Airfix F-15

[Enzo the Magnificent]

In the joyful Matrix tradition of biting off far more than I can chew     I'm going to chuck in this one.

 

 

This one only just qualifies as "a kit I built as a kid" because I was seventeen when I built this one. 

 

This kit had a huge impact on me. It was a modern kit of the new generation of US fighters - not actually representing a prototype.  And it provided components and decals for multiple versions.  This was obviously how things were to go in the future. 

 

Also around that time, camouflage schemes were getting severely toned down and because of that, this kit just looked so up to date.

 

I built the F-15B version in the markings from Bitburg.   I'm going to do the same thing again...

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Let's look at the parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

this kit hasn't been in The Stash for years.  I bought it recently from Kingkit.  The previous owner obviously did a lot of plastic fondlage, so many of the parts are off the sprues.

 

 

Looking forward to this.   

 

 

[modelling minion]

Ooh now this is a real blast from the past!

I built one of these very soon after it was released and I was impressed by the kit too, lots of weapons and you could build it as a single or two seat airframe and it had some nice decal options too, I think I built one from Bitburg and also an Israeli one.

[John]

I was around 17 when this came out and I had one of the original issues in the box with the weird red background and difficult to read light blue print on the instructions. 

I agree that it looked like the beginning of a new era. 

I finished mine as an Israeli A, although I recall the markings being minimal. 

I've never built the E retool, which actually looks quite impressive.

I see the A,/B is due for another run out later this year. 

John 

[Hewy]

A nice kit

[Ruskin Air Services]

This a nice kit, I remember that you got a lot of plastic for your money 

[Dansk]

Your sentiments ring true for me too enzo. I built this one in this boxing also - it was super exciting and new.

good luck with the build - looking forward to see how it turns out 👍

[Dansk]

You big tease Enzo, are we going to see any more F-15 action?

[PeterB]

I can remember buying my first Eagle in the late 1970's - possibly Revell. For some reason I think the suggested colour scheme was a blue/cream one bit like the Su27. It did not last long as I got the Hasegawa F-15A a few years later which I painted in the correct grey scheme of the day. I really must get round to building the later versions I have in my stash -  certainly an E and maybe a C, I think. I don't actually remember seeing the Airfix kit for some reason, but it looks a good one.

 

Good luck with the build Enzo.

 

Pete

Edited May 27, 2020 by PeterB

[Enzo the Magnificent]

The cockpit assembly was sprayed with Lifecolor UA-033 and assembled into the lower fuselage, together with some ballast weights.  If you are building the F-15A version, there is a seperate part for the equipment bay behind the forward cockpit.

 

 

 

The intake interiors were sprayed white towards the rear with Lifecolor UA-026 to represent 36375 Light Ghost Grey.

 

 

Main assembly complete.  All the modern F-15 kits I have seen have the wings and upper fuselage as one component to avoid a nasty seam  The Airfix kit has seperate wings.  However, they joined the fuselage nicely with minimal cleanup required.  They didn't do that back in the day... 

 

 

Primed with grey plastic auto primer.

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

So here comes the difficult bit. 

 

The two Ghost greys seem to be difficult colours to represent.  In some lights they can look grey, in others blue.  Then there is the question of contrast.  Sometimes the dark Gjhost grey patches on the uppersurfaces are very clearly defined.  At other times they blend in and the aircraft looks monotone.

 

I did a lot of experimentation on paint dummies and came up with the following choices:

 

36375 Light Ghost Grey:   Lifecolor UA-026  or Vallejo 70.615

36320 Dark Ghost Grey    Lifecolor UA-027  or  Vallejo 71.120

 

After they had dried, there was nothing to choose between the 36375 choices.   However, for the 36320 colour, the Vallejo paint was noticeably darker than the Lifecolor one.  So I chose Lifecolor.

 

Here is the model sprayed with Lifecolor UA-027 and with the splotches masked.

 

 

It was then sprayed overall with Lifecolor UA-026 and the masking was removed.

 

 

What do you think? 

[Parabat]

That looks spot on! 

[CT7567]

On 5/27/2020 at 1:51 PM, PeterB said:

I can remember buying my first Eagle in the late 1970's - possibly Revell. For some reason I think the suggested colour scheme was a blue/cream one bit like the Su27.

 

20 minutes ago, Enzo Matrix said:

 

The two Ghost greys seem to be difficult colours to represent.  In some lights they can look grey, in others blue.  Then there is the question of contrast.  Sometimes the dark Gjhost grey patches on the uppersurfaces are very clearly defined.  At other times they blend in and the aircraft looks monotone.

