Lord Riot Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 While I wait for a couple of things to finish off the Phantom, I thought I may as well start another kit. I'm still feeling the USAFE thing and after the A-10 and F-4G in Euro 1 I thought I'd go for a grey one this time. Has anyone made this Academy kit, any issues to look out for? Extra decals for the Liberty Wing: Many of us are familiar with Lakenheath's finest, so there should be plenty of refetence shots, I can probably use some of my own ... The instructions call for FS36375 and FS36320. I've matched those to Tamiya sprays AS-26 and AS-25 respectively. However, are these suitable for a 48th FW jet or should they be the newer scheme which I read is FS36176 and FS36251. Were LN Eagles ever the older scheme? I could model it based on the mid-90s rather than as they are today. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 18, 2020 Author Share Posted October 18, 2020 No less than four instrument panels are included in the kit, despite no provision to make a two-seater. However, I don't think any of them look particularly realistic, I might have to go with some aftermarket etch. Because this kit seems so old I'm tempted to change this to a Bitburg or Soesterberg Eagle and get another more modern kit for an MSIP F-15C from Lakenheath. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 18, 2020 Author Share Posted October 18, 2020 First job, I've sanded down the cockpit panels ready for the Eduard instrument panels I've ordered. Cockpit tub painted Humbrol 64. There are a lot of indents in the air intake interiors which I filled with Mr Dissolved Putty. The kit gives the option of up or drooped intake doors so I'll use the drooped ones as most photos seem to show they're in that position. Once the putty is dry and sanded I'll spray the interiors satin white. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 19, 2020 Author Share Posted October 19, 2020 Intakes sprayed inside and fitted together. The fuselage halves fit together quite well. Strangely, the wings have an extra pair of holes for an outer pylon on each one. I've never seen an F-15C with anything hung outboard, just the inner pylon for fuel tanks and/or missiles. I filled them up before gluing the wing halves together. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 The wings will need some liquid putty along the roots. The jet pipes on this kit are quite fiddly, with the angle making them prone to gaps between each 'feather'. I just about managed to squeeze them close enough. The insides aren't a uniform colour so although they look messy this is the example I used: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 Joins filled and sanded, just need a bit more smoothing on the left one. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 I'm now considering changing this to a Bitburg Eagle, and do a Tamiya kit as a Lakenheath one. Would I be right to think that 36th TFW F-15Cs would usually carry one AIM-9 training round a centreline fuel tank only on routine training sorties? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alt-92 Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Going off memory (and some quick img searches) there's all sorts of options used. AIM-7 Training rounds as well. Sometimes AIM-9 on the inboard rack, sometimes outside. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 I'm tempted to go with a fully armed Zulu Alert bird from Bitburg now. Four live Sparrows and four live AIM-9s, plus centreline tank. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Always liked a Bitburg Eagle. BT was the usual tailcode with the occasional CR from Soesterberg. Must dig out the pictures from the Mildenhall 80s shows. Mine is an early CR as that was in the kit. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 23, 2020 Author Share Posted October 23, 2020 Cracking collection there @bar side! That's what I'm hoping mine will end up like, though no idea where I'll fit my 1/48 F-111 when it's done. 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 Get it built with everything hanging off it! The Eduard Brassin missiles are really attractive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 23, 2020 Author Share Posted October 23, 2020 So these all turned up today, should make things interesting! Plenty of decal options now so more than enough to do the Tamiya one at some point. Already tempted to do that as a 'Deadpool' one from Lakenheath. I think I need more F-15s! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 6 hours ago, Lord Riot said: Cracking collection there @bar side! That's what I'm hoping mine will end up like, though no idea where I'll fit my 1/48 F-111 when it's done. 😂 Not got my EF-111 or TR-1 in there. Or the Bentwaters F-16, Alconbury RF-4C, etc. The loft is getting a little full! Then there is the a Herc. Got to find room for the Shackleton one day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 23, 2020 Author Share Posted October 23, 2020 Bang seat done, with some Eduard belts and ejection handle. Should look ok once it's in the cockpit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 24, 2020 Author Share Posted October 24, 2020 I made some avionics black boxes for the rack in the cockpit bay, the kit just had it empty. Apparently by the mid 80s this rack would have been full. I made the hydraulic canopy remover from a 1/72 rocket head. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 24, 2020 Author Share Posted October 24, 2020 Black boxes in place and the detail painted. Not sure if I need to put anything else in there? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 25, 2020 Author Share Posted October 25, 2020 I think that'll do for the office. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 I think this one will be fully loaded, 36th TFW Bitburg. Out of interest, do the 493rd FS at Lakenheath hold a couple of armed Eagles on QRA? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 I expect you've already seen these, but just in case, here's a mid eighties Zulu alert scramble from Bitburg on YouTube. Sadly they don't have QRA at Lakenheath. It'd be cool to see them launch if they did. Still loving your builds and still in awe of your productivity. You and @bar side side just get on and do all the things that I just buy and think about. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 Cheers @Filler, that's a cracking video! Been busy painting the weapons. I was surprised to see they're not white but grey when they're live, with darker grey fins on the Sparrows. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 2 hours ago, Filler said: I expect you've already seen these, but just in case, here's a mid eighties Zulu alert scramble from Bitburg on YouTube. Sadly they don't have QRA at Lakenheath. It'd be cool to see them launch if they did. Still loving your builds and still in awe of your productivity. You and @bar side side just get on and do all the things that I just buy and think about. Not much going on here - living room decoration at the moment! couple of pictures of Bitburg birds taken from the Mildenhall Airfete calendars. Not my copyright, but too good to miss out in. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 The cockpit is such a tight squeeze I didn't need to glue it! I cut some plastic from the sprues to act as a support and guide for the nose section for when I fit it to the main fuselage. I've a feeling the join line might need some filling and sanding! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 27, 2020 Author Share Posted October 27, 2020 Nose attached. The fit is actually surprisingly good, it shouldn't need much sanding at all. Just hope it stays on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted October 28, 2020 Author Share Posted October 28, 2020 The intakes are a pain to fit. They're a tight squeeze widthways and the right one seemed to angle out very slightly, and looked a tiny bit further out from the nose. I had to sand down the fairing against the nose on the right side and both needed filler; the left one on the top and the right one on the side. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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