to make it out of aluminium tubing, which is stronger than plastic and easier to work than brass. To join the pieces together, I filed holes in the tubing and threaded sections of brass pin down the tubes, then slathered it all in superglue: I'm hoping that the internal wire will remedy the brittle nature of the superglue joins. Time will tell... I shaped and added plastic card collars and faired them in with superglue too: The wheels are from a Minicraft 1/144 Heinkel 111 with fuse wire rims. Not perfect but they are in my spares box and they are much better than the kit parts: Still more cylinders, lights and wires to add but we're getting there! Thanks for looking, Adrian 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 This has really got me interested,great work adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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