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Introduction
The newest role for the F-15C is in the aggressor community at Nellis AFB. To meet the continuing need to train fighter pilots in adversary tactics, a second aggressor squadron, the 65th AGRS, was reactivated in 2005 with F-15C and D aircraft. The F-15s at Nellis wear either a Flanker Blue or a Desert Brown paint scheme. (A new splinter pattern scheme is also beginning to show up on the flight line). Kit Overview
I had to chuckle a few weeks ago when I saw on another web site an in-the-box review of Hasegawa's latest F-15 release. The author gave the kit a 5-star rating in every category, including engineering and ease of assembly. The fact is that the kit, while accurate and well detailed, is difficult to build. Construction Issues
--air intake halves (parts B5&6, B11&12) and how they join to the fuselage --forward fuselage section to main fuselage --speed brake (D3) in the down position --both sides of the rear fuselage --wing to fuselage joints --sway brace parts (C4) to pylons It was not necessary to assemble and install the air intake tunnels, because they would not be visible when I attached my exterior intake covers. The headache of filling those seams was therefore avoided. Construction Sequence
Another deviation was not to mate the vertical tails to the fuselage until after I had completed all work on them. It was much easier to handle the tails, mask them, paint them, and apply the decals first. After attaching the vertical tails, I had to do some minor filling and careful touch-up painting. These are good examples of how a modeler must sometimes use his own judgment and not always follow the sequence in the kit instructions. Aftermarket Parts
--Quickboost ejection seat. Much better than the kit seat. --Aires exhaust nozzles. Again, much better than the kit parts, although I felt it necessary to scratch build the control rods from styrene strips. --LAU-128 missile rails & adapters by Shull 24. These parts are essential for a modern F-15C, as the kit provides only the old rails.
There were also two non-kit plastic parts that I sourced for this project: the AIM-9 Sidewinder from Hasegawa's Weapons Set C, and the ACMI (Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation) pod from a Tamiya F-16 kit. Other Improvements
--scratch-built blade antennae --modified the instrument panel by making a new multi-purpose display for the left side (the kit panel still has the original dials in this area) --scrounged temperature probes from my spares box and added them to lower front fuselage (these items omitted from kit) --made and attached the tiny round satellite antenna to the fuselage top --added electrical wires (made from lead wool) to the nose gear for the taxi lights
One additional improvement I considered was to cut away the tail hook fairing because modern F-15Cs do not have this feature. The surgery would have also required a new tail hook. I couldn't figure out a way to make this area look right, so I discarded the whole idea. Intake Covers
I used Aeroclub clear rigging line for the retaining cords. This is a stretchable product similar to E-Z Line. The lines were colored with a white Sharpie marker. Painting
My magazine reference photos fortunately showed the exact camouflage pattern for my aircraft, Blue 18. There are small variations in the pattern from one aircraft to another.
Since I wanted a clean jet recently out of the paint barn, I did no weathering on the airframe. I did, however, apply weathering powder to make appropriate stains at two locations on the bottom rear fuselage: the jet fuel starter vent and the heat exchanger exhaust ducts. I also used powder inside the exhaust nozzles. Decals
I do have three small criticisms, however. The squadron, wing, and ACC badges are two-part decals and they contain red areas that are too dark. Also, there are not nearly enough of the large "No Step" with hexagons stencils. I had to search through my decal dungeon to find others. Conclusion
References --Air Force Magazine Jan. 2007 |
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