A Monogram tank and pylon was robbed as I had used the this kits tank for a prior project. This is the first time I have repositioned ailerons on a model. I simply used the backside of my Xacto blade (held at a high angle) and kept scoring the lines for it. The blade was a bit dull so that actually helped as a sharp one could easily catch the side plastic and make a new groove. It took me no more than 5 minutes or so to remove them. They need a bit of cleanup still, but I am happy with them.

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Seeing this is an earlier F-15A, I needed to add A-style wheels using the Monogram A kit. Looking at the gear legs, the Monogram is on the top and Academy on the bottom. Not only are the attachment stubs for the wheels much different, they are very different in size and bulkiness.

The wheels are also considerably different in how they attach. The backside of the Monogram wheel has a huge opening for the leg stub. Also, the Monogram wheels have tread, and Academy does not.

So I was trying to decide which way to go....use the entire Monogram leg/wheel combo, and try to fit it into the fuselage (which fit fine), BUT, with its added length, I was afraid it would make the nose of the model sit too low, and back too high (aka pimp my F-15). I decided to mate the front of the Monogram wheel with the back of the Academy and use the supplied gear leg.

I had to remove the large tube like portion, as you can see in the bottom left pic, to mate with the Academy back half. The Academy half needed a slight bit of sanding as well. I snipped one of the Monogram gear stubs to insert into the hole in the center of the Monogram wheel half.

The finished product can be seen and temporarily attached to the gear leg. The wheels needed a bit of sanding around the circumference, but I was happy with it. I also drilled a small hole in the bottom of each wheel and inserted a snipped piece of a paper clip, which was superglued, to make a small stub. When completed, this would be inserted into a small hole on its display base to help keep it from sliding off the base if it was handled.

The fuselage pieces...the front piece doesn't have much to mate with, so I always add some sprue supports. I temporarily insert the cockpit assembly so I know where to place the sprue.

The back portion is where I add the weight to keep it from being a tailsitter. I use lead fishing weights that are epoxied in. I prefer adding the weigh to this portion of the model as the front portion won't have the extra weight directly on the nose gear. The lighting and reflections makes the fuselage look strange, as if there is goop or cuts on the back part of it.

I also add the intakes to the back portion before attaching the front - makes it easier to wrestle with them.

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Painting - the earlier F-15s wore the ghost grey camo. Many times it was hard to see where the demarcation lines were, and that is what I was striving for. I used paper masks cut from a line drawing of the pattern.

I used the bare Metal decals for the markings, and the kit ones for all the stenciling.

The red trim around the canopy is Testors Rust.

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I made a simple base with a wooden plaque, and painted a section of .040 styrene sheet, and drew a few lines on it with a pencil and ruler. I attached it with 5-minute epoxy.

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Thanks for looking.

Ken