 

The prototype and very early service F-15s wore the short-lived "air superiority blue" scheme before the Compass Ghost Grays became the standard. This was FS 15450 gloss over 35450, so essentially a monochromatic light blue (with a grayish tint).  This may be what the early Airfix instructions called for in lieu of the later grays, and/or might be mistaken as a low-contrast/monochrome version of Compass Ghost.

 

As discussed in a recent thread over on ARC, the distinction between FS 36320 and 36375 is fairly subtle, and both are cool (slightly blueish) grays.  In practice, for various reasons the contrast on some F-15s is slightly sharper than the official FS595 colors.

 

IMHO, @Enzo Matrix's rendition above has it spot-on.

[modelling minion]

I think that it looks excellent Enzo, you have got her together very quickly and your masking has worked a treat.

[Enzo the Magnificent]

2 minutes ago, CT7567 said:

The prototype and very early service F-15s wore the short-lived "air superiority blue" scheme before the Compass Ghost Grays became the standard. This was FS 15450 gloss over 35450, so essentially a monochromatic light blue (with a grayish tint). 

Like this?   

 

 

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

This one isn't quite so blue...

 

[CT7567]

1 minute ago, Enzo Matrix said:

Like this?   

 

 

 

Nicely done! Which kit is that? I see it has the "full length" airbrake with the external rib.

[CT7567]

2 minutes ago, Enzo Matrix said:

This one isn't quite so blue...

 

No, but she did go "up, up the long delirious burning blue."  Nicely done Streak Eagle. This one's on my long-term build plan.

[Enzo the Magnificent]

1 minute ago, CT7567 said:

Nicely done! Which kit is that? I see it has the "full length" airbrake with the external rib.

It's the Academy 1/72 F-15C.  The kit has the earlier jetpipes so an F-15A can be built.  The external rib on the airbrake was simply a piece of plastic card filed to shape.

[Jinxman]

Very smart to my eye.

[AdrianMF]

Very nice build! Clearly, you have "previous" with the F-15 (nice builds too!). I have been traumatised by all the early Airfix jets (F-5A, F104, Harrier, Phantom, Mirage) so I am wary of Airfix modern jets prior to Hornby Airfix. However, this kit looks very nice.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Enzo the Magnificent]

2 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Clearly, you have "previous" with the F-15 

Sadly, not as much as I would like.  Those two are the only ones I have completed in the modern era.  Three others are sat on The Shelf Of Shame...     But on the bright side, one of those could be rescued and accompany this one on its journey.

[modelling minion]

3 hours ago, Enzo Matrix said:

one of those could be rescued and accompany this one on its journey.

That would be good, then it would be a more normal Enzo build with multiple kits in each thread.  

Not that I'm saying you're normal or anything Enzo, wouldn't dream of it!!

[helios16v]

On 6/7/2020 at 11:30 AM, Enzo Matrix said:

So here comes the difficult bit. 

 

The two Ghost greys seem to be difficult colours to represent.  In some lights they can look grey, in others blue.  Then there is the question of contrast.  Sometimes the dark Gjhost grey patches on the uppersurfaces are very clearly defined.  At other times they blend in and the aircraft looks monotone.

 

I did a lot of experimentation on paint dummies and came up with the following choices:

 

36375 Light Ghost Grey:   Lifecolor UA-026  or Vallejo 70.615

36320 Dark Ghost Grey    Lifecolor UA-027  or  Vallejo 71.120

 

After they had dried, there was nothing to choose between the 36375 choices.   However, for the 36320 colour, the Vallejo paint was noticeably darker than the Lifecolor one.  So I chose Lifecolor.

 

Here is the model sprayed with Lifecolor UA-027 and with the splotches masked.

 

What do you think? 

Out of the 2 options I think you made the right choice.  I definitely wouldn't want to go with more contrast that that.  As always there are sometimes variances in paint batches, but also age.  The longer Ghosts are exposed to the elements, the more they "bleach out" (and the upper 320 surfaces take more of a beating).  Fresh paint you will see more of a contrast, but over time they can certainly start blending together...especially depending on the size of the blend lines.  That looks like a pretty fair representation of a fresh paint job.

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Some detail painting, including the natural metal areas from various shades of Alclad.

 

 

 

And then the decals were applied.   The sheet in the kit was badly discoloured so I was expecting to have to source alternatives.  But in the event they behaved perfectly!