Hobby Boss FB-111

[Finn]

Instructions and sprue pics are up:

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10121731

no SRAMs or nukes which the FB-111 normally carried.

Jari

[Dave Williams]

Worse, they have you assemble the Triple Plow 1 intakes (the FB used the Triple Plow 2 inlets) and they don't represent the astrotracker forward of the windscreen. Also, the pylons are the same as in the F-111C kit, while I think the FBs had different pylon. Looking at the sprues and instructions, the only difference from my F-111C kit is a different boat tail between the engines. Even the weapons are the same.

[scott_t]

yep ...pylons are wrong .....they were more pointed at the front end ...not as they are represented ....

FB didn't carry the Pave Tac pod either ... typical load at Pease AFB was 2 SRAMs in the bay and B61s on stations 4 & 5

with tanks on 2, 3, 6, & 7.

[RedHeadKevin]

I've asked this before, but never got a really good answer: Could you use the detail parts (and wings) from the HB kit to help detail the Academy kit? Or would it just be a godawful mess of sanding, grinding and dynamite? I've got an Academy FB-111, and the HB kits have some features I really like, (cockpit, exhausts, bomb bay, wings, etc.) but from what I hear, most of the kit is garbage.

[Andre]

  scott_t said:

yep ...pylons are wrong .....they were more pointed at the front end ...not as they are represented ....

Doesn't the FB-111A/F-111G have two styles of pylon (one for weapons and another for fuel tanks), both of which differ from those standard on other subtypes?

Cheers,

Andre

[BadCop]

  Dave Williams said:

Worse, they have you assemble the Triple Plow 1 intakes (the FB used the Triple Plow 2 inlets) and they don't represent the astrotracker forward of the windscreen. Also, the pylons are the same as in the F-111C kit, while I think the FBs had different pylon. Looking at the sprues and instructions, the only difference from my F-111C kit is a different boat tail between the engines. Even the weapons are the same.

I don't know about the rest of the issues, but it looks like it includes the parts for the Triple Plow II intakes (B5,6,13 and 14) on sprue B (as does the F-111C and F-111A kits).

Does this mean that you could build the F-111A kit as an F-111F by using the TPII intakes and Pave Tack pod? The kit has 4 different instrument panels. I'm sure one must be for an F model.

[Julien (UK)]

I also thought the astro tracker was in the box, might not be on the instructions but it is there?

Julien

[BadCop]

  BadCop said:

Does this mean that you could build the F-111A kit as an F-111F by using the TPII intakes and Pave Tack pod? The kit has 4 different instrument panels. I'm sure one must be for an F model.

Engine details

Actually the engine exhausts will need to be changed to make it an F model. Fortunately Paragon make a set of F-111F engine nozzles, it seems!

[Dave Williams]

There is a different insert for the top of the nose in the box, but it's a raised round disk, which I think is a late in life GPS antenna, not the astrotracker hump.

Yeah, I think all of the kits actually have both intakes in the kit (or at least their representation of the different inlets), but they tell you to assemble the wrong one in the FB kit.

[ranakoshgelam]

Wonder if they would do it in 1/72nd to replace the now hard to find Hasegawa offerings.

It would have been better for them to offer the AGM-69 SRAMs in this kit though

[Matt Roberts]

Now one thing I wonder about Trumpeter's research - and this is not a slam! I have been approached by Song to try and get people to help with research. As such I have approached a couple people on line that I know were/are knowledgeable about the subjects but was told that since they were a Chinese company they could not offer any 'official' help to the projects like company pics or other non-public info, that some other companies may be able to have access to. This applies especially for a current airframe - so unless the new 32nd F-22 is a 100% copy of either the Academy or Hasegawa 48ths I'd expect there to be 'errors' as some info has not been made public.

Considering that the FB was a strategic platform there may have not been as much public info to accurately do the kit design. Somewhat like the gun in the F-111A, in none of my books are there any pictures of the installation and where it was mentioned it was said to be mostly a F-111D fitting (a Salamander book from the early 80's)

This just means that some enterprising resin company will have the opportunity to do a 'conversion/correction' of the pylons, a pair of SRAMs (I think only with the original Revell 48th B-1 release and a forgotten 72nd kit are the only injection missiles I know of) and a pair of Silver Bullets (B-61s) which also were only available on the old Italeri/Testors 72nd weapons set that has been OOP for a decade or two now.

Edited August 21, 2010 by Matt Roberts

[Wege]

Please excuse me for being a bit of a nunchuck when it comes to these aircraft... but could this not be modded into an RAAF variant? Were not some of the FB111 frames modded to RAAF standards... as they now (when the 'Vark retires here in Oz land) have to be destroyed...?

[ElectroSoldier]

Its an F-111C kit with weapons for other models from A to G, plain and simple.

The Astro Tracker doesnt look like its present, but I cant see the clear sprue properly in those pictures, it looks like a normal F-111 nose to me, without the modern GPS bump added.

