Filler Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 I’ve a question (we’ll quite a few, but I’ll not spoil your WIP discussing every aftermarket part) regarding the Verlinden set. I recall reading somewhere that it was more accurate fir an E than an F as it is packaged. What are your thoughts Ron? Ps. following your work with great interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackman Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 Might this be of interest to you? https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/jh7gbizuutcg7h8adl5a.html They do sell them individually too: https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/fo9hgcnll5rvjgxz2yzv.html https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/lmtavlk66cicxgt8r4d1.html https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/ffgexdbzhxeqcwolirws.html https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/grovrr9fvy4ghl5earzx.html Hannants from UK would usually get them in too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted October 24, 2021 Author Share Posted October 24, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, Jackman said: Might this be of interest to you? https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/jh7gbizuutcg7h8adl5a.html They do sell them individually too: https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/fo9hgcnll5rvjgxz2yzv.html https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/lmtavlk66cicxgt8r4d1.html https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/ffgexdbzhxeqcwolirws.html https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/grovrr9fvy4ghl5earzx.html Hannants from UK would usually get them in too. They must have just released those within the last month. Black Dog that is. I looked both Hannatts and Hobby Easy for update sets I can't live without. Some of the F-4 stuff raised an eyebrow and could use them for the E. My F-4 experience is with the D model and only a few years. I will take a deeper look at Black Dog. Have accounts on both sites and Hobby Easy lists as a pre-order. Hannants has no listing yet for the F-111. Thanks for the links. They would be right up my alley for the last diorama planned. Planned is Hanger 119 that belonged to the 523rd AMU and my retirement squadron and hanger. Thinking seriously doing 3 if not all 4 hanger bays with aircraft in 3. So I'm more than likely will pre-order atleast the big set. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker Edited October 24, 2021 by f111guru added info 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted October 24, 2021 Author Share Posted October 24, 2021 1 hour ago, Filler said: I’ve a question (we’ll quite a few, but I’ll not spoil your WIP discussing every aftermarket part) regarding the Verlinden set. I recall reading somewhere that it was more accurate fir an E than an F as it is packaged. What are your thoughts Ron? Ps. following your work with great interest. I have heard that also. I have a hard time figuring out whom is what when looking at both the E and F cockpits before any major depot upgrade. As is we only had a few aircraft that were updated with the latest AMP mod. As for the early cockpits from the 70's to mid 80's not a whole lot changed. Somewhere in my paper filings I think I have a blown up set of cockpit images of all the models. All except for the C and Navy B. These came from the good folks who trained us airman for the aircraft. Those will be similar to the ones found in the Detail and Scale books. My aircraft will represent those aircraft from the early 80's to the late 70's. I may throw an upgraded E and EF when they arrived from RAF Upper Heyford. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted October 24, 2021 Author Share Posted October 24, 2021 No update and no progress on the Hobby Boss kit but with the Blackdog productions bringing out some F-111 stuff I thought I would post these photos from a kit I started not long after the release of the Academy kits. Cut a bunch of stuff out and scratch built a number of bulkheads in an attempt to build as I saw a few of 27th TFW aircraft cannibalized in hangers. Parts and panels gone. Three jets come to mind that had parts removed and 8 or more years went by before they were put back together and flown. 68-0160, 68-0161, and 68-0142 are the three I remember. I still plan to complete this one and a couple more I cut up. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aigore Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 Nice job on the vaark! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted October 25, 2021 Author Share Posted October 25, 2021 Some more work accomplished. Soaked the nose gear in soapy water to loosen the white glue holding it together. Washed and dries to make sure no more white glue. Using the Eduard F-111 Exterior set proceeded to work the nose gear details. In the following photos is a general view of the nose gear well. Some parts are removed for the demilitarizing of the aircraft. I'll search through all my digital and photo data to find a nose and main gear well of a combat ready F-111. This following photo is of the FB-111A on the transient ramp in the mid 80's. It's not large but is before the demilitarizing. Starting with the top adding the Eduard parts and the rocket exhaust nozzle for the escape module. The rocket nozzle was one of the things addressed to place where it should be. Listed below in red. On to adding the mount plate for the possible addition of weight blocks if need be to correct the weight and balance for the aircraft. Nose gear well partly assembled. Waiting on the nose gear and walls. Partly assembled nose gear with a stainless section added for the Oleo. completed nose gear well with some additional plumbing and air bottles. That's about it for today. hope to do some more soon . All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 (edited) G'day Ron, Nice