This is the third F-111 that I've built, and it turned out to be the best
one yet. I recently began to read up on how the pros make their kits look so
good, and I‘ve begun to apply their techniques to my models. Granted, I am
nowhere near to the high level of expertise of the master modelers, but I still
learning. This is a build right out of the box since I did not want to spend a
fortune on resin parts that I have zero experience with. I used Model Masters
enamel paints on this build for the two greens with tan camouflage scheme. The
instructions called for the two gray scheme, but I just find those colors way
too boring. I also painted the undercarriage flat black. I used the decals
provided with the kit, and although at first look they appeared to be good in
quality, I soon found out this to be the opposite.
Get a nice decal sheet if you buy this kit.
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I used an airbrush to do most of the painting. The painting was done free
hand (a first one for me), and it turned out to be great since there are no
visible left over lines with the usual masking on the kit. I painted the detail
inside the wheel compartments, but I failed to realize these areas would be
covered in later stages of the assembly (bummer). I painted the cockpit mostly
with fine tip paint brushes to capture the fine details of the instrument
panels.
I guess I bought a reject Academy kit since the fitting of some of the
components was terrible. The fitting (or lack of) between the front and rear
part of the fuselage was notably bad. I found myself filling, sanding, cursing,
and repeating the process for quite some time to get it somewhat flush. Because
of the severity of the poor fitting, I applied several layers of paint in an
attempt to cover some of the faults. This worked to some extent, but not to the
level I hoped for. I also applied two coats of Future to help with the texture
and the application of decals. I gave the kit two coats of ultra gloss clear
coat to cover any final flaws with the decals. I know, I know, it’s not what
is supposed to be, but what the heck! I like my models to shine.
I usually like to assemble my kits with plenty of ordinance, but this
kit brought none. Just four fuel tanks and the ECM pod. It came with a few
other parts that I have no clues what are they or where to place them. I
attached one of them to the ECM pod, and the other one right next to the ECM
pod on the undercarriage of the airplane. I usually build 1/32 scale
airplanes, and I have plenty of missiles and bombs on that scale. Since I
could not find an F-111 kit in that scale, I had to settle for the 1/48 scale;
no regrets though!
Overall, this is a simple kit to build, and it has very good details. The
fitting of this kit was not the usual Academy quality which is typically great
fitting. The decals look good at first glance, but when applied, they tended to
fill with air between the decal and the model. My final product was good, but I
did make a few visible mistakes along the way. I am hoping to post soon my
recent 1/32 scale Tornado and F-18 “Chippy Ho” kits. Thanks for taking time
reading my first gallery article, and I hope you like it.
Victor De Jesus
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