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I have 3/4 finished one sitting on the shelf of doom. The fit of the escape capsule to the fuselage requires care to ensure a good fit. It's been a while, but I remember using styrene to fill the gaps.

 

My build stalled at the decaling stage because of the less than satisfactory after  market decals I  was using.

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22 hours ago, Nino_Belov said:

Hello friends,

 

I have recently got myself a Hobby Boss F-111C 1/48, can someone please share bad sides of this model kit,and where is errors,what is need to be improved?So,that I can make correct "Pig"?

Thank you.

 

 

I built the HB FB-111A kit a couple years ago, which is essentially the same plastic.

As Dave mentioned, the windscreen has a bulbous profile to it which throws off the look pretty drastically.
The Squadron/Ozmods/Scaledown canopy fits fairly well with just a bit of work needed on the lower front edge to fair it in.

The bomb bay doors are molded improperly. They molded them as two halves that swing open when in all actuality they’re two bi-folding pairs. If you plan to keep them closed then no problem but If you want them open you can get away with cutting each in half lengthwise and posing them properly. It won’t be exact but close enough. Check references and you’ll see what I’m saying. 

There are other less noticeable issues with items such as wheels, wheel wells, intake spike, instrument panel, exhausts, pitot probe, drop tanks and Astro tracker hump but other than that........😉
Some of those may be only relevant for the FB version but depending on which tail number you’re modeling it may apply since the Aussie’s bought a bunch of ex-SAC FB’s and neutered them to conventional C model standards.

 

 

 

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Res-Kit makes beautiful resin exhausts.  As for cockpit detailing sets, Verlinden and Black Box made resin when the Academy/Minicraft kit came out in the late 80s, but they will be hard to find and may not fit the HobbyBoss kit.  Eduard made etched brass for the cockpit  I belive.  May be discontinued though, so act fast if you see them.

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There are several books on the F-111, but some may be out of print and only found in second hand book shops or eBay/Amazon:

Detail and Scale

Squadron/Signal in action

Squadron/Signal Walk Around series

Warpaint series no 104

Verlinden Lock-On no 5 F-111E/F Aardvark

F-111 - Success in Action

Wings no 4 F-111 Aardvark

 

I believe there are also walk around pics on ARC.

 

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The Monogram is the worst of the lot in 1:48th scale.  It is based on the old Aurora kit.  Jim Rotramel (mrvark here in ARC) wrote a review of the kit in the Detail and Scale book, and it wasn't exactly praised.  However, at that time - in 1982 - it was the only game in town.

 

My personal preference is the Academy-reworked version of the Minicraft kit.  Academy improved the cockpit and wheels as well as included enough weapons to start a war and provided very nice decals, although they were all for the overall gunship gray scheme.  Regardless whether you start with Academy or HobbyBoss, you will have to invest in some aftermarket, to make it look good.  Res-Kit exhausts are a must as Academy didn't do anything with the far too shallow and totally inaccurate exhausts.  DMold make nice intakes - both Triple Plow I (correct for the F-111A/C/EF-111A) and Triple Plow II (correct for F-111D/E/F/FB-111A)  The latter should be separated from the fuselage sides more than the TP I, which isn't accounted for in the resin as it would mean a lot more change to the kit.  The exhausts of the HobbyBoss kit may be better, but are inaccurate in that they only have five slots  before the nozzle instead of six.  The bulging windshield really is a turnoff as far as I'm concerned, and there are engraved rivets everywhere.  The panel lines in the Academy kit are actually quite nice.  BTW, A Chinese company made a rip-off copy of the Academy/Minicraft kit and the quality is poor.

Edited by jenshb
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58 minutes ago, Nino_Belov said:

Ok...Maybe some day GWH will make that kit. 🙂

Now on drastic step,what about 1/72 scale offer?What we have there? IS there any decent F-111 in 1/72 scale?

Hasegawa made a line of 1/72 F-111 kits 20 some odd years ago. They pop up on eBay regularly but are usually pricey.

The Hase kits are very nice indeed.

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Here are the instructions for the Hobbyboss 1/48 F-111C kit.

 

https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/1/6/0/107160-78-instructions.pdf
 

One thing nice about the kit is that it has lots of detail and options like the opened canopy, the ability to show it with the wings forward and flaps/slats dropped, which is a normal position on the ground, and lots of weapons.  The main weakness of the Academy kit is the lack of overall detail on almost all of the parts.  The canopy is one piece, so it can’t be shown open, the cockpit is a lot less detailed, and the wings are molded with everything up, and it has fewer weapons options.

 

But, some of the detail is incorrect, and as can be seen, there is no intake ductwork.  The engines just sit there in the big fuselage with nothing to connect them to the intakes.  And, as noted the windscreen is wrong.  However, if you’re willing to spend the money, not only on the kit, but upgrades like the Reskit exhausts and wheels, and the Squadron canopy, I think it makes a better F-111 than the Academy kit, even the reissued one with some new parts and weapons sprues from their F-15I kit.
 

https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/1/7/3/100173-32-instructions.pdf

 

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1 hour ago, Hooker169 said:

Hasegawa made a line of 1/72 F-111 kits 20 some odd years ago. They pop up on eBay regularly but are usually pricey.

The Hase kits are very nice indeed.


They are nice for the size.  They made a F-111C kit, and a special C/G kit with extra parts from their FB-111 kit to make a RAAF F-111G

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegawa-00952-f-111c-g-aardvark-raaf--101139

Edited by Dave Williams
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18 hours ago, jenshb said:

..  BTW, A Chinese company made a rip-off copy of the Academy/Minicraft kit and the quality is poor.

 

Yes, it was a chinese brand called Zhengdefu.   Avoid at all costs.  :doh:

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Here is a link to a partially-complete review I started years ago, primarily about the Hobby Boss kit, but also addresses the Academy kit and many aftermarket improvements you may wish to make.