start, it looks like this will be a real 'kitchen sinker'! I had a look at the BD resin bits and one of the things that struck me was that they have not corrected the Main Wheel Well (MWW) shape. HB stuffed up and made the MWW walls vertical, BD resin just followed suit and added plumbing and gizmology. The side walls should be a convex shape to accommodate the air ducts. Although cruder by comparison, the Oz Mods resin nailed this. I think aftermarket should do two things to justify the cost: 1. It should have better or correct details compared to the part(s) replaced 2. it should fit the intended kit I cannot speak to point 2 but having used their stuff before I am sure it will be a drop fit but it certainly does not meet the accuracy requirement. I don't wish to start a flame war - especially in another person's thread about which kit is better, but personally I would not touch the HB kit. A for the Nose Wheel Well (NWW), are you going to add the SMDC lines that run around the edge of the impact attenuation bag? You mentioned a few bits were missing from the jet in your pics following the de-mil process. It also looks like the NWW fire bottle contents gage has been sprayed over! It also looks like the forward avionics cooling inlet door on the fwd NWW bulkhead has been plated over. Finally, I don't know what those three large rectangular blocks on the right sidewall are but I don't think that they belong there? Keep it up, Pappy Edited October 26, 2021 by Pappy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted October 26, 2021 Author Share Posted October 26, 2021 I do plan on adding a few additional lines and such. The only thing is the last nose well photo I got run off the ramp because they were about to do an idle engine run after replacing some parts on the FB. But I do have loads of books on the subject so information I just have to sit down and search. As far as the blackdog product I did obtain the images from the ad from hobbyeasy website. The hanger diorama I'm planning to do a F-111D in a minor phase condition. Most of the panels are open to some degree. If you have the Locked On series F-111 some photos in there is what I'm going to attempt. I do have magnifier in hand to search books and other photos I've retained over the years. Not an easy road to pursue but in the end quite worth it. This is a partial build on the main wheel well. Just the start. Just at the point to figure the arc in the mid frame. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy Posted October 26, 2021 Share Posted October 26, 2021 (edited) G'day Ron, ' Looking forward to see what you can do with the Academy kit. It should be impressive with all the panels open for the feel and trim assembly. I have a seen a model depicted in heavy maintenance before and it was most impressive. All of this may tempt me to drag out my old Academy kit from the locker of shame, cheers, Pappy Edited March 10, 2023 by Pappy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted December 30, 2021 Author Share Posted December 30, 2021 I've been gone most of November and into December. Had to make a solemn trip across the US to pay my respects to my eldest sister who had lost the battle with pancreatic cancer. She did however survive breast cancer twice. I'm back and had done a little more of the series before the holidays set in. I'm attacking the main wheel well and have come to a slight impasse. I wondering what to do and how might I make the curve of the wheel well side walls between the aft bulkhead and engine bay. The curve is slight but obvious to the eye. I was originally going to use the kit walls and then make the slight curve but did not like how the they looked with copper wire added for tubing. Also the forward bulkhead had the water tank storage and turbines and other equipment. Not liking the kit parts modifies I cut out and scratch build the forward bulkheads to ready later installed equipment. So this is where I'm at and would like any and all input. I do have a small mattel vaccuform from years ago. I could make a set of masters if I get the shape down. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 Sorry to hear about your sister. I am glad you’re back on this build as I love the F-111 and a good build thread of it. Unfortunately I can’t offer any help with your scratch challenges as I’m just an OOB modeller, and not a very good one at that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 Condolences on your loss Ron. I’ve lost four to cancer and really know what your going through. My GrandFather, Father, Uncle, and 1/2 Brother all since 1975. Dennis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Red Sox Fan Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Ron, sorry about your loss--Erwin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted October 24, 2022 Author Share Posted October 24, 2022 Apologies abound for not updating this series for most of the year. Some good has come out. Have a minor update in that the nose wheel well is completed and started on the weapons bay. Trimmed the nubs and bumps from the right side to make way for the ammo drum and hydraulic drive for the M61 gun. Filled the rear depression with sheet polystyrene to make the hydraulic lines for the gun and weapons bay door drive. Also removed the molded in drive assembly and drive shafts to make way for a more 3d drive unit. Got to work the left side of the weapons bay to make way for a scratch built MAU-12 bomb rack. I have a basic stub to be built up. Finally I modified one of the escape modules to make it a D model cockpit with the double huds This is as far as I got for the past year. The other thing that was great is my youngest daughter got married and in the same month received her RN certificate and Bachelors degree. I the interim my workshop I need to get with so I can get on with this series. