Subject: Re: F-15E Strike Eagle part 2
From: "Steve Bamford ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Louise and Guy" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2004 04:58:13 -0800

Hi Guy,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks for sending it in.   

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com
 
Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Louise and Guy 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2004 12:05 PM
  Subject: F-15E Strike Eagle part 2

  Hi Steve et al,
  In the last instalment I described how I built up the nose section. In this e-mail I'd like to continue with the main undercarriage and the intake ducts/jet exhausts.
  From the many reference photos on ARC and F-15E.com along with my own pics and the Verlinden Lock-On book I wanted to add a more detail to the main gear legs, wheel bays and gear doors. The Eduard F-15C detail set gave me some details but I added the rest from scratch. Brake pipes were added from wire, chrome paper for the oleo strut and various plastic rod for other details. I hollowed out the kits rubber tyres to allow the side walls to bulge and scratch built a set of wheel chocks to represent some that I'd seen at RAF Waddington in 2002/3.
  For the jet intakes I followed the kit instructions but for the jet pipes I had bought a pair of etched metal aftermarket parts from Mr. Parkin at Flightpath. The kit exhausts are very good but the Flightpath set takes it to another level. These etched metal sets are models in their own right, very intricate, delicate and minutely detailed. I painted the components first and then slowly and carefully assembled them using super glue. Mr Parkin stresses that these kits are not for beginners and patience is required which I can whole heartedly agree with but the end results are well worth the effort and very pleasing. Incidentally, these metal exhausts don't bounce very well as I found to my expense when I caught one and knocked it off my modelling table! You know the sound an eggshell makes when it breaks...........if the port motor looks less tidy than the starboard one, you know why.
  My model was to appear as if it had been parked up at an airshow and weaponry would be kept to a minimum but I spent some time painting the pylons and rails as the kit items are very well detailed, I drilled out various holes and added cabling inside the CFT rails and weathered the targeting pods. The only weapons on the aircraft are one AIM-120 and one AIM-9 on the wing pylons both from Flightpath, and a pair of scratch built travel pods on the rear most CFT mounting points. RBF tags were added, again from Verlinden, and the undercarriage legs weathered using artists pastels to represent brake dust.
  I now turned my attention to the avionics bay and radar. Although the panels would be displayed in the closed position on the finished model I decided to add a bit of detail for the fun of it! I used lead wire for additional cabling in the avionics bay and detailed the radar dish with parts from the Eduard F-15C set. The metallic green colour was mixed using Citadel acrylic colours available from Gamesworkshop stores. I also detailed the gatling gun and bay but have n't had the door open on that to this day!!
  In the next e-mail I'll try to finish off the remainder of the build and send the last few pics.
  Best regards,
  Guy