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McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F-15 Eagle Plastic scale model in 1/72 scale
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modelling report
One of the 1/72 kits is the Great Wall Hobby F-15E Strike Eagle (kit #L7201) and it is one of the best kits available in this scale. Released in 2019, the kit has over 200 finely molded parts in darker grey plastic in some 18 sprues and 2 transparant sprues.
You get the option to set the flaps and ailerons at an angle as often seen on parked Strike Eagles, so this is very nice. The big upper air brake can also be set open with an extra part showing some rib detail.
The air intakes have the flow ducts to lead to the engine fans. The air intakes can be set at an angle for engines running. But no pilot figures are included.
The lower fuselage part has the bulbous Fast Packs typical of the F-15E type moulded on both sides and the pylons are separate.
In this kit some 6 sprues are provided for various weapons, pylons and launch rails including the typical F-15E Strike Eagle pylons set on the fuselage sides:
- AIM-9L Sidewinders and AIM-120B AMRAAM missiles for air-to-air combat.
- AIM-9X missile
- targeting pod AAQ-13 LANTIRN
- targeting pod AAQ-14
and 2 external 610 gallons fuel tanks.
The parts are crisply detailed with finely recessed panel lines and rivet details. Top notch!
Decals are in this kit release a single F-15E "AF 97-219" with special markings to remember 75 years after D-day (flown in 2019 by the USAF based at Lakenheath, U.K). The decals include the typical D-day stripes and many aircraft were flown during D-day June 1944 with these stripes for recognition.
The basic scheme is overall grey FS36118 but with red panels and the stripes. For these stripes as option you also get a separate masking set in this release and separate instruction paper.
All stencilling is also provided and that is quite a lot! Be warned that the decals are EXTREMELY thin and some decals are combined with multiple stencils to help setting these on the model.
(No etched metal parts are in this kit release provided).
The assembly instructions with some 16 steps are OK but complex and not in a logical order of assembly. A separate paper sheet in full colour show the paint scheme. Colours including Federal Standard FS numbers are indicated in Gunze Sangyo Mr.Color and Ammo MiG paints.
The exhausts are detailed "without the turkey feathers" for the Pratt and Whitney engines and look really good. (but I see also unused parts with the feathers).
The cockpit is nicely detailed with raised details on instrument panels, side consoles, and well-defined ejection seats. Decals are provided for the instrument panels if you prefer these over painting.
Another option to set the radar nose opened up to show the radar in a maintenance setting.
The landing gear is well done and correct with typical F-15E thicker main wheels, bulbous gear doors and so on. The main wheels are typically not set at 90 degrees but a bit tilted, say 80 degrees angled.
The canopy and windscreen have a bulb cross section but this means that there is a seam mould in the middle; this can be slightly sanded and fortunately polished. The canopy can be displayed in either open or closed positions.
The windscreen and forward nose panel is one part. The idea is that it helps assembly but I found it making things more difficult as you need to mask and protect the windscreen all the time.
The construction assembly of the kit looks pretty complex. But do not worry, I found out the parts' fit is extremely good.
The kit will be made almost straight out of the box but with different custom designed and made decals, more about that later on.
I opted to not install the single windscreen + nose panel part #H2 as to avoid damage. The windscreen was separated with a razor saw. The also provided nose panel #A45 in the kit was set at this stage on the nose and the windscreen sanded.
The seams in the middle of windscreen and canopy were removed with a smooth sanding block and than polished with a special polishing paste (tooth paste can also be used).
All the parts are very fine and moulded with slice moulding techniques to show full running panellines. This means that the attachment sprue gates are also on a mating surface.
So we will need to clean up the mating surfaces...
The Great Wall Hobby F-15E kit cockpit parts show nice details but I am not sure if the rear stick #R3 was to be installed. I painted the cockpit tub and sides medium grey FS36321.
The ejection seats also look very good, and were painted tyre black, seat cushions olive drab green and added just some seat straps from tape.
