F-111 Copycat Art

The post on the Telsalda Swing Wing toy was most interesting. The version shown was called the Royal Navy Swing Wing Strike-Fighter, and the box top depicted two aircraft in different colour schemes, but both with Royal Navy titles on the forward fuselage.

That art work has been bothering me. It has the look of a kit box top, and the fact that two different versions of the same aircraft are depicted just seemed odd. So I went looking. This is what I found.

The real General Dynamics F-111, originally called the TFX - Tactical Fighter Experimental, was intended for both the US Air Force and Navy. That idea did not work out, and the Navy model was cancelled. The F-111 was the first aircraft to enter service with swing-wings, the angle of swept could be varied in flight.

In the early days of the F-111 programme, most of the big US kit companies produced kits of the type, some offering optional parts for both the Air Force and Navy versions.

The Revell kit in 1/72nd scale came out in 1966, and it had parts for both versions. The box top painting showed the Air Force version in a tactical camouflage scheme, with the Navy model in the standard USN finish of white and light grey.

The Telsalda box art (also used on the SL version of the same toy) is a modified copy of the original Revell box top. This painting was by Jack Leynnwood, who did many boxes for Revell. The two aircraft were shown flying over a desert airfield, and carry full US markings.

The Telsalda art changes the background; deletes the US markings on the aircraft; and adds Royal Navy titles, but not British roundels. Otherwise, it is the same artwork. This painting is shown in the book Box Top Air Power, which I reviewed a little while ago.

Another case of copy-cat box art.

MOONBASE CENTRAL: SWING WING WHEELS (projectswordtoys.blogspot.com)

MOONBASE CENTRAL: TELSALDA SWING WING (projectswordtoys.blogspot.com)

The photo of the Revell box top is from Worthpoint.

Have you anything like this?

Paul Adams from New Zealand