Well this is now my
3rd item for the Aircraft Resource Center and I must say that this is now my
number one most accessed website. Everyday I check it to see what wonderful new
stuff creative people have posted. Keep it up! For more pictures of this model
view my website at http://users.zipworld.com.au/~wksdave.
Kit Review
This is a fantastic piece of kit. There are parts to be able to build anything
from an early 'A' model to a late MSIP II 'C' version. Watch for the
instructions where it clearly shows you were all the options are. Check your
reference photos and then decide, cool! The decals include 3 varieties for late
model 'C' options, the 3rd Wing Commanders Aircraft (Alaska), the 44th FS and
the 18th Wing Commanders Aircraft.
You get 9 sprues and 1x bag of metal parts for the landing gear (with rubber
tires) with screws and RBF tags. The pilots head and arms can be moved into
several positions which is also cool! The panels lines are all nicely engraved
and the detail is excellent. The extra details like boarding ladder, radar, gun
bay, wheel chocks are all nice.
There are parts for 2 ACES II ejection seats (though no harnesses so sitting a
pilot makes sense unless you want to scratch build the seat belts.) The only
disappointing thing is that it only includes one drop tank, otherwise this is a
superb model from Tamiya and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. Of course the
F15 is my favourite plane so that helps some too.
Aircraft
Information
The F-15 Eagle has a perfect combat record of 101 victories and zero defeats.
F-15s downed four Mig-29 fighters during the recent Balkan conflict and 33 of
the 35 fixed-wing aircraft Iraq lost in air combat during Operation Desert
Storm.
The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely manoeuvrable, tactical fighter
designed to permit the Air Force to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial
combat.
The Eagle's air superiority is achieved through a mixture of unprecedented
manoeuvrability and acceleration, range, weapons and avionics. It can penetrate
enemy defence and outperform and outfight any current enemy aircraft. The F-15
has electronic systems and weaponry to detect, acquire, track and attack enemy
aircraft while operating in friendly or enemy-controlled airspace. The weapons
and flight control systems are designed so one person can safely and effectively
perform air-to-air combat.
The F-15 Multistage Improvement Program was initiated in February 1983, with the
first production MSIP F-15C produced in 1985. Improvements included an upgraded
central computer; a Programmable Armament Control Set, allowing for advanced
versions of the AIM-7, AIM-9, and AIM-120A missiles; and an expanded Tactical
Electronic Warfare System that provides improvements to the ALR-56C radar
warning receiver and ALQ-135 countermeasure set. The final 43 included a Hughes
APG-70 radar.
They have since been deployed to support Operation Southern Watch, the
patrolling of the UN-sanctioned no-fly zone in Southern Iraq; Operation Provide
Comfort in Turkey; in support of NATO operations in Bosnia, and recent air
expeditionary force deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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The model is completely OOB
except for the AIM-120 AMRAAMs which were from Flightpath. Originally when I was
building it I wanted to use the 'Mod Eagle' paint scheme and do it up as either
part of Operation Northern Watch or just based at Kadena. Either way I needed to
put AMRAAMs on it as the reference photos seems to show a combination of
Sparrows, Sidewinders and AMRAAMs during this period.
The Flightpath missiles are very detailed and come with photo etched fins,
hooks, harness cover, and even the rear lug for the RBF
tags. I have included a photo of the two missiles here (taken with my Quickcam
so the photos not great) both are completed but one is painted and finished the
other is shown after adding the brass parts. Initially the recessed lines on the
resin body look very shallow but I think this is illusory due to the colour of
the resin. Once sprayed with Tamiya Primer the recesses show up nicely and I
picked them out with an oil paint wash.
The Flightpath missiles come with no decals as such though this is easily
remedied. I used a yellow band on the warhead section to indicate a live warhead
and black bands on the rocket motor second to indicate a real motor. You
could use purple bands to indicate a training round though you would need to
delete the rear cover when assembling. The live motor bands are actually a dark
red brown colour but unless looking closely they look black. I added some
warning markers and info from spare decals. All up super cool missiles and it
looks sweeter than quadruple AIM-9s.
Weapons Used
4 x AIM-7M Sparrow III missiles on fuselage stations
2 x AIM-9M Sidewinder on inside LAU-128/A rail launcher
2 x AIM-120A AMRAAM on outside LAU-128/A rail launcher
1 x M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon
1 x centreline fuel tank carrying 610 US gal of fuel
Construction Notes
For the construction notes for the AMRAAM check the model description section.
I depicted this one as an MSIP 'C' version, in this case the 18th Wing
Commander's Aircraft. I included the ECM in the right spine end but removed the
tail fairing. I opened the gun bay door and opened the radar bay door and the
nose cone so you can see the APG-70.
David
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