This is my 1/72^nd ESCI F-15 with markings for the 159^th FW, Louisiana Air National Guard based at Naval Air Station / Joint Reserve Base New Orleans. After a tour there in November 2002, I am now participating in their Pilot for a Day program (like the 102^nd FW’s program where seriously ill children go to the base for tours, demos etc). I will be making and shipping up to 4 models per year. No one makes current markings for the unit other than the Monogram 1/48^th F-15A kit from a few years ago, so I had to make them myself. By the way, “JZ” stands for Jazz. 

Construction was pretty straight forward, with some attention needed with the intakes. It’s a nice model with engraved lines, and generally decent fit. As with all the PFAD model displays, no weapons are attached and the model is displayed with a base in gear up mode. I also left off the pitot tubes because I was afraid they would break off during shipping. The pilot is from a Hasegawa F-16 kit. 

I used Intermediate Blue for the darker camo as an experiment, and might be a bit too blue. Perhaps weathering would have toned it down a bit. I used paper masks held down with small rolls of masking tape for the camo pattern. The pattern is from a line drawing of the MOD Eagle scheme.

The black tail markings (state name, code, wing designation and fleur-de-lis) were all done on the computer and printed with a laser jet printer. On the real plane, the codes and serial have white shadows, but I didn’t have any to use. I have since printed light grey ones, and might use those on the next one. The green and yellow bands are Microscale solid sheet, and the purple one is clear decal stripes painted with purple enamel. Minimal stencils were used, and they came from the Two Bobs F-15A WTC sheet that contains extra stencils.

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The acrylic rod is inserted into a brass tube super glued into the bottom of the model. The hole for the brass tube is drilled carefully using multiple drill bits that increase in size. I do the drilling before I assemble the model, as the bottom of the fuselage is a flat, single piece. It also saves me the trouble of possibly destroying a semi-built kit. The brass tube is cut with a plumber’s style tube cutter. I then insert the brass tube after painting. There is also a brass tube in the wood base. The wood base is stained and sealed with Future, and black felt attached to the bottom. 

Ken