Nor are the weapons for an FB-111 present, it only ever really carried Mk-82 (All fin, AIR, SE and LDGP) on a BRU-3/A, never a MER, SRAMs and Silver Bullets, with tanks of course.

The panels (all of them) are wrong for a Pave Tack equiped F-111F/C, there is no image viewing hood...

The intakes are wrong for the kit decal FB-111, and completely ignore the instructions, Ive never seen such a balls up!

The pylons are all wrong, the front and back of the pylons were different on the FB > G models and they had internal ECMs so no need for the ALQ.

Cant see the engine nozels, but I would like to bet they are right for anything other than an F-111A lol.

Over all, as an FB-111A it would make a nice F-111C, or F-111K, but thats about it really guy!

Lots of spare weapons in there to trade though, and the kit will of course make a rather spiffing lookiing model when its complete so what the hell ))

[Andre]

  Wege said:

Please excuse me for being a bit of a nunchuck when it comes to these aircraft... but could this not be modded into an RAAF variant? Were not some of the FB111 frames modded to RAAF standards... as they now (when the 'Vark retires here in Oz land) have to be destroyed...?

Surplus strategic FB-111A's were converted to a tactical role and redesigned F-111G for service with Cannon AFB's 27th TFW. 15 of these were indeed later sold to Australia.

So, a correct FB-111A kit could be painted and decalled as a RAAF F-111G.

HTH,

Andre

[ElectroSoldier]

This kit would be best built as an RAAF variant (F-111C) because it is what it builds into OOB

[Dave Williams]

The FB kit has a different tail between the engines than the F-111C kit. The C kit has D27, 28, and the FB kit has D29,30. Each kit has only one set of tail parts. Except for that difference, the plastic in the two kits is identical.

The only difference in the tail parts looks to be the C part is meant to have the fuel dump attached to the rear.

C instructions.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10117806z7/70/7

FB instructions

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10121731z7/70/7

BTW, you can see the alternate insert for the top of the nose in the link below, it's just below the twin-U shaped engine mount and to the left of the rear cockpit bulkhead. There are two inserts, the flat one used in both kits, and the unused one with the raised disc, which I believe is a GPS antenna.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10121731n6/40/6

Edited August 22, 2010 by Dave Williams

[Finn]

The Italeri 1/48 F-117 came with a pair of B-61s.

Jari

[ElectroSoldier]

Cheers dave, and yes the only difference was the fuel dump mast on the FB-111 was different to all tactical F-111's.

Scaledown do a set of B-61s, and of course you can get some SRAMs from the Revel B-1B, but they will need the aerodynamic fairing if you are going to put the on the wings.

In the bay they will be alright as is

[RandyNugent]

Could any parts from the Academy kit be used here, such as the pylons?

[ElectroSoldier]

I seriously doubt it, the academy FB-111 was an F-111C with FB-111 decals and box art

[Hueyhogfan13]

Its obvious that HB threw in a modern day generic weapons set to compliment the F-111..Is it me or did anyone else notice the F-14 BOMB SHACKLES included on it? Maybe a sign of a kit(s) to come? :D

[Matt Roberts]

  Hueyhogfan13 said:

Its obvious that HB threw in a modern day generic weapons set to compliment the F-111..Is it me or did anyone else notice the F-14 BOMB SHACKLES included on it? Maybe a sign of a kit(s) to come?

Come to think of it HB sprues that have an 'X' in it do seem to be 'common' sprues between kits. The A-7s have 'JX' weapons sprues which I think are the same as those in the A-10 kits. Thinking along those lines - notice the engine sprue above the weapons sprues? GX2? hmmm....a TF-30 isn't it? What else was powered by TF-30s?

Edited August 24, 2010 by Matt Roberts

[PNW_Modeler]

140 bucks?

Uh.....Fork that!

These guys are totally pricing me out of this damn hobby.

[Matt Roberts]

  PNW_Modeler said:

140 bucks?

Uh.....Fork that!

These guys are totally pricing me out of this damn hobby.

Just keep an eye out for when the distributors have to start clearing space in thier warehouses! I got my F-111A for $50 from an on line sale a couple of months ago. I feel they'll find their way to shows and swap meets and besides they are also regular mainstream kits so they'll be around in a few years so they'll not be needing to be bought immediately -

I just wish my F-111A came with the weapons sprues with the GBU-15 on it!

[scott_t]

  Andre said:

Doesn't the FB-111A/F-111G have two styles of pylon (one for weapons and another for fuel tanks), both of which differ from those standard on other subtypes?

Cheers,

Andre

The tanks that were loaded on stations 2 & 7 came with the pylon attached and the tank crews would bolt the whole assembly to the wing. We would come out

and run a voltage and stray volt check and connect the electrical connections and safety wire the connector to ensure it didn't loosen in flight. The explosive charge to separate

the tank and pylon from the wing was inside the pylon .......when the wings were swept back past a certain point, the tank and pylon would blow off.

The pylons on stations 3, 4, 5, & 6 were normal functioning pylons with bomb racks to lock in either a tank, B61, or SRAM and used impulse cartridges to expend the weapon or tank from the pylon.