For the model I set the radar nose closed so cut off the ring lips. The whole nose section fits pretty good.
Continuing when the mid fuselage, the big inner fuselage air ducts are nicely provided and even include the air flow pressure sensors #Q7+Q8.
The main gear doors #Q3+Q4 are installed closed on most parked Strike Eagles except for maintenance. Do not yet install the landing gears themselves. Same with the long nose gear door #A29 which is also mostly seen set closed; sand a bit in order to fit.
The engine jet exhaust are very nice without turkey feathers (you also find unused parts for with the feathers). Set these aside for later.
When joining the bulbous Strike Eagle fuselage #N1 with the wing-fuselage part #R11 you will see a step/ kink at the rear near the stabilizer areas, this is correct though. The fit of parts is again exceptionally good.
The variable air intakes on parked Strike Eagle are in the up position so this option was picked.
I found that I could not set the upper air intake surface horizontal so added a tiny slice of plastic strip and a bit putty. But may be it was my fault.
Setting the fillets #A2 and #Q11 needed a bit putty and sanding.
The separate ailerons #A37 and #A38 were set at a small drooped angle as mostly seen on parked Strike Eagles. The inboard flaps were set horizontal. The various F-15E pylons on the lower fuselage sides were installed and the wing pylons were made as well as the wing fuel tanks.
The landing gears were not yet installed, will be done after the paint scheme and decals had been applied.
I did not install the vertical tails, will be done after these had gotten their paints and decals. Not installing will help masking any areas for the metal rear panels near the exhausts.
The lower joints needed a bit putty and sanding but I think it was my fault to get a perfect joint. Same with the lower wing joints.
After this general assembly, base paint work would start.
The parts were grouped and the whole lot would get first a grey base primer coat airbrushed.
For the base grey airbrushed was thinned Revell Aqua 75 steingrau acrylic paint to check for any flaws. It looked OK.
The smaller parts while still in their sprues like gear door outsides', air brake, wing pylons and launch rails were not forgotten. The gear door insides' were airbrushed white as where the landing gear legs and struts still in their sprues.
The areas in front of the exhausts at lower and upper rear fuselage were masked and airbrushed metal with Vallejo 77.701 aluminium acrylic. These are seen on all F-15 Eagles.
While airbrushing, the assembled exhausts got a mix of Vallejo metal paints including burned metal 77.703. The insides of the exhausts were painted dull white to suggest burned areas.
The model was gloss FS36118 and was now ready to get the decals as per kit scheme in the attractive D-day markings.
Some suggestions for applying the scheme and kit decals:
- the decals are EXTREMELY thin so dip and slice of from the decal backing paper otherwise they will fold and twist.
- the various red decals were not used but airbrushed after masking with Gunze Sangyo H5 red acrylic.
- the D-day stripes were applied with decals in stead of airbrushing although the kit has a masking set; for the intake scoops some holes were made in decals A53 and A55; apply the stripe decals in sections. The scoops must be handpainted with the white and black striping.
- on the edges of the the long pylon parts #A8+A9 also white and black stripes were painted.
- long wing D-day stripes can be done with the long decals; try to cover the wing leading edges as well.
- nose checker decal A3 should be reduced in length about 1 mm at the upper edge
- green panel decal A1 should be reduced some 2 mm at its front edge (at the radar nose panelline)
- it is better to split the bigger stencilling decals in bits as otherwise big clear decals may cause "silvering" appearance (like decals #B55, 56, 60, 61)
After decalling was done, the landing gears were installed. The gears are white and I painted the oleos and landing lights Vallejo Chrome 77.7097. The wheel tyres were airbrushed tyre black and the hubs dirty white.
I found the placement of main gear leg bits #T15 unclear and also needed to drill the receiving peg holes a bit wider.
The gear bays were hand painted white on their insides just like the gear doors. The front nose gear door #A29 was set closed as usually seen on parked Eagles. The part needed a bit sanding.
