Hobby 2000 72038 - 1:72 F-111F Operation Desert Storm

Plastic model kit of the General Dynamics F-111F strike aircraft in 1:72 scale

Hobby 2000 72038 represents the F-111F during Operation Desert Storm - the version responsible in 1991 for a substantial share of the coalition's precision strikes against targets in Iraq and Kuwait. It is a large twin-engine aircraft with a distinctive shape, a side-by-side cockpit for two crew and variable-geometry wings.

The kit is based on Hasegawa mouldings with recessed panel lines. The wings can be set either spread - as seen on take-off, landing and on the ramp - or swept back for high-speed flight. Hobby 2000 adds its own box, illustrated instructions, self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing and new waterslide decals printed by Cartograf covering two aircraft based in Saudi Arabia in 1991.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with fuselage, wing and detail parts
• Parts for underwing stores
• Clear parts for the canopy glazing
• Self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing
• Waterslide decal sheet printed by Cartograf for two marking options
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 72038
• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Assembled length: approx. 311 mm
• Assembled wingspan: approx. 267 mm with wings spread and approx. 135 mm with wings swept
• Skill level: intermediate

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model requires assembly.

Assembly:

This is a large model for 1:72 - over 30 cm long when finished - so it is worth planning display space in advance. The key stage is the variable-geometry wing mechanism: when closing the fuselage, care with seating the wing pivots ensures the wings sit symmetrically in the chosen position. The cockpit interior is best painted and finished before the fuselage halves are joined, and the included masks simplify preparing the glazing for painting.

Desert Storm aircraft wore the dark multi-tone camouflage applied to USAF strike aircraft, with noticeably lighter undersurfaces; the instructions give paint references. Given the large surface area, modulating the tones while airbrushing helps to avoid a flat appearance. Decals applied over a gloss coat are less prone to silvering, and a satin varnish suits the final finish. Exhaust staining behind the nozzles and a panel-line wash reflect the look of aircraft worked hard in desert conditions.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Fine modelling tweezers
• Airbrush or brushes in various sizes
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish for decalling and satin varnish for the final finish
• A wash to accentuate detail, optionally pigments for dust effects

About the aircraft - General Dynamics F-111:

The F-111 was the first combat aircraft with variable-geometry wings to enter operational service. It emerged in the first half of the 1960s from the controversial TFX programme, which aimed to produce a single aircraft for both the air force and the navy. The naval version never entered production, but with the US Air Force the F-111 established itself as a tactical bomber with capabilities no other design possessed at the time: it could fly long distances at night and in any weather at very low altitude, automatically following the contours of the terrain using its terrain-following radar.

With the wings spread the aircraft had the lift needed for take-off and landing; swept back, they allowed supersonic speed at low level. The two crew members sat side by side in a cockpit that in an emergency was jettisoned complete as an escape capsule - a solution unique in this class of aircraft. Large internal fuel tanks and eight weapons stations gave range and payload comparable to a medium bomber.

Its combat debut in Vietnam in 1968 was troubled, but once the systems matured the F-111 became one of the most effective strike aircraft of the Cold War. The F-111F, with more powerful engines and the Pave Tack targeting pod, was the principal carrier of laser-guided bombs - it took part in the 1986 raid on Libya and played a leading role in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, destroying hundreds of point targets including Iraqi armoured vehicles. The last examples left US service in 1998.

Original aircraft specifications (General Dynamics F-111F):

• Length: 22.4 m
• Wingspan: 19.2 m (wings spread) / 9.74 m (wings swept)
• Height: approx. 5.2 m
• Empty weight: approx. 21,500 kg
• Maximum take-off weight: approx. 45,000 kg
• Crew: 2 (pilot and weapon systems officer, seated side by side)
• Powerplant: two Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-100 afterburning turbofans
• Maximum speed: approx. Mach 2.5 at altitude
• Service ceiling: approx. 20,000 m
• Armament: up to approx. 14,000 kg of stores on underwing stations and in the internal bay, including laser-guided bombs
• Special equipment: terrain-following radar, crew escape capsule, Pave Tack targeting pod
• Production: F-111F version - 106 examples; all F-111 versions - 563 examples

About the manufacturer - Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish model company based in Katowice that has built its position on themed releases. Its kits are based on mouldings from established manufacturers - in this case Hasegawa - completed with original packaging, new illustrated instructions and fresh waterslide decals printed by the Italian printing house Cartograf. Most aircraft releases also include self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing, which noticeably simplifies painting. The brand favours subjects connected with Polish aviation history as well as less obvious episodes of the Second World War and the post-war years, selecting its marking options from archival material. Production runs are limited, so individual releases are often sought after by collectors. For the modeller this means proven, well-detailed mouldings combined with subjects not available in the original boxings. The company's catalogue covers aircraft, vehicles and ships in scales from 1:72 to 1:35.