Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 The F-111's that went to Libya in April '86, specifically the ones armed with GBU's, a couple of questions: 1) They were the 2,000 pound flavor GBU's, right? 2) Would the GBU's attach directly to the wing pylons, or is there an adaptor? Reason I'm asking is because I'm surprised to find in the Hasegawa kit that there are adaptors just for the wing drop tanks. 3) Would the aircraft in Karma flight have red tail tips? I'm particularly interested in 70-2389 "Karma 52", the aircraft that was lost. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Benner Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 They indeed had gbu-10e/b The four bombs would be mounted direct to the pylon No idea about fin flash Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 MK-82's for Karma flight? http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/operation-eldorado-canyon-libya-under-air-attack-in-1986/ Each aircraft in Remit and Elton flights carried four GBU-10 2,000-pound laser guided bombs, to attack leadership targets. Karma flight carried nine Mark 82 Snakeye 500-pounders for use against airfield targets. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/F-111F_48_TFW_taking_off_for_Libya_1986.JPEG Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Hmmm...well, there's a photo in a book I've got taken from a tanker showing one of the Karma birds refueling, and it's got GBU's.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Mr. Vark will set us all straight. He was there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 I knew he flew 111's, but you mean actually there? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrvark Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Karma 52 was a red tail from the 494 TFS carrying Paveway II GBU-10s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Thanks Jim. Been meaning to do an El Dorado 'Vark for a good while, and I figure with the 30th anniversary next spring, plus as slowly as I seem to work, this would be the time to start. Wanted to do Karma-52 in honor of the WSO who did not return (the pilot's remains were returned...eventually...). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott R Wilson Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Thanks Jim. Been meaning to do an El Dorado 'Vark for a good while, and I figure with the 30th anniversary next spring, plus as slowly as I seem to work, this would be the time to start. Wanted to do Karma-52 in honor of the WSO who did not return (the pilot's remains were returned...eventually...). I photographed that airplane, 70-2389, at Ramstein AB on September 18, 1985, just a few short months before the raid. The sun was not at the optimum angle so the plane was a little dark in the original Kodachrome image. When I scanned it and used software to lighten it up, the software added in a dark stripe at the edge of the shadow along the fuselage under the inboard wing. There WAS NOT a stripe painted there! Here's my imperfect image, hopefully it will be of use to you: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Jeez, that's terrific! THANK you!! It will be well used for the project. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Some F-111s carried Mk-82AIRs, 6 per side: https://catalog.archives.gov/#/id/6426300 Jari Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DarkKnight Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 mrvark, is there a particular bird that sets itself apart that you would build from that mission? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott R Wilson Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 mrvark, is there a particular bird that sets itself apart that you would build from that mission? I have a few more photos of some of the raid participants if those will interest you. Captions are on the photos: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott R Wilson Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Scott, these are amazing! :o Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrvark Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 mrvark, is there a particular bird that sets itself apart that you would build from that mission? Personally, I have a bit of a soft spot for 70-2386 (JEWEL 64, yellow tail from the 493 TFS), since it had my name on it! :)/> But, it was only an airborne spare and didn't get a chance to do anything that night. :(/> The most successful jets were: 70-2390 (REMIT 31, green tail from the 495 TFS) that dropped four GBU-10s in Qaddafi's front yard--now on display at the NMAF (I'll never get used to that name!). (All the GBU-10s were Paveway IIs) 74-0178 (REMIT 33, green tail from the 495 TFS) that dropped four GBU-10s in Qaddafi's compound--now on display at the Aviation Heritage Park in Bowling Green, KY. 71-0893 (PUFFY 11, blue tail from 492 TFS) that dropped 12 Mk 82 AIRs (BLU-49 tails--NOT Vietnam-era Snakeyes!) on the IL-76 ramp at Tripoli Airport). BTW, these bombs were loaded on BRU-3A/As on the outboard pylons (Stations 3/6). [The box art on the Hasegawa 1:72 F-111D/F kit showing the wing tanks on the inboard stations is WRONG! Nobody carried tanks there. The inboard stations were for carrying 'crowd pleasers' or practice bomb dispensers on training sorties. The practice bombs were always dropped using 'that' circuitry to ensure it was working properly--that's why they were loaded there. The tanks would have been loaded on the outboard stations in conjunction with said 'crowd pleasers' in event of WW III. They were never used operationally, not during Libya or Desert Storm. But I digress...] 74-0177 (JEWEL 63, blue tail from 492 TFS) that dropped four GBU-10s that drained the swimming pool at the terrorist training facility at Murat Sidi Bilala. Another jet that had a rather dubious night was 70-2413 (KARMA 51, red tail from the 494 TFS), whose four GBU-10s went astray, nearly hitting the French Embassy (too long a story to go into here). A couple of interesting things: the French Embassy shared a parking lot with the Libyan Intelligence Bureau--so it narrowly missed being hit, AND a senior member of the Abu Nidal terrorist organization was killed by the bombs, which totally freaked out the Libyans. So, although they didn't hit their planned target, not a bad night's work! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Personally, I have a bit of a soft spot for 70-2386 (JEWEL 64, yellow tail from the 493 TFS), since it had my name on it! :) But, it was only an airborne spare and didn't get a chance to do anything that night. :( I'm sure Jim's noticed, but his bird is pictured in one of the photos Scott posted above (#7)! B) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) LIBYA = Lakenheath Is Bombing Your Azz Edit - Azz because the real word gets changed by forum software...... Edited August 17, 2015 by habu2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Yep, I believe they made patches with that slogan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Yep, I believe they made patches with that slogan. :cheers:/> Yes they did. Picked up one at Farnborough in '86 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jeffbmac1 Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 The F-111F 'Lakenheath' decal set from Afterburner Decals has some great side views of aircraft from this operation and from service in Iraq. It also has a sheet on 'load outs' etc. for those operations. I'm not sure if the sheets came in both 1/72 and 1/48 as I bought a 1/48 set in thinking Hobbyboss were going to release the F-111F which never happened Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 (edited) Well, I wish it was in 72nd. As it is, I can put most of the markings together from the old Superscale sheet which has the unit badges (Statue of Liberty Wing, etc), and then hopefully put together the serial # on the tail from spares. Of course if anyone knows a better alternative, I'm all ears! Edited August 18, 2015 by Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott R Wilson Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Well, I wish it was in 72nd. As it is, I can put most of the markings together from the old Superscale sheet which has the unit badges (Statue of Liberty Wing, etc), and then hopefully put together the serial # on the tail from spares. Of course if anyone knows a better alternative, I'm all ears! Don't know if 1/32 interests you but check out the list of future releases #7: http://www.tanmodel.com/index_en.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 Looks good! But if you saw how little living space I have, I think you'll understand one of my main reasons for sticking with 72nd since the early 90's.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LanceB Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Another jet that had a rather dubious night was 70-2413 (KARMA 51, red tail from the 494 TFS), whose four GBU-10s went astray, nearly hitting the French Embassy (too long a story to go into here). A couple of interesting things: the French Embassy shared a parking lot with the Libyan Intelligence Bureau--so it narrowly missed being hit, AND a senior member of the Abu Nidal terrorist organization was killed by the bombs, which totally freaked out the Libyans. So, although they didn't hit their planned target, not a bad night's work! I believe it was Kinison who said of that incident "Gee, France, sorry about that. Maybe if our pilots had gotten a little SLEEP!!!!" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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