| Scale | 1/72 |
| Manufacturer | Hasegawa |
| Kit ID | K34 |
| Type | F-1111F 72-1449 |
| Unit | 493rd TFS, 48th TFW |
| Date | |
| Aftermarket parts used | PJ Productions pilots, decals from Superscale |
| Other detail added | Weapons from Hasegawa weapons sets |
| Model built by | Alex Hunger |
| Date Completed | June 2009 |
The kit was a standard F-111D/F from Hasegawa.
This Aardvark completes my collection of various historic F-111s and was largely built out of the box except for the PJ Production pilot figures and the GBU-15 gear. Only the 493 TFS F-111Fs and the F-4Es from 4 TFW, 334 TFW at Seymour Johnson AFB could carry the GBU-15s, which remained relatively rare in the USAF.
After checking with Sig Leader Haydn, I found out the F-111Fs that received the Pave Strike Modifications, to carry the GBU-15 could carry an AN/ALQ-131 ECM pod on the station below the bulge of the turned over Pave Tack pod. In the aft station they carried the AN/AXQ-14 Data Link Pod.
While the Hasegawa bomb bay doors for the Pave Tack unit was installed, I used a shortened and sanded down Hawker Hunter drop tank for the bulge istead of the kit Pave Tack device. The data Link pod was a sanded down resin drop tank from an unknown kit. Unfortunately it doesn't show up well on the photo due to the black background.
As the flimsy kit pitot tube broke up in 5 seconds from being removed from the sprue, it was replaced with a thin needle.
The GBU-15s and the ECM pod are from the Hasegawa weapons sets. The decals are largely out of the box with only changed serials and a spare squadron badge from various Superscale decal sets.
Model and photographs by Alex Hungers
