Finished Results - Stories/Profiles

[GTX]

Comrades,

Since this GB also allows for story/profile entries, please post your profiles/story links (preferably with a short abstract if possible) here.

Regards,

Comrade Gregorski (Commissar of all F-111 GB things)

[jeremak]

F/E-111 "Wild Vark"
The plane is a version intermediate between the EF-111 Raven and the ordinary F-111, designed to SEAD missions. Since Czechoslovakia as a result of another course of WWII became a founding member of NATO, had to take measures for a possible fight with the communist Balkan states. F/E-111 is such a plane, tested in secret raid on the Ploesti region through the Carpathians. Czech F/E, also took part in "Desert Storm", as the American aircraft of the same model.
Profiles:

[Robert]

My profile entry:



General Dynamics FB-111H Peacemaker II

[McColm]

Wow!!

[Cliffy B]

Grumman F/A-111N "Sea Vark" of the USN.

I used the F-111E as a base and grafted on the nose cone and targeting camera of an F-14, added a nose cat attachment bar, and an arrestor hook.  Mounted in the internal weapons bay will be an M-61 Vulcan with over 2,100 rounds!  Seldom used by the USAF in reality, I opted to include it with the USN version.  Wings will have 4 pylons that swing with the wings with glove stations for Sidewinders on the outboard pylons.

Backstory:

Development of the nasalized F-111 didn't stop when the USN rejected the interceptor version back in the late 1960's.  Grumman secretly continued the design and approached the USN with a carrier based strike version in 1972.  The USN was impressed with the performance of the USAF F-111s in Vietnam and jumped at the chance to get a carrier capable version for themselves.  The prototypes performed beyond even Grumman's expectations and the USN placed an initial order for 36 aircraft to outfit 4 Heavy Attack squadrons (VAH).  Two squadrons are assigned to each coast with four plane detachments (or DETs) deploying with the carriers as needed.  The first F/A-111Ns were assigned to VAH-11 in 1977.  The USMC also joined in and ordered a like number for the CAS role.

Missing Vietnam, the new "Sea Vark's" combat debut was in the skies over Taiwan, flying from the decks of the USS Saratoga and USS Constellation from late 1978 until mid 1979.  The Varks performed admirably, using their speed to literally run circles around the Chinese air defenses.  Their actions proved crucial to the lightening success of the ground war, finally ending in early 1979.  After China invaded Taiwan in mid-1978 the only carrier immediately available was the Constellation.  Saratoga was the next closest and made an emergency transit from the Med to Taiwan within hours of the first shots being fired.  Sara was on station for barely a month when Connie received a pair of a SS-N-2 Styx anti-ship missiles effectively ending her combat deployment.  The remaining airwing transitioned to Sara or Taiwan since the air war in the opening months was so critical.  Only after the Eisenhower showed up after an emergency transit or her own did the air war finally begin to tip in the Allies favor.  After three months on the line Sara finally rotated out with as survivors of Connie's air wing, dropping them at Pearl.  Seven months after the war started Connie was repaired and ready to fight again and joined an overhauled Sara back on the line, relieving Ike and Enterprise.

The 1980's and 1990's saw USN and USMC Varks over the skies of many a South American and Middle Eastern country, each time proving their worth more and more.  When the time came for Desert Storm the Sea Varks were more ready then ever.  When Connie began her SLEP in 1989 her DET from VAH-11 became shore based for the duration.  Due to the rapid escalation of the conflicts in the Middle East and when war seemed all but inevitable, Indy was ordered to scoop up VAH-11 DET I on her way to the Gulf.  Being aboard only temporarily, they didn't bother to repaint the ship's name or CVW tail code. Upon Connie's emergence from the yard in 1992, DET I returned to her decks.  For the duration of the war Indy operated a total of eight Sea Varks at all times and proved an invaluable addition to the USN strike assets.

Despite cutbacks in the mid 1990's The Sea Vark soldiered on.  The USN opted to upgrade its fleet of Sea Varks in lieu of replacement.  As a result Grumman overhauled the remaining fleet bringing them up to modern standards with all new avionics and an integrated ECM system among a flurry of other changes.  The new aircraft were called F/A-111N+ and aren't slated for retirement until at least 2015.

After the introduction of the Su-24N into the Russian Navy in the early 1990's the USN decided to ship a few surplus Sea Varks over to one of their aggressor squadrons; VFC-111.  Painted in a disruptive scheme of light and medium blue the new "Sea Varkskis" proved an excellent likeness for the Fencers.  During an annual NATO exercise held at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska VFC-111 repainted their birds in differing arctic camo schemes.  The Sundowners stole the show with the lowest loss rates and highest mission success rates of any other aircraft type or squadron in attendance.

Profiles:

Taiwan Crisis 1978-1979:

F/A-111N of VAH-9 "The Hoot Owls" - Line Bird - TPS Scheme 1


F/A-111N of VAH-11 "The Checkertails" - Line Bird - TPS Scheme 1



Operation Praying Mantis 1988:

F/A-111N of VAH-7 "The Peacemakers" - CAG Bird - TPS Scheme 2


F/A-111N of VAH-7 "The Peacemakers"  - Line Bird - TPS Scheme 2



Operation Desert Storm 1991:

F/A-111N of VAH-11 "The Checkertails" - CAG Bird - TPS Scheme 2


F/A-111N of VAH-11 "The Checkertails" - Line Bird - TPS Scheme 2



USN Aggressors:
F/A-111N of VFC-111 "The Sundowners" - Line Bird - Flanker Blues


F/A-111N of VFC-111 "The Sundowners" - Line Bird - Arctic Green Scheme


F/A-111N of VFC-111 "The Sundowners" - Line Bird - Arctic Gray Scheme


Line art courtesy of Coops213's blanks found here http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,28426.0.html


Original thread: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,29018.0.html

Any comments, thoughts, ideas, etc... are appreciated as always.

-Mike

[McColm]

Fantastic,
Got to build at least one of the sea varks!!

[GTX]

Comrades,

I have taken it upon myself to also add in the following entries which in my view were completed:

From Comrade ElectrikBlue:








From Comrade JP Vieira:

EF-111N (Carrier AEW)


TF-111N (Carrier Trainer)


VSTOL VF-111M


Amphibious F-111


Regards,

Comrade Gregorski (Commissar of all F-111 GB things)