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Hasegawa 1/72 F-111C AARDVARK


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Greeting's All. a bit of a background....

The Australian government ordered 24 F-111Cs to equip the RAAF in 1963, but the aircraft were not delivered until 1973 because of long-running technical problems. During 1979 and 1980 four F-111C aircraft were modified to RF-111C reconnaissance configuration. These aircraft met the RAAF's requirement for aircraft to reinstate its photographic reconnaissance capacity. While the original order for F-111s specified that 18 would be strike variants and six reconnaissance variants, the RAAF later agreed to accept all 24 as strike aircraft and later retrofit six with reconnaissance pallets. In 1971 the USAF dropped plans to fit some of its F-111s as reconnaissance aircraft, but sold the design of the reconnaissance pallet to Australia for $3 million. At this time the RAAF decided to fit the pallet to four rather than six aircraft. The reconnaissance pallet contains four cameras and an infrared linescanner unit and is fitted in the F-111's weapons bay. Uniquely our RF-111C's retained their strike capability.

My Build- A8-126

This was the first F-111C, selected for conversion to the RF-111C variant was modified at General Dynamics plant at Fort Worth, Texas between October 1978 and 18 April 1979. After four months of test flights, the aircraft returned to Australia in August 1979 where it was joined by another 3 modified by 3AD at RAAF Base Amberley in QLD. Three of the four RF-111Cs remained in RAAF service until 2010, having being in use with both 1 & 6 Sqn's.

A8-126 had the privilege of being the last F-111 to perform the last solo flying display and dump and burn before its retirement on the 3 Dec 2010, and is now preserved at the RAAF Amberly Aviation Heritage Centre.

Edited by Aussie_superbug
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Nice to see an Aussie Pig in the mix Brendon. 70.gif

I was considering doing one once I got the Wedgetail out of the way.

Are you using the Pete's Hangar recce pack for you build and will you do a camo or grey jet?

Hi Ray, think its time to pull my finger out and actually finish something for a change.

Yes I am using Pete's hanger recce pack for this. TBH I am still deciding the colour scheme, but at this stage, I am leaning towards the boring grey jet, with the farewell tail art. Which i don't mind as I have another kit to do in SEA camo scheme.

Brendon

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Never knew the F-111 was/could be fitted with a recce pack. Learn something new every time I stop by this GB!

Looking forward to your progress.

Mike

Hi Mike.

The recon pack fits into the bomb bay. I suppose the USAF didn't take up the RF-111 option as they had the RF-4's U-2's and SR-71's

Hi,

Any links for that?

I'm interested, but google gives nearly nothing...

G'day Antoine.

I got this as a added bonus when I acquired my first F-111 kit about 9 yrs ago. Unfortunately I don't know of anyone who stocks it anymore.

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Well finally some photos of where i am at as of today.

Firstly a photo of the Pete's Resin recce Pack, This just replaces the Hasegawa bombay section of the kit.

IMG_4061_zpsaqbgseoa.jpg

The cockpit is about fully finished, I had manage somehow to break of the pilots joystick,just before taking the photo;s and being lost to the monster that we all dread..... these are finely molded and very fragile to say the least.

IMG_4065_zpsa3bkoqyb.jpgIMG_4066_zpsogdkxf1x.jpg

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IMG_4069_zpsscdi685a.jpg

Thanks for looking

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Nice to see this one started Brendon.

I have a later moulding of the recce pack (all one colour). I also believe at one point it was moulded in a clear (orange) resin as well or there was talk of moulding it clear. Never saw any of these though.

Hi,

Any links for that?

I'm interested, but google gives nearly nothing...

Antoine

Pete's Hangar was a local Australian producer. Unfortunately Pete passed away a few years ago, so his products are no longer available.

His decals and conversion sets were only mainly available through local hobby shops or the Aussie Modeller Forums as he never had a website. You might find some reference to his stuff over on the ScaleMates Kit database site.

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G'day All.

I must admit it been slow going on this build so far. But hopefully now that Auskick ( prep- to YR 6 Aussie rules football skills /games) finishes this weekend, I should be able to put some more effort into getting this completed.

Update time

Cockpit and the forward fuselage all buttoned up, bar the panel forward of the cockpit, still not sure if this will be a tail sitter yet and want to keep it open just in case I need to add nose weights. I have attached the the recce pack on with superglue and puttied around the gaps with tamiya putty and then brushed a couple of coats of liquid surface primer to check for any gaps. I had also decided to attach the triple plow shock cones & intake tunnels as well, seeing if it would make it easier later on for painting then making out later on for the final stage of painting.

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I still has some sanding / tiding up do to the behind the nose, this this might be my fault when gluing the 2 parts together.

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Thanks all.

its been has been still a slow process with this project, The inlet trunking is giving me some issues as on of the trunks keeps breaking

Ray I haven't done anything special with the lenses of the pack, looking at it now maybe i should of cut them out and refilled them with clear plastic or something along those lines as clear/ orange resin, but I think I will leave them be.

I should have so progress pics up over the next couple of days.

Brendon

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Well I actually have done a bit of progress.

I had a minor setback the other night. in a bit of a haste to try and progress a little quicker ( had used a hair dryer to help in the aid of drying the paint i was using ), and had managed to melt the shock cones as well as the spliter plates.doh.gif beyond repair. nasty way to scrap a part of the kit that is now beomeing like rocking horse shoot to get hold of, unless you want to pay extravagant Ebay pricing for. ( hint MR Haseqawa please release some more pray.gif)Anyway, having to break another kit so i could use the parts destroyed by my idiotic move. here is were I am at.

intake trunking and fan blades painted

IMG_4079_zpsk7crvooj.jpg

Main landing gear / well painted, also some artistic licence used, Just need to add a dirt wash to it.

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This particular jet had the 2 of the double slotted flap panels removed at the time of its last flight, so i removed these to replicate that.

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Here it is standing on its legs and primed in black... looks mean

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I have a few areas I need to fix up before I start looking at doing the grey.

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Oups you melted model parts? And now?

Looks very good with the flaps details, lovely plane shape too.

Blue paint splashed a little bit on the main landing well.

G'day Amen,

Thanks for the kind words, Yeah melted them beyond economical repair, so I have basically scrapped 1/3 of F-111, so I wasn't impressed to say the least.

I still have a few area's to be sorted out, once the speed brake/ MLG cover goes on not a lot will be seen underneath.

I won't be looking at it for a couple of days now. It was Fathers day here in Australia yesterday, so the family took me out for the day, so no modeling done at all.

Edited by Aussie_superbug
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Nice progress. Good to see some paint on it.

Darwin

Thanks Darwin, glad I can be at this stage now.

I was having reservations about building this kit at first, but now that i have I definitely know how & what to look out for its been a wonderful build so far.

its scary, The size of the F-111 is as long a Avro Lancaster

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