Kit manufacturer: Revell

Vehicle type: Military

Engine type: Jet

Year of issue: after 1960

Country of origin: United States

Model scale: 1:48

Undoubtedly, this is the best model of the aircraft in scale 1:48. About six months ago, when I started to work on this model, I immediately decided for myself that I would assemble a fighting machine.

Having searched on Hanantsu, I stumbled on a decal from Cutting Edge 4th But First #2 (special thanks to Sergey Arkchakov aka kasatka for help in its acquisition).

Of the four options presented in the decal, I chose an aircraft from 4th FW, 336th TFS, “Darkness Falls”, that took part in the operation Iraqi Freedom.

On the site http://www.f-15estrikeeagle.com I chose one of the standard options for aircraft’s armament – I was bribed by the asymmetry of the suspension. As well as in the model by Hasegawa, in Revell plastic airplane model kit the armament was presented only by four missiles AIM-9 Sidewinder and hanging containers AN/AAQ-13 and AN/AAQ-14.

Changes I introduced to the plastic airplane model

For the weapons option I selected there was purchased a Hasegawa Aircraft Weapons kit, from which there were taken 4 GBU-12 Paveway II, 2 GBU-10 Paveway II and the containers AN/AAQ-13/14 themselves, which in the kit by Hasegawa were made more accurately and seemed to be more in line with the geometric parameters than their analogue by Revell. I remade AIM-120A “AMRAAM” from Phantom’s Sparrow, reducing the diameter and tinkering the fins.

Then there arose a question – what to do with the tanks? Many probably have read the discussion on this issue… without going into a long verbiage, I would say that American have two types of tanks for the F-15E: conventional 610 gal ones for peacetime and WRM (War Reserve Material) tank (also for 610 gal, it is simpler and therefore cheaper). However, on the same site http://www.f-15estrikeeagle.com I found information that at the time of the Gulf War and both types of tanks were used, as well as a combined suspension, however, I haven’t found the photo confirmation. By cutting and using foil conventional tanks during one evening, were converted into WRM tanks. As a result, the issue of weapons and the suspension has been resolved.

Now a brief description of the model construction itself (because of the high quality of the kit).

The assemblability was a great success and gave me a lot of fun, small problems were caused only by OT installation, it required a lot of putty and sanding, and the fitting camphor tanks – in the place of their junction with the fuselage there is a sealing seam, which was destroyed by putty and sand-paper and successfully replaced with self-gluing foil. Also the lantern was treated with sand-paper – on its movable part presented a curse of the modelers, a seam from the mold. Binding of the lantern was also impeccably renovated with the help of the foil.

In the end, everything was covered with Futura and lantern acquired adequate transparency and clarity.

Detailing the cockpit was performed in the model at a high level – from myself I added only oxygen hoses.

Native wheels were replaced with a set of wheels by Ekipazh.

As I said before, I used the decal from Cutting Edge 4th But First #2, technological inscriptions are native, from a kit. The model is painted with Akan paints and blown with Akan matt varnish NC-243.

I am waiting for your comments and objective criticism.

P.S. I apologize for the quality of the photos, just I don’t like and don’t know how to shoot in semi-light, and waiting for sunny weather at this time of the year in the north can prolong until spring.

Don