The main wheels were set at 80 degrees and note that the GWH kit has the correct thicker Strike Eagle main wheels and bulbous gear doors.
The model was kept "clean" with no weaponry to show the stripes to good advantage.
The anti-collision lights are wing tips and tails were painted (red port and blue starboard). The wing tips low vis lights are decals but can also be painted light yellow.
The model got airbrushed a semi-matt varnish coat to get an even sheen and protect the decals. In this case a coat of Johnson Future/ Pledge with 5% X-21 "flat base" with the usual technique. (mask a bit the metallic exhaust areas and obviously any clear areas).
UPDATE: it is a good idea to add some 10% Gunze Mr.Hobby Levelling Thinner in the varnish mix. This really helps airbrushing a nice varnish layer.
Inside the canopy, 2 mirrors were set in the front frame and 1 mirror in the mid frame from scrap. The canopy was positioned (without glue) open and the model was ready!
The end result is seen here
F-15E "AF 97-219" with special markings to remember 75 years after D-day (flown in 2019 by the USAF based at Lakenheath, U.K tail code LN).
... on a base...
Another 1/72 Great Wall Hobby F-15E Strike Eagle is kit release #L7202.
Released in 2021, the kit has over 200 finely molded parts in grey plastic in some 18 sprues and 2 transparant sprues.
Many parts are the same as described for the kit #L7201 but there are a few different stores/ weaponry for:
- AIM-9L Sidewinders and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles for air-to-air combat.
- GBU-39 SDB bombs
- targeting pod AN/AAQ-33
- targeting pod AAQ-14
and 2 external 610 gallons fuel tanks with their pylons.
A well-printed decal sheet is provided for a scheme of a F-15E, 492 FS, coded LN at Lakenheath, U.K in 2014 with a choice of 2 serial numbers. They sport a standard rather dull Gunship Grey (FS 36118).
I opted to make this model in another Strike Eagle scheme with now custom designed and made decals, more about that later on.
The details like cockpit interior, seats, air brake, air intake are also similar as to kit #L7201. Same with how the canopy and windscreen are moulded.
The general assembly was the same as described on the earlier made kit. But now I found that the air intakes fitted better and I had smaller fit problems at the lower fuselage-nose points. May be I learned....
The model assembly, painting and airbrushing was again very similar as for the earlier made GWH model with overall FS36118 scheme.
After the paint scheme had been applied the model was glossy, so the decals could be applied.
I opted to make this model in another Strike Eagle scheme with custom designed and made decals. I designed decals for a "Tigermeet of the Americas" F-15E of the 391 FS as seen in 2005 at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, USA with an attractive scheme. This is the drawing I made:
These are set on sheet AIPD 64 that also has another option for the GUNFIGHTERS seen at left.
The smaller stencillings are to be used from the mother kit decals like NO STEPS and honeycomb warnings.
If you are interested in a decal print for your model, let my know and ook at decal page here.... (can also be printed in another scale).
All custom printed decals need to be cut out separately with fine scissors.
The air brake will be set closed (otherwise paint white inside).
The black Tiger stripe patterns are also decals or can be painted. On the instrument cover are also tiger stripe decals, set in place before the (separated) windscreen is to be set. A tiny decal bit will also be set on the lower frame.
The various smaller stencils like NO STEPS and "honeycomb" do not step markings were set now. The stabilizer lines were also set as per kit over the tiger stripes.
After decalling the gears and other bits were made as described for the model above.
The exhausts had been airbrushed metal and were installed.
I opted to set a few stores on the model. These are provided in the GWH kit. The small GBU-39's are a bit tricky to assemble and set. Also the various designator pods are seen here.
The air brake with tiger stripes was set open. A semi-matt varnish coat was airbrushed.
The canopy got mirrors and set open as described for the earlier made model.
The result...
F-15E, 391 FS as seen in 2005 "Tigermeet of the Americas" at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, USA
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Created this page November 20, 2024