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted February 22, 2023 Author Share Posted February 22, 2023 Hello All! I haven't progressed with this series as of today. I have been in and out of the forum though. However, I have been saving my nickels and dime so have purchased a number of 3D products from around the world. Since my last update in October of last year I bought these factory direct: I'm quite impressed with the quality and detail. F-111F Engine Exhaust, Next All other engine exhaust except for the F-111B. F-111D Escape Module and Cockpit components. The remaining are interior parts and canopy glass and hatches. New today is a set of F111 Boarding ladders that are 3D printed from Reskit. Purchased from Hannants UK. Top Front and Back photos. What I can see is that the detail is there on the ladders. The below images is a set of ladders from the Italeri ground crew set The last image is a ladder side view and looking closely has the detail the 3D printed part has. Eventually I'll get back to building and hope to continue on with the series. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 This looks like it'll be a great build. I didn't know there was a correction set for the cockpit. I might have to buy another F111 although they do take up a lot of space in 1/48 scale! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted March 1, 2023 Author Share Posted March 1, 2023 Hello All, I was curious about the 3D printed 1/48th scale Reskit after opening the box and showing them in the frame work. So today I cut the support frame work away and was checking them over. Both views are in the bottom 2 photos, Left and Right side views. Removed them from their mounts and trimmed as close as possible. I'll file and gingerly sand them to get the to where they will be ready for paint at some point down the road. Also printed were the pegs that are part of the F-111 fuselage that hold the ladder in place. Four pegs were printed. Only need two if one uses two ladders. Other ones as spares. In the next photo of an F-111F, to the left of the roadrunner stencil shows the mount peg in the left hand slot, represented by a round washer. Here in the last image is of the ladders in their unfinished state. Once I get my work building finished I can get back to some serious building. The Hobby Boss F-111A will end up in a revetment used during their Combat Lancer deployment. I do have the revetment walls started and similar to the ones I have built for a F-4 diorama as shown below. That will be another series for the F-4D Phantom. Enjoy. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted March 1, 2023 Author Share Posted March 1, 2023 While winter is coming to a close and spring has shown its face, I'll jump forward in this series and cut up the wings of an F-111D in a phased inspection done at the squadron level. I won't be able to paint due to my workshop not being finished and the spring time here has winds generally steady at 25mph and Sunday gusts exceeded 75mph. Had a tree come down on my house and no damage from that. So F-111D phased inspection. Many of the aircraft panels are open. I am thinking of purchasing the Black Dog aftermarket parts but have tons of photos from books to show what is behind the panels. The easiest to start with is the wings. This is the right wing top The right wing bottom. Hobby Boss has done me a favor by having the spoilers and actuators molded as separate parts. This is good because in the squadron I was with always set the spoilers up before towing the jet to the hangar. Once in the hangar the phase begins by opening panels. What I'm going to do is open the pivot pylons over wing access panels. In the next couple of images are the panels to be removed. Starting with the right and then left. At this point I need to mount the left and right lower wing parts to see how far the molded pylon mount holes are off as show in the next image. These holes are going to be closed off so I can line the pylons up with one another. I have 4 F-111's in the area to measure the distance between the pylons. I can get that distance corrected if need be. The the display aircraft have their wings back in the swept stance. After that I can work on the flaps and correct the mistakes. This next image is of a 1/72nd scale Hasegawa wing set. I'll use as an example and take some measurements off the real jet to place the flap tracks in the proper position. As you can see the outer flap track and cover is further outboard than the one from the Hobby Boss wing. I'll have to do the same with the right. Unfortunately Parts M7 and M8 are not interchangeable. This would have been much easier. M7 M8 Weather and health permitting I want to get back to finishing my work room. I can cut and scratch build in the house so until then Enjoy. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted April 5, 2023 Author Share Posted April 5, 2023 Hello Folks, Back for another small update. I have a number of threads going and one in the Diorama Which I have an image Which brought up lots of questions. 1. Why are they outside the revetments, 2. What is the white on the inboard slats and what color was the underside on these aircraft for sure. I don't have an answer. I can just speculate. First and foremost is they may have just arrived from the US, or exhaust deflectors are being installed as per the seeming brackets in the back of the revetments. The white on the inboard leading edge flaps is a reflection from the sun on the unpainted portion of the slat. Those F-111's during my time had those and or the middle slat leading edge unpainted. Not very many where the middle and inboard together were unpainted. However, here is a photo showing the entire leading edge not painted. This photo in itself is very interesting. Features that were not on any later models and modifications done to the A after returning to the US I would suspect. Now for the underside color. One was thought to be FS34079 Dark Green and the other was FS34087 Olive Drab. If one follows the T.O.1-1-4 as with the other aircraft that had a dark bottom would have been painted FS34038 Black. @Pappybrought up a convincing commentary in the Udorn diorama I'm doing. I don't have any contacts from the F-111community any more. They have moved out of the area or have gone west as they say for passing away. I can just go by the stuff in books and decal sheets. So the sheet I'll be using on my F-111A Combat Lancer aircraft will and has FS34087 as a underside color. Here is the clearest Combat Lancer image from the USAF files. A distinct line between top and bottom on the forward panels. So when I get to the end of the F-111A build and have the revetment nearly finished I hope my aircraft will look some what as the above image. