NASA F-15 decals?

[zebra]

I’ve got a GWH 1/48 F-15B in the stash and I’m thinking about building it in NASA colours. I can’t find decals for it, or even any evidence that anyone has ever produced decals for it - has anyone ever seen any?

 

thanks

Julian

[zebra]

I suppose that's my question answered then! Going to need to give some serious thought to how to get a thin even gold strip around the blue bits on this scheme. Deciding life's too short and moving on to something else might also be an option!

[Vingtor]

Any photo of the aircraft you want to model?

Could be an interesting decal sheet....

 

Nils

[exdraken]

You could ask  @CaracalModels,

They have similar schemes and this would fit the line I think!

[zebra]

On 3/27/2021 at 9:22 AM, Vingtor said:

Any photo of the aircraft you want to model?

Could be an interesting decal sheet....

 

Nils

 

It's this one:

 

This photo shows it testing a Gulfstream "quiet spike" which (I think) was designed to allow supersonic aircraft to produce a quieter sonic boom. It usually flew with a normal nose and with test articles on the centreline pylon - I'm particularly interested in the configuration used to test heat-resistant foam for Shuttle boosters, but there are also photos of it carrying a single inert AIM-54 Phoenix on the centreline, as there was a proposal to use surplus Phoenixes as hypersonic test vehicles.

 

It would make for a very interesting decal sheet I think. There aren't enough decals for NASA subjects out there! @CaracalModels what do you think?

 

cheers

Julian

[Shorty84]

Hi Julian,

 

there seem to be no decals for this F-15, but a possible solution might be these T-38 decals from Fundekals: http://www.hyperscale.com/2013/reviews/decals/fundekalspreview_8.htm

They have the correct NASA logo for the tail and the numerals could be taken from a generic sheet.

 

Btw., while we are at it: Could someone please do some decals for the F-15 ACTIVE in 1/48 too?

 

Cheers

Markus

Edited March 29, 2021 by Shorty84

[zebra]

I've got a Fightertown (I think might be Afterburner) Decals sheet for a NASA Hornet which looks like a better option as it might be a better way of matching the curve on the nose. Just don't want to sacrifice this sheet, which is out of production and I can't find another one anywhere, as I want to build the Hornet as well.

[CT7567]

Meteor Productions produced a sheet of NASA and NACA markings, nominally in 1/48 but with a wide range of sizes and eras that would probably have a properly sized "swoosh" logo for what you need. IIRC it also had some generic numbering that matched the modern style.  There was also a similar but more limited sheet produced by an IPMS US chapter, circa early 90s I believe, that could also have what you need. The trick, of course, would be finding either of these for a reasonable price.

 

Review article of Meteor/Cutting Edge NASA sheet

 

As far as the T-38 sheet suggested, I suspect the swoosh logos on that sheet would be undersized for an F-15 in the same scale. The 1/48 markings are closer to correct size for a 1/72 Eagle.  1/48 isn't my scale of choice so I'm not sure of other potential sources aside from the Hornet already mentioned.

 

For the blue stripes and gold trim, I'd suggest your best option is a mix of decals and masking & painting. A couple of companies that do railroad decals offer thin metallic gold striping.  Alternatively, if it's easier to get solid color sheets for the gold, you can tape together two scalpel blades with an appropriate spacer then cut strips straight or curved with a constant width.

Edited April 5, 2021 by CT7567
Added link

[darthspud]

The Xtradecal sheet for the TSR2 What-if's has a NASA Swoosh. Should be to scale for a 1/48 F15.

 

[CT7567]

On 7/29/2021 at 8:11 AM, darthspud said:

The Xtradecal sheet for the TSR2 What-if's has a NASA Swoosh. Should be to scale for a 1/48 F15.

 

Sorry but this is incorrect. The TSR.2 scheme was for a much earlier NASA scheme featuring the vintage "meatball" logo with the blue circle and stars behind the NASA text. 

 

The "swoosh" design as featured on the F-15 tails is a much later graphic, actually derived from the meatball but with only the text and red sweeping arrowhead (hence the "swoosh" nickname, from its similarity to a recognizable shoe trademark).

 

Some "swoosh-era" schemes did also carry a small "meatball" logo as well (the beautiful but short-lived B-52H comes to mind).

[darthspud]

You're right, I got confused with the Skunkmodels F16xl(1seater) as I've got both decal sheets sitting on the desk.

[denfam4]

Good news! Caracal Models has now released decals for the NASA Eagles in both 1:48 CD48205 and 1:72 CD72129