My Dad was a career long engineer -- much of it in the defense industry ... Hamilton Standard ... Pratt Whitney ... Westinghouse Electronic Systems ... Northrop Grumman. He spawned and nurtured my love of aircraft ... aviation history and more. I remember one of the first "big" models we built together was the mid-60s Aurora Models, big-scale kit of the "TFX" ... which later became the F-1111. I still have it packed away. My fascination was such that ... because I dug what we were doing ... I'd read about/research the stories behind the models we built. I remember his telling me about the TFX ... and how (I believe) Robert McNamara tried to get the Air Force and Navy to create versions of the TFX that would serve their respective missions, based on a common airframe design ... which led to a bloated, heavy aircraft that wasn't optimal for either. I also recall, later on that the F-111 had wing-cracking issues. That said, the swing-wing (variable wing) geometry was fairly groundbreaking. And I remember, too, in the 1980s, that the F-111s were used in a long-range airstrike on Libya that was a hit back raid for a bombing at a dance club in West Berlin. These are all my recollections ... the details may not be precise ... but it's an example of how the time my Dad spent with me fostered my "forever interest" in the hobbies we shared, time we spent together and cool projects we worked on. A few years ago, just before he passed, I picked up a new-old-stock (unbuilt) TFX kit from eBay. He got a huge kick out of that. You've inspired me now: After we get our paid version of Stock Picker's Corner rolled out in the next few weeks, I'm going to pull that kit out and build it with my son.
We like what you're doing. I write about defense/aerospace storylines. Might well circle back for a chat or an interview. In the meantime, check out our Substack. And, on a personal note, thanks for prompting some nice thoughts about my Dad. He was a great guy. He'd dig what you're doing. Bill Patalon III, co-founder, Stock Picker's Corner.
Love this …
My Dad was a career long engineer -- much of it in the defense industry ... Hamilton Standard ... Pratt Whitney ... Westinghouse Electronic Systems ... Northrop Grumman. He spawned and nurtured my love of aircraft ... aviation history and more. I remember one of the first "big" models we built together was the mid-60s Aurora Models, big-scale kit of the "TFX" ... which later became the F-1111. I still have it packed away. My fascination was such that ... because I dug what we were doing ... I'd read about/research the stories behind the models we built. I remember his telling me about the TFX ... and how (I believe) Robert McNamara tried to get the Air Force and Navy to create versions of the TFX that would serve their respective missions, based on a common airframe design ... which led to a bloated, heavy aircraft that wasn't optimal for either. I also recall, later on that the F-111 had wing-cracking issues. That said, the swing-wing (variable wing) geometry was fairly groundbreaking. And I remember, too, in the 1980s, that the F-111s were used in a long-range airstrike on Libya that was a hit back raid for a bombing at a dance club in West Berlin. These are all my recollections ... the details may not be precise ... but it's an example of how the time my Dad spent with me fostered my "forever interest" in the hobbies we shared, time we spent together and cool projects we worked on. A few years ago, just before he passed, I picked up a new-old-stock (unbuilt) TFX kit from eBay. He got a huge kick out of that. You've inspired me now: After we get our paid version of Stock Picker's Corner rolled out in the next few weeks, I'm going to pull that kit out and build it with my son.
We like what you're doing. I write about defense/aerospace storylines. Might well circle back for a chat or an interview. In the meantime, check out our Substack. And, on a personal note, thanks for prompting some nice thoughts about my Dad. He was a great guy. He'd dig what you're doing. Bill Patalon III, co-founder, Stock Picker's Corner.