1/48 Hasegawa F-15

94th Fighter Squadron F-15C Eagle

by Tom Silkowski

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When you say "F-15," those jets of the 1st Fighter Wing are first to come to my mind.  Back when I first got into Air Force stuff, it seemed that every picture of an F-15 was one wearing the tail code "FF."  These images have stuck with me, so when it was time to build the 1/48 scale Hasegawa F-15, I knew I wanted to do it up as a jet from Langley.
The kit used was the Hasegawa F-15C "Alaska Air Group," complete with metal tidbits and featherless exhausts.  It has been said that the kit is somewhat inaccurate in shape, especially around the engines (?).   Even if this is true, it sure looks like an F-15 when finished.  Construction was pretty straightforward.  The cockpit is workable, though the kit seat was replaced with an ACES II ejection seat from Verlinden.  The only real problem I had with construction was joining the forward fueselage with the main body of the aircraft.  A large seam resulted, and it took a lot of putty work and sanding to get a reasonable outcome.  Nonetheless, the kit goes together very nicely, and I have a feeling I did something wrong when gluing the cockpit tub into the fuselage halves, resulting in the following fit problem. 

Click on images below to see larger images

 The Mod-Eagle paint scheme looks really cool, but unfortunately, Model Master Acrylics only produces the F-15 Dark Gray, and not the lighter shade which serves as the base coat.  This prevented me from building a Mod-Eagle jet for a while, then I finally decided that if I want something done, I shouldn't wait for others!  Using some enamel Aggressor Gray as the standard, I mixed some Dark Gull Gray and Gull Gray, and the result was a very close match for FS36251.  Sorry, I can't remember any ratios, but I believe the majority of the mixture comprised Dark Gull Gray. With the paint problem resolved, the two-tone paint scheme was painted using paper masks.   A few coats of gloss followed, and then it was time to decal the jet.
Aeromaster's "Eagles Part I" includes decals for the 94th Fighter Squadron, circa 1997.  These went on very nicely, and to my relief, the markings matched the home-made paint just about perfectly.  Whew!
These decals are very nice, and the carrier film just about disappears with the help of some Micro Set and Micro Sol.  As a note, a lot has been said of the stark contrast between the two tones of gray.  I too was a bit concerned, but with the decals on the jet, everything seems to look just right.
The Eagles "loaded for bear" -- full combat air patrol loadout -- look really cool.  It seems the standard loadout post-Desert Storm is two AIM-9 Sidewinders, two AIM-7 Sparrows, and four AIM-120 AMRAAMs.  Two AIM- 9M's from the Revell Strike Eagle were used, and AIM-120's were taken from the weapons box ( these were the ones included in the Hasegawa F-16's which very noticeably lack the antennae on the side.  Cool-Whip container tops were used to cut thin strips to fit the role.  They certainly help!)  And the AIM-7's are from the kit.  Three external fuel tanks rounded out the external loading for a patrol of one of the No-Fly Zones over Iraq.
The pictures of this model were taken outside, and I left it for a few moments to get the camera.  Well, this Eagle really wanted to get airborne and into a dogfight with the wind, and unfortunately, the wind won.  A bunch of pieces broke off, but were easily repaired.  Unfortunately, that large gap I had so much trouble with popped open.  Oh well, it's not too noticeable.  Hopefully, this doesn't count as the F-15's first air-to-air
combat loss! 
I hope you like the Eagle.  The Hasegawa kit is really nice, and looks great next to the Revell Strike Eagles on my shelf.  I understand there is former 94th Fighter Squadron Eagle Driver on the Discussion Board. 
Hope you like it, Murph!
Tom

Photos and text © by Tom Silkowski