F-15A to C differences?

[stevej60]

Hi folk's,what main differences externally were there between the first operational A model's in the late seventies

and the C model when entering service?

[Troffa]

There is a good thread over on Hyperscale that seems to cover the bases.  Exhaust Petals were my only thought...

 

F-15A to C Lowdown

[exdraken]

I am not sure there is any apart from markings/ units that would stand out in modelling scales... some avionics boxes behind the pit... 

Israel used the exhaust petals on all its Eagles until fairly recently, A-E/I

[stevej60]

1 hour ago, Troffa said:

There is a good thread over on Hyperscale that seems to cover the bases.  Exhaust Petals were my only thought...

 

F-15A to C Lowdown

 

1 hour ago, exdraken said:

I am not sure there is any apart from markings/ units that would stand out in modelling scales... some avionics boxes behind the pit... 

Israel used the exhaust petals on all its Eagles until fairly recently, A-E/I

Thank's guy's,I bought a couple of Hobbyboss  "C" easy kits which are really nice to be honest one has a great Flanker aggressor scheme

which I'm planning for the under a tenner GB but I've a set of Hasegawa decals for the 1970's light blue scheme so really only  the exhausts

 issue  which doesn't really bother me.

[Silverkite]

16 hours ago, stevej60 said:

Hi folk's,what main differences externally were there between the first operational A model's in the late seventies

and the C model when entering service?

 

I posted some stuff here and there through the forums, my suggestion is to waste some time on Wikimedia by searching F-15A with a year that doesn't go past 1979/80.

Outside that is to search on Flickr and other websites as I don't know if someone has a back-up of what was posted on sukhoi.nl.

 

As people on HS forums stated you have to check out the differences:

 

NLG up to JFS exhaust then saber drains (search on arcforums saber drains cause there it was a discussion about them)

I'm not sure if the tailhook housing was different

Antennas should be either 2 rectangular shaped and 1 or 2 more that look like nipples

Fuselage sides, I never took a deep look

Airbrake the stiffeners are shaped differently but I don't know if late or upgraded ones received C reinforcements

On HS thread you can see that certain Luke Eagles had a fence cutting in the middle of the airbrake, that was not so common yet it was used

Airbrake well be wary of it especially if you are using GWH kit there it was another discussion on Arcforums, I think it was on an F-15E Q&A and someone warned about F-15Ds kit dressing up as E variants as E and possibly late? C variants do have a different well.

TF15s had short/stubby airbrake

Cockipt and the hell hole on the back of pilot's seat

 

Can't provide link on Arcforums discussions cause I have those bookmarks on another drive

 

Luigi

 

[Silverkite]

found the discussion about sabre not saber drains

 

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/295433-early-f-15a-from-the-gwh-f-15c/

 

Luigi

[Murph]

For modeling purposes the A models and early C models looked basically the same except for "detail" items.  Both initially had the "turkey feathers" on the engine exhausts till the USAF tired of filing "dropped object reports" in the late 70s and removed them from both.  The A model started with different wheels but eventually used ones similar to those on the C model.  The speedbrake (it's one word in the USAF) initially had an external stiffener and a ribbed internal structure on the A model.  Both eventually changed; I would recommend an article in Hyperscale's reference section by Dave Aungst for some good pictures how it looks in the final version which was common to the A and C models.  LINK  The A model also lacked some of the small antennas under the nose due to avionics differences.  Internally, in the air superiority blue scheme, there's a good chance the jet used the Escapac seat rather than the ACES II.  The A model typically lacked the large black boxes along the port wall of Bay 5 (area behind the cockpit) and for most of their early life lacked the TEWS scope on the upper right of the main instrument panel.

 

Regards,

Murph

[Silverkite]

On 4/7/2021 at 6:10 PM, Murph said:

For modeling purposes the A models and early C models looked basically the same except for "detail" items.  Both initially had the "turkey feathers" on the engine exhausts till the USAF tired of filing "dropped object reports" in the late 70s and removed them from both.  The A model started with different wheels but eventually used ones similar to those on the C model.  The speedbrake (it's one word in the USAF) initially had an external stiffener and a ribbed internal structure on the A model.  Both eventually changed; I would recommend an article in Hyperscale's reference section by Dave Aungst for some good pictures how it looks in the final version which was common to the A and C models.  LINK  The A model also lacked some of the small antennas under the nose due to avionics differences.  Internally, in the air superiority blue scheme, there's a good chance the jet used the Escapac seat rather than the ACES II.  The A model typically lacked the large black boxes along the port wall of Bay 5 (area behind the cockpit) and for most of their early life lacked the TEWS scope on the upper right of the main instrument panel.

 

Regards,

Murph

 

Was the wheel well "question" resolved on past discussions? It was said that early A models had them painted in anti-corrosive paint instead of white but I lost track of said discussion (it was once again on ArcForums)

 

Luigi

[Murph]

22 hours ago, Silverkite said:

 

Was the wheel well "question" resolved on past discussions? It was said that early A models had them painted in anti-corrosive paint instead of white but I lost track of said discussion (it was once again on ArcForums)

 

Luigi

 

That information came from "Ol Crew Dog" who had worked on every model of the Eagle from the F-15A through the F-15S.  As I recall it only referred to the very early A models.  I've never seen any pictures of them in the metallic green color, and the A models I flew all had white wheel wells, but that was well past the time period in question.  Given the accuracy of what  other information he posted on the Eagle, I have no reason to doubt he was correct about the early A models he crewed.

 

Regards,

Murph

[Silverkite]

17 hours ago, Murph said:

 

That information came from "Ol Crew Dog" who had worked on every model of the Eagle from the F-15A through the F-15S.  As I recall it only referred to the very early A models.  I've never seen any pictures of them in the metallic green color, and the A models I flew all had white wheel wells, but that was well past the time period in question.  Given the accuracy of what  other information he posted on the Eagle, I have no reason to doubt he was correct about the early A models he crewed.

 

Regards,

Murph

 

Thank you!

 

Luigi