“Boogie
Time!!
“LET’S ROLL!!
PREFACE:
There are now,
count them, three models of this American Icon of the McDonnell Douglas F1
5E. They are all fair and worth the effort of building. But,
everyone
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knows that the Monogram/Revell
newer version is now the best. I have not built it yet, but it is on
my "to build" list one of these days as schedule permits.
(the Revell Kit can be purchased for about $16.00 at most Walmart stores
most of the time). This is my Academy version that was built a few years
ago when it was the better of the only two kits at that time. Yes,
Hasegawa had one but it was as good as this one at the time (and more
expensive to boot).
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HISTORY:
The Air Force decided in 1982 they needed a new long range interdiction
aircraft. The F-I5C had already proven its capability in the air superiority
role for air forces world wide.
The development of the dual-role F-15E in 1984 benefited from the agility of the
world’s best air-superiority fighter and experience gained with the F-111
family low level fighter/ bombers that were in service.
An array of new avionics and electronics systems were incorporated into an F-15B
airframe which had been modified some 30% to enable a maximum gross takeoff
weight of 81,000 lbs. and a 9-g maneuver capability throughout the flight
envelope. Conformal fuel tanks boost the range of this newly born air-to-ground
aircraft, to 2400 miles while the LANTIRN navigation and terrain-following
system allows operation at night and in adverse weather conditions at altitudes
as low as 200 feet and at speeds of nearly 600 mph.
The new fighter could now share the cockpit with a weapons system officer (WSO),
who was just not to be “ballast in the rear seat”, but an indispensable link
in this successful combination, or to quote Lt. Col. Chuck Killberg (test Pilot)
at Edwards AFB, Ca., “the pilot rows the boat while the WSO shoots the
ducks”. Also, the Air Force rear seater can “drive” the plane and
his naval counterpart (Tomcats drivers etc.) do not.
The F-l5Es outstanding performance in the Gulf war escalates the importance of
the long range interdiction type that earned the well-deserved reputation as the
“scudbuster” of the war.
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KIT OVERVIEW:
This
Academy/ Minicraft kit of the F-15E Strike Eagle, was put on the market in
1990/91 I purchased it and decided to start the construction as one of my
Gulf war tributes soon
after the war was over. As kits go now, this one is not as state of the
art as some of the later hi tech kits but still was as good as some
of the earlier “gawa-miya” stuff. This kit has got some bad press
lately about, “not the right shape, does not look like an F-15E, no
detail, and not worth building”, etc. etc. Well, there is a better
choice now but still, this kit is not a bad choice. |
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By these peoples
standards, if they had this kit, they would just throw it away even if
they spent their own money?!?!?!? yea, right! |
There is a
lot of detail in this kit, it has 8 sprues and many finely engraved parts to
fiddle with, but the instruction sheet is it's weakness and is simplified to the
extent that the experienced modeler would have better luck without some of the
steps. This kit may not be for the rookie or novice modeler, but it would be
that way for any larger model kit with this many parts, but the only way to
learn, is to just dive in and go for it. There wasn't any after market cockpit
detail items for this kit (the Blackbox cockpit may fit now) but the supplied
cockpit parts (except for the seats) are not too bad and are close to the same
quality as the Monogram kit. Verlinden was making resin Aces II seats at
the time, so I got some of those and the cockpit came alive and looked ok. This
kit provides intakes of both types (the standard open, when aircraft is static,
and the partial closed when engines are started, looking down) nice feature. Of
course, the canopy has the seam down the middle like some of the Hasegawa kits,
so you have to remove that by sanding the seam off with a sanding stick of
medium grit, then sand with 2000 grit automotive type wet sand paper and use
some wax rubbing compound (semi-liquid automotive types works best for me, this
is the type they use to luster all the nice clear coat finishes on all the new
vehicles), to get the final scratches off after painting, dip in Future Floor
wax as needed to get it to look right. You can dip the canopy before you
paint, but if there is a screw up with the paint, or extra handling, masking
tape, or adding details etc. then it is really hard to correct any flaws with
the wax on it. My advice is to do the “wax” thing last, don’t handle
it any more except to install carefully). The kit comes with Sparrows, and
Sidewinders. If you want some of the other “loadouts”, then you can choose
from the selections of weapons available from other sources, there are
several.
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The
engines exhausts are not bad and have no “turkey feathers” as they
should be. One of the main “complaints” with this kit, is that the
Main landing gear tires are not the bigger tire
of the “E” and with the bulged gear doors, those could be replicated
if necessary and you would have a heart attack if you didn't correct
this item, I did not do it and I liked it just fine (no one else cared
either). Also, there were no ALQ-119 ECM radar warning antennas on the
rear, I made those very easily with some scrap sprue. I replicated the
brake lines with .015K solder. The kit LANTIRN and FLIR , nav pods were
not any good, so I replaced them with the very nice, Verlinden set.
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The kit
decals were no good, (for Luke AFB) but the after market was good at that time
with a Super Scale sheet having some very nice film that went on without a
hitch. There were several selections to do, but, I chose the Squadron
Commander’s aircraft of the 336th ” FTS of the 4th ” TFW at Seymore
Johnson AFB, North Carolina. At that time, their planes were pristine and fairly
new but in any case, all active Air Force planes not in combat are kept pristine
for the most part without too many paint glitches. ( before they get that way,
they are repainted and kept washed)..
Painting was easy, one color suits all, Gunship Gray, (Model Masters) with the
usual white for wheelwells, and the cockpit colors of grays and black and dry
brushing and picking out details etc. Like the reference in Verlinden's
“Lock on” Number 22, I did vary the color with shades of the basic
color to keep it from looking like a new toy from Walmart. Overall, the
fit was not too bad, but did require some filler in several places but all kits
do if you wish for a contest winning model.
AFTER THOUGHTS:
This
was a fun project as most of my construction stuff is regardless of the
subject and/ or the amount of time it takes to do. But, really, this thing
went together very well and faster than a lot of the so-called
“better” kits. There is too much bad press on this kit, no ,it will
not fall together but it looks as good as most F-15Es. I, maybe, could do
a better job with the Revell version, and then I might not, but it would
not be the kit’s fault. I enjoy all eras in modeling, old, and new. Some
folks only like the “World War Eleven” or just prop stuff, that’s
cool, I would like to drive a ‘57 Chevy too, but it is not practical.
But there is nothing wrong with the latest and greatest flying machines
the world has ever seen bar none. About three years back, a Captain friend
of mine who flies the F-15E let me sit in the back seat (no, not flying,
just sitting, too old to be stupid now) of the one he was flying
at an air show, it was still very new and it smelled just like a new
car. |
He said that it was the easiest plane to fly of anything he ever
flown and is the Cadillac of anybody’s line. Besides, a P-51 or German
something, looks like a tricycle with training wheels compared to an F-
15/ 16 or current Navy birds when they leave the earth straight up....then
it looks like Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and comes on like Gang Busters
and the ground is still shaking as it disappears a few seconds later...
LETS ROLL!! |
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REFERENCES:
1. Internet, and personal on site photos, friends.
2. F-15E Strike Eagle, LOCK ON NO.22 Verlinden
Productions
3. Super Scale Decal sheet Number 48-401
“APPRECIATE EACH MOMENT, FOR EACH ONE IS A GIFT”
HAPPY MODELING!
CWS
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