F-111, FB-111, EF-111, Aardvark, Merlin, Raven, Sparkvark, and Pig

[Thorvic]

Yeap you need the F-111A kit for the F-111K, the only other difference was the optional centreline belly pylon when the bombbay was used as a fuel tank.

[PR19_Kit]

That sketch shows the K with short wings, was that the case or was it changed at some time? In either direction.....

[Thorvic]

K was a Standard A except for the stronger gear of the FB-111 due to the heavier loads and rougher field when operating East of Suez.

The long wing span K is just urban legend, some bright spark got confused with the K parts being resued in the FB-111A program as General Dynamics recycled what it could after the UK cancelled, plus i suspect some were confused by the RAAF going with the long span F-111C. All official paper work and press from the period verify that its was the base A model.

(You should have seen Uncle Mikes face when we pointed it out at one SMW after he built a pair of long span F-111C's  ).

Its just another one of those cases where somebody does shoddy research, gets their facts wrong, gets printed and many take whats been said as gospel because its been 'published'.

G

[Gondor]

K was a Standard A except for the stronger gear of the FB-111 due to the heavier loads and rougher field when operating East of Suez.

The long wing span K is just urban legend, some bright spark got confused with the K parts being resued in the FB-111A program as General Dynamics recycled what it could after the UK cancelled, plus i suspect some were confused by the RAAF going with the long span F-111C. All official paper work and press from the period verify that its was the base A model.

(You should have seen Uncle Mikes face when we pointed it out at one SMW after he built a pair of long span F-111C's  ).

Its just another one of those cases where somebody does shoddy research, gets their facts wrong, gets printed and many take whats been said as gospel because its been 'published'.

G

Thank you Thorvic, exactly the reason why I asked the question in the first place as although it will be a whif I want to make it as correct as possible.

Next problem will be finding a decent F-111A to convert as the Hasegawa version is rather rare.

Gondor

[ReccePhreak]

Its just another one of those cases where somebody does shoddy research, gets their facts wrong, gets printed and many take whats been said as gospel because its been 'published'.

G

Unfortunately, that usually seems to be the case when dealing with online info concerning "rare" or "hard-to-research" photo-recce aircraft. 
One website will post some made up or poorly researched "facts", and every other website copies the "info" verbatim. 

Larry

[ysi_maniac]

With Phantom fixed wings


Matting F-111 and F-15. Fuselage widened.


This design, loosely inspired in FB-111H, implies some kind of scalorama:
F-111 1/72 and F4 1/48 or
F-111 1/144 and F4 1/100

[rickshaw]

I wonder, why did the RAF go with the A model short wing while the RAAF wanted the longer C model wing?

[pyro-manic]

How much of a short-field/range advantage does the long wing give? Perhaps these were seen as important attributes for the Aussies?

[PR19_Kit]

What was the range of the anticipated targets for both aircraft? That might have had an effect on the wing configuration.

[dwomby]

Here's my F-111K from a few years back.  Made from the original Airfix F-111A boxing and updated to a mid-80s RAF Whif by adding an LRMTS under the nose, a jamming pod attached to a bomb-bay door and an RWR system to the fin.:





David

[Thorvic]

I wonder, why did the RAF go with the A model short wing while the RAAF wanted the longer C model wing?

Basically they wanted the aircraft as similiar to the basic US version as possible to keep prices down and maintain commonality with US forces. The only mods they made were in relation to its inteded operationings needs and environment, thus Refuelling probe, some Brit avionics, beefier wheels and extra tankage to cover the East of Suez strike & recon role.

[KJ_Lesnick]

Shasper

Now if the Bravo already offered Mach-1 performance in prototype form (thats a pure guestimation), I'm guessing the production version with the higher-thrust engine then Mach-2 would be the standard, but even at Mach-1 on the deck it would still be a leap over the subsonic Intruder.

The A-6 wasn't entirely un-maneuverable (especially when lightly loaded), though I'm not sure if it was when loaded with a moderate load; the F-111A from what I remember, was even less maneuverable than the F-105 (I don't know if this was from when the design was still weighing 85,000 pounds or 100,000)

Regarding systems and capability, the A-6 had a very advanced ground-mapping radar and I think it even had a terrain following AP.  I don't know if the AWG-9 had a ground-mapping mode.

[kitnut617]

I wonder, why did the RAF go with the A model short wing while the RAAF wanted the longer C model wing?

Basically they wanted the aircraft as similiar to the basic US version as possible to keep prices down and maintain commonality with US forces. The only mods they made were in relation to its inteded operationings needs and environment, thus Refuelling probe, some Brit avionics, beefier wheels and extra tankage to cover the East of Suez strike & recon role.

Geoff, there had to been some other differences because the two airframes that were partially built couldn't just be turned over onto the USAF production line, they were dismantled and parts that were common were transfered the the production line. There's a pic of the two in Tony Buttler's B.S.P- Jet Bombers since 1949, page 115 (which does show the short wing on one of the airframes).  I've seen a similar photo but taken at a different angle in one of the Air-Britain quarterlies I subscribe too, but some years ago now and I can't find the issue it appeared in.

[PR19_Kit]

Didn't the Ks have the uprated landing gear from the FB-111? That would make some sense with the RAF's thinking at the time that it may have had to operate from autobahns etc.

[rickshaw]

Apart from free-fall instant sunshine and convention bombs, what else were the anticipated weapon to be carried by the RAF's F-111Ks?  Did the project ever get to that stage where they started thinking about what could be hung off it to go "boom"?