General Dynamics EF-111A (Academy 1/48)
This kit has been in my stash since the 1990’s. Some significant work was required to reinforce and clean up the front/rear fuselage join. Without internal reinforcement, there’s too much flex and too little area for glue to adhere too considering the mass and weight of the front/rear sections. Eliminating the swing wing mechanism greatly simplified the build. The wing glove also required some work. It’s still over simplified and could benefit from more detail however my intent with this build was to practice construction and finishing techniques and not get too bogged down in detailing. Finished with Mr. Hobby and Tamiya paints. Decals are from Caracal and represent the first production EF-111A.
Very nice looking machine
Beautifully done! I can see why this plane picked up the 'Aardvark' nick name.
Very nice Aardvark, Christopher!
Great painting and weathering, resulting in striking looks at an otherwise single tone gray machine.
Your end result is very imposing!
I had built the -E version (Whispering Death) 15 years ago and applied, more or less, the same solutions as you did. I remember that decal colors were off and that the main landing assembly instructions were wrong.
Although you call it a 'simplified' build, to me it looks great.
A very nice finish.
Nice work, Christopher. And applause for careful resolving the fit issues with the help of spru bits.
Nice looking model; great job! I remember building an F-111 kit as a kid, but I don't remember who made it. I also remember seeing a couple of '111s parked at Hickam AFB in Hawaii when my father was stationed there in the late '60s. What struck me the most about them is they seem to be larger in real life than I expected from building the kit.
Really nice, Christopher (@cchurch1117). The F-111 is such a cool looking plane, and you have captured it perfectly. Your paint-work is outstanding.
Looks great - I'd say that "practice" session was a complete success!
🙂 ... Greetings ... 🙂 :
As can be seen, all your drawbacks have paid off in very great ways Christopher.
The painting and the subtle weathering make this seldom aircraft model really
standout in a glorious way. A very nice and impactful model.