AIRFIX 1:72 GENERAL DYNAMICS F-111E
'INBOX Review'

 

Reviewer: Paulo Ivo Teixeira  (rec.models.scale)   

Kit details

Airfix F-111E 1/72 scale, kit # 04008-6, dated 1975. Nice, top-opening style 5 box (according to the Airfix Collectors Website, http://www.djairfix.freeserve.co.uk). From e-Bay for about 7.50 GB pounds + p&p.

Aircraft history

The F-111 has its origins in US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's 1961 direction that the US Air Force and the US Navy adopt a single plane to fulfil their requirements for, respectively, a fast attack aircraft and a slow, carrier-based fleet air defence fighter. A number of contractors were invited to submit proposals for what was then named the TFX (Tactical Fighter eXperimental), of which General Dynamics' emerged victorious, in the teeth of opposition from both services. The F-111's gestation was long and tortuous, clouded by problems in the development of almost every one of the aircraft's systems amid much political bickering. Along the way the Navy version, the F-111B, was dropped as unacceptable (the Navy would eventually get the F-14 Tomcat instead). The USAF's F-111A, on the other hand, spawned a number of different versions, one of which, the F-111E, is the subject of this kit. The F-111E is basically an F-111A with larger air intakes fitted with blow-in doors, and slightly upgraded avionics. An interim version pending delivery of the more advanced F-111D (yes, series letters can be misleading), it could fly at 2,335 km/h or Mach 2.2 (1,450 mph) at 10,670 m (35,000 ft), and at 1,469 km/h or Mach 1.2 (913 mph) at low level.

The F-111 family were the world's first operational aircraft whose wing sweep could be continuously varied, as opposed to the earlier MiG-23 which had only three possible wing positions. They eventually grew to be potent attack aircraft - fast, long-ranged and able to carry a large ordnance. The USAF retired its F-111D, E and F and FB-111A around 1996. The type's only other operator, Australia, is to my knowledge still flying its F-111C and G as of late 2005.

Kit parts

65 injection-moulded parts on 4 sprues of light blue plastic, plus canopy floating loose, all in a sealed plastic bag. As usual with older Airfix kits, most parts have come off the sprues. Raised panel lines (a lot of them), engraved control surfaces. No flash. A few sink marks but all on the inside of parts, won't be visible once model is assembled. Main fuselage split horizontally as is the norm with swing-wing aircraft; separate cockpit/crew escape module split vertically, two-piece nose.

Instructions

One 24.5 cm x 49 cm (9.6 in x 19.2 in) sheet folded in two as four pages, then folded again in two, featuring: short history of aircraft in English, French and German; general instructions and explanation of symbols. Eight easy-to-follow construction steps. No as-you-go colour call-outs. Advice on applying decals. Painting and decaling guide showing 4-view of aircraft.

Colour options

Choice of four camouflaged aircraft assigned to the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing, USAFE at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, UK. Standard SEA colour scheme of US Tan FS30219 (Hu 118), US Medium Green FS34102 (Hu 117), US Dark Green FS34079 (Hu 116), over matt black undersides. Aircraft differ in colour of tail fin tip, which can be yellow, red or blue. References are to the now defunct Airfix paint range only; note that they are inconsistent with the SEA scheme given for other Airfix kits, e.g., the F-4 Phantom II. Since there are no detail painting instructions I set about researching this myself and came up with Satin White FS27875 (Hu 130) for the insides of air intakes, undercarriage bays, undercarriage legs, wheel hubs and inside of undercarriage doors, except inside of front part of main undercarriage door, which doubles as an airbrake and is painted gloss red (Hu 19). Cockpit is Light Ghost Grey FS36375 (Hu 127), with light green seat cushions and orange-red headrests. Exhaust cans were a bit of a headache as it's hard to tell from photos which colour they actually are: in the end I decided I would paint them gunmetal (Hu 53), although some copper or bronze mixed in probably wouldn't go amiss as they do look a bit rust-coloured.

Decals

Small sheet with stars and bars, squadron and aircraft numbers, some stencilling. Old, with lots of carrier film but a preliminary trial revealed good adhesion properties. Colours in good register.

Cockpit/wheel bay detail

What wheel bays? They're about 1 mm deep, with rather thick doors (especially the nose wheel bay). No detail at all. A minimal amount of detail on undercarriage legs and wheel hubs, which are, however, quite simplistic and inaccurate. Cockpit consists of a single tub with some very basic seat shapes moulded on; no control sticks or detail of any sort.

Options

Swing wings, connected by a bar with pins at ends that go into holes in the wings. The pins are then fastened in place with 2 small rings. From experience I know the bar is likely to disengage from wings, leaving you with an aircraft whose left wing, as it were, doesn't know what the right one is doing, so I'd suggest reinforcing the bar with copper wire.

No ordnance at all except for an elongated object looking vaguely like an ECM pod, to be mounted on one of two swivelling wing pylons (very simplistic in shape); if you decide to use them, holes need to be opened in wings.

Undercarriage up or down. Moveable tailplanes.

Impressions

Having built this kit as a teenager more than 20 years ago, I can report that it goes together well with hardly any problems. Put some weight in nose, but there's plenty of room for it (not for nothing did this aircraft earn the nickname `Aardvark'!). Some filler will be needed to fair the crew escape module/cockpit and the nose into the fuselage. One issue is what to do with the slit that the wings go into when sweeping back: on the real aircraft this is covered by a fabric or rubber `curtain'. It needs to be blocked somehow, in a way that doesn't restrict wing movement.

Accuracy

General shape of aircraft ok, some simplistic and inaccurate detail (see above). In addition, rear part of main undercarriage bay door is now known to be at an angle close to perpendicular to the fuselage when fully open and connected to the fuselage, not parallel to the fuselage and connected to the undercarriage as per the instructions. Finally, the foremost of the two small antennae along the spine should be much smaller than the aftmost one, not the same size (this from inspection of a real F-111E a couple of months ago).

I don't measure kits but dimensions look right.

Conclusion

An easy-to-build kit that captures well the overall shape of this remarkable aircraft. Plenty of room for scratchbuilding/aftermarket, as much detail is either inaccurate or just not there.

References

 

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