Ok, so this one stalled on my bench for a long while. About three weeks she waited while I was only about 3-4 hours from completion. I actually didn’t intend to finish today. I was going to load it up with GBU-10s and cluster bombs. I broke the tanks and racks off about five times being my clumsy self, so I am at the point that I’d rather not risk doing it again trying to modify and attach bombs from another kit.
THE KIT:
The Revell 1/48 F-15E Strike Eagle is a jem. This kit went together really well. The two biggest weaknesses of the kit are ordinance, or lack there of, and a pretty big step between the nose and fuse attachment. Putty fixed that. If you want to build an Eagle this is your kit. $17 from Michaels with a 40% coupon; the only reason I bought to begin with. It was a happy result from an impulse buy.
FINISHING:
Straight OOB! I finished the model with Aqueous acrylics for the main body color. I used the appropriate FS color, but I don’t really believe it’s accurate. Pictures of the real thing look much darker. The metal parts were done with MM Acryl Steel, and Jet Exhaust, and Tamiya clear blue. I used a layered preshading technique from DoogsATX blog. I did the streaking with black pastels. The panel wash is AK Interactive Dark Wash.
THE REAL PLANE:
This particular F-15 downed an Iraqi Hind helicopter on Valentines Day 1992 with a friggin laser guided GBU! It was also the first F-15 to reach 8,000 operational hours.
The nose gear is bending under the weight of the plane…it is really freaking me out. I’m not sure what I should do about it.
That what I’d do id get after market or a stand for your treasure. Sometime when the wife and I watch jets af Fairchild AFB we’ll get a chance to see F-15’s They do touch and go’s and top off the go home… Do you have a T-38?
I like it…a lot! The shading is very effective, and I love the way you finished the inside of the burner cans. Ditto the metal nose gear if it’s available. If not, perhaps scratchbuilding one from brass rod.
The problem is I’ve glued the gear struts on with Epoxy because super glue has proven to be too fragile. I’m scared trying to remove the strut to replace with metal ones would end in catastrophe.
Thanks for all the kind words guys! I appreciate it.
if you get a metal nose gear, and paint it all up, ready to install,you will see that you can grind off or cut off your plastic piece
I am afraid with that much of a bend in it already,that it looks like you will be doing a repair in a month or so,you might as well approach it without that “discovery day”
Thanks guys. I did put a couple of fishing weights up front. I actually forgot to add them and had to saw of the nose, stick them in, and repair. The thing was awfully tail heavy. When I pick it up off the gear it straightens back out, but eventually it’s going to give I’m sure. I’m off to run down a metal one. I won’t be scoffing when people say they are using them from now on. Lol. But I’ve not done a jet or anything this big in years.
Great looking job! Interesting about the nose wheel - I have one in my stash and will be extra careful with it assuming I don’t just pick up a replacement metal set too.
I had a friend who believed that covering anything with enough tube glue made things better. It worked on his electric football set, those big blobs of running backs were tough to stop…
Ahh ok. I see what you mean. My brother and I coated a foam r/c park flyer airplane with epoxy. Better than a suit if armor. Heavy as heck though. Lol.