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Hi,

 

So if I want to build an accurate OOB 1/48 F-111, regardless of version, which brand should give me the less work to make it accurate?

Academy or Hobby Boss?

Seems like there's no conclusion here.

 

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2 hours ago, mika14 said:

Hi,

 

So if I want to build an accurate OOB 1/48 F-111, regardless of version, which brand should give me the less work to make it accurate?

Academy or Hobby Boss?

Seems like there's no conclusion here.

 

I recommend thumbing through Mr. Vark’s 29 page in depth report and try to come up with your own conclusion.

I say that not to be snarky but rather it’s all subjective. The things that I found important made the HB kit the better kit. I’ve also read posts where Mr. Vark, who actually flew the jet, found the Academy kit the better choice.

It really comes down to what details YOU find more important that’ll determine the best kit.

Neither kit is anything close to a perfect Vark, 

both have glaring issues, in different areas. But both have really nice aspects, in different areas.

And both need a lot of work to make into an exact replica of the real jet.

P.S. I bet that was the longest non-answer you’ve ever read!

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15 hours ago, mika14 said:

Hi,

 

So if I want to build an accurate OOB 1/48 F-111, regardless of version, which brand should give me the less work to make it accurate?

Academy or Hobby Boss?

Seems like there's no conclusion here.

 

OOB, I recommend the Academy F-111C Kit #12220 (NOT the earlier releases). It has numerous subtle improvements over their earlier releases plus the canopy is MUCH more accurate than the Hobby Boss one. Also, it has a selection of accurate weapons and a passable PAVE Tack pod. It is not perfect and could benefit from any number of upgrades. But, if you're standing a couple of feet away, it LOOKS like an F-111 far more than the Hobby Boss kit with its awful canopy.

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13 hours ago, mrvark said:

OOB, I recommend the Academy F-111C Kit #12220 (NOT the earlier releases). It has numerous subtle improvements over their earlier releases plus the canopy is MUCH more accurate than the Hobby Boss one. Also, it has a selection of accurate weapons and a passable PAVE Tack pod. It is not perfect and could benefit from any number of upgrades. But, if you're standing a couple of feet away, it LOOKS like an F-111 far more than the Hobby Boss kit with its awful canopy.

Hi,

 

Yes, that's what I am leaning towards, Academy.

I plan to model it with canopy & bomb bay doors close so Academy seems fine for me.

 

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One thing to do to the Academy kit is fit it with a brace between the front and rear fuselage halves. The most common complaint I've heard over the years about this kit is that the seam across the top of the fuselage where these two sections meet is extremely weak. It flexes and ALWAYS cracks when you try to fill it. This brace is easy to make. I think I laminated three pieces of 0.8" plasticard and cut and sanded it to shape. It'll probably take you a half hour or so to do, but save you lots of frustration later on.

100502-02 F-111 Academy spine brace.jpg

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On 5/26/2020 at 6:45 PM, Nino_Belov said:

Now on drastic step,what about 1/72 scale offer?What we have there? IS there any decent F-111 in 1/72 scale?

 

As noted above, the Hasegawa F-111 family, originally released circa 1990 and reissued sporadically since, is still the top choice and accurately covers the full range of variants from F-111A through F-111G/FB-111A. Unfortunately some releases are rare and command collector prices, and even the more recent re-releases have been limited editions with a high MSRP.  If you're interested in bargain hunting, here's a rundown of the other mainstream 1/72 kits:

 

Revell 1/72 TFX

First released circa 1966, this kit originally included alternate parts for the F-111A and long wing/"blunt nose" Navy F-111B. Accuracy for both versions is mediocre at best, with many details based on unique features of the prototype airframes. In fact those parts and the B- options are the main reason anyone but a collector would choose this kit.  Note later releases do not include the B-model option, but still feature prototype style details.

 

Airfix F-111A / F-111E

On the market not long after Revell's prototype, the Airfix kit originally represented only the USAF F-111A. Raised panel lines, some rather dubious shapes (esp. the distinctive nose), and poor overall fit make this another one for the collectors. 

 

In 1976 the tooling was modified to represent an F-111E. The intakes were updated to a crude semblance of Triple Plow II, but the overall faults remain. Original tooling reissued by MPC and US Airfix, the E-model update reissued by Heller and also labeled as an F (with no tooling changes) by US Airfix.

 

ESCI F-111 family

While not the masterpiece of detail and versatility Hasegawa produced in the same era, the ESCI F-111 family is a radical improvement over the Revell and Airfix kits. Recessed panel lines, decent fit, and reasonable detail and accuracy make this a contender. The main drawback is that ESCI only ever released the F-111A and EF-111A variants, thus no longer wing or later style intake options.  Both the A-model and the "Raven" also appeared in AMT/Ertl boxings, and have since been reissued by Italeri as well.

 

Shortly after Desert Storm, AMT did issue an F-111F boxing that included alternate parts for a somewhat crude Pave Tack pod and passable Triple Plow II intakes (plus a poorly done GBU-28 "bunker buster"). To date this version hasn't been reissued, but aside from Hasegawa it's the best path to a D, E, or F model.

 

Monogram EF-111A

First released circa 1984, Monogram's "Spark Vark" suits the quality that company was known for. Panel lines are raised but detail is good, shapes are accurate, and fit is above average.  There have been a couple of reboxings by Monogram and later reissues in Revell or Revell of Germany packaging, all featuring the same plastic. 

 

Since this was designed from the start as an EF-111A, the tooling isn't modular as in ESCI or Hasegawa, and it would require a donor kit or major scratchbuilding to convert the Monogram kit to even an F-111A, much less any other variant.

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