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted April 5, 2023 Share Posted April 5, 2023 20 minutes ago, f111guru said: Hello Folks, Back for another small update. I have a number of threads going and one in the Diorama Which I have an image Which brought up lots of questions. 1. Why are they outside the revetments, 2. What is the white on the inboard slats and what color was the underside on these aircraft for sure. I don't have an answer. I can just speculate. First and foremost is they may have just arrived from the US, or exhaust deflectors are being installed as per the seeming brackets in the back of the revetments. The white on the inboard leading edge flaps is a reflection from the sun on the unpainted portion of the slat. Those F-111's during my time had those and or the middle slat leading edge unpainted. Not very many where the middle and inboard together were unpainted. However, here is a photo showing the entire leading edge not painted. This photo in itself is very interesting. Features that were not on any later models and modifications done to the A after returning to the US I would suspect. Now for the underside color. One was thought to be FS34079 Dark Green and the other was FS34087 Olive Drab. If one follows the T.O.1-1-4 as with the other aircraft that had a dark bottom would have been painted FS34038 Black. @Pappybrought up a convincing commentary in the Udorn diorama I'm doing. I don't have any contacts from the F-111community any more. They have moved out of the area or have gone west as they say for passing away. I can just go by the stuff in books and decal sheets. So the sheet I'll be using on my F-111A Combat Lancer aircraft will and has FS34087 as a underside color. Here is the clearest Combat Lancer image from the USAF files. A distinct line between top and bottom on the forward panels. So when I get to the end of the F-111A build and have the revetment nearly finished I hope my aircraft will look some what as the above image. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker Hello Ron, Someday I plan on doing both an Vietnam era “A” and an F-111F Raven from desert storm. Could I ask you which is the best 1/72 kit or 1/48 if no other option exists ? Ive built the old Monogram F-111A in 1/48 waaaay back in the 80’s and would be happy to use one again ? Also if I could ask about common load-outs in Vietnam ? Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted April 5, 2023 Author Share Posted April 5, 2023 @CorsairfoxfouruncleI can't give you any advice on the weapons load for the F-111A other than what I've seen in pictures and from a fellow bomb loader who was at Takhli RTAFB from summer 1972 to mid July 1975. So with that I'll WAG an answer and say 12 X MK-82 500LBS Low Drag, or 12 X CBU-58 750LBS class, or 12 X MK-82SE 500LBS High Drag, and lets not forget 12 X M117 750LBS . I'm sure there were others such as 4 X MK-84, 12 X MK-20. October 1972 an F-111A came into Udorn RTAFB IFE with a BRU-3/a on station 3 and station 6. The M61 gun was in the right hand weapons bay and no bomb loaded in the left from anyone that was there either time. So you can be safe on loading any weapon on station 3 and 6 or if you view the image of the first missions would work also. Dennis as far as kits go I'm game to build anyone of them. Hasegawa 1/72nd scale, Monogram/Revell EF-111A(when available. Old Revell TFX with mods, Airfix, ERTL/ESCI where available. My first choice would be Hasegawa for the F-111F and the Monogram/Revell EF-111A. I've built both and have a number more in my stash. In 1/48th scale first Academy with updates from whom ever I can get them from. Then Hobby Boss with the Reskit escape modules for all the models. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod bettencourt Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 Speaking from Clovis Ca, keep going! Thanks for the updates. Rod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f111guru Posted April 6, 2023 Author Share Posted April 6, 2023 @Rod bettencourtThink our high school football team played your team a number of years ago. That is if memory serves me correctly. Think your high school won that game also. Thank you for viewing. BTW had a Msgt Bettencourt as a skill level supervisor at my first duty station 1972 Clark AFB Philippines. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod bettencourt Posted April 7, 2023 Share Posted April 7, 2023 23 hours ago, f111guru said: @Rod bettencourtThink our high school football team played your team a number of years ago. That is if memory serves me correctly. Think your high school won that game also. Thank you for viewing. BTW had a Msgt Bettencourt as a skill level supervisor at my first duty station 1972 Clark AFB Philippines. All The Best, Ron VanDerwarker I do believe I remember that the two Clovis's did play. Hope MSgt Bettencourt was a good dude! Never made it to Clark AFB but spent some time at NAS Cube point (91) time frame. I built the HB FB-111 a couple of years ago and it was a bit of a challenge, felt good to be done with that one. V/R CMSgt Bettencourt (ret) 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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