“What If” F-111K RAF
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I'm not a great one for "what if" modelling, but I made an exception on this because this so nearly DID happen. When the Labour party cancelled the TSR2 (the best strike aircraft the RAF never had) they then bought into the American F111 project. This project even went as far as allocating aircraft registrations for the amount of aircraft to be procured. When the F111 started to hit project cost overruns and failure to hit the required performance characteristics (in fact the F111 did not reach the same performance as the TSR 2 had managed before the project was cancelled) mo re money was wasted finding a replacement for the replacement of the... well I'm sure you get the picture!
The first F111K is in the "as delivered" scheme from General Dynamics. It would of course have been a great "photo call" hence the F111K RAF along the left hand fuselage front. The XV884 is the first registration in the allocated block. The second F111K is for the final one to leave service, just after GW1 (Op Granby). By this time, 5 remaining F111K's were converted to perform an EW role. This kit will be fitted out with various Anti radiation missiles and extra jamming devices. The "gondola" on the underside will be changed by adding various aerials and antennas. The scheme is medium grey with RAF low viz lilac and blue roundels. Eyelashes will be painted around the fuselage roundels and "nostrils" under the nose. As it is supposed to be a "final" flight scheme, I'll also add a couple of USAF "zaps" applied on it's farewell tour... I have another 3 planned, 1 from Empire Test Pilots School, 1 Maritime strike and reconnaissance and one of the early interdictor strike F111's based in RAFG in the mid 1970's/early 1980's. All will have the correct registrations from the list
Interesting concept, looks great. The U S Navy was almost saddled with the F-111B under the idea of commonality. They ended up rejecting it, and decided on what became the F-14.
History is a funny thing! We should have stuck with TSR 2. It only went supersonic once, with one engine in reheat and the other in full (dry) thrust. It left the E.E. Lightning (the chase
plane) standing apparently. The Lightning had to use reheat on both engines to keep pace. The Lightning was not exactly a slow aircraft to begin with. I think that the TSR2 was a threat to so many aircraft designs that it could not be allowed to succeed...