Recommendations for an F-15E

34 views and no opinions?

Revell of Germany kit 80-4891. 1/48 F 15E Strike Eagle with bombs.  Ordinance included. Costs a little more. 

D. Lindsey

Revell of Germany kit 80-4891. 1/48 F 15E Strike Eagle with bombs.  Ordinance included. Costs a little more. 

 

Yeah I saw that.  60 bucks on Amazon and only comes with 4xGBU-10s and 2xGBU-15s.  I can get the regular one at Michael's for 24 bucks with the usual 40% off coupon, and use the extra money to get a Hasegawa weapons set for additional flexibility and decals.  The decals that come in that box are virtually unusable.

The Revell kit comes with Gulf War Seymore Johnson markings and Mountain Home markings. Looking on eBay, there are multiple Strike Eagle decal sheets currently available, depending on how much you’re willing to pay. I know somebody did Lakenheath markings if you want to do a Balkan Wars Strike Eagle. And aside from Hasegawa, there are also Eduard Brassin, Meng, Skunk Models and other companies ordnance out there to arm up with. 

Personally I’d get the Revell kit because:1) it’s the best in scale out there, 2) it’s the best price out there, then worry about markings and ordnance.

I already have one that I plan to build in Desert Storm markings and fill up with CBUs... I love that sort of weaponry. 

stikpusher

The Revell kit comes with Gulf War Seymore Johnson markings and Mountain Home markings. Looking on eBay, there are multiple Strike Eagle decal sheets currently available, depending on how much you’re willing to pay. I know somebody did Lakenheath markings if you want to do a Balkan Wars Strike Eagle. And aside from Hasegawa, there are also Eduard Brassin, Meng, Skunk Models and other companies ordnance out there to arm up with. 

Personally I’d get the Revell kit because:1) it’s the best in scale out there, 2) it’s the best price out there, then worry about markings and ordnance.

I already have one that I plan to build in Desert Storm markings and fill up with CBUs... I love that sort of weaponry. 

 

I was thinking of trying to do an early OIF F-15E, so that would require the MSIP 1 style upgrades from the F-15C(I think), with the newer blade style antennas and the GPS bump, et al.  I know Wolfpack made an upgrade kit for the Revell bird, but those are impossible to find.  I know the Academy plane is the correct version, but I'm scared away by the inaccuracies on it, and also as you noted, the Revell kit is just so darn cheap.

Many antennas are easily scratch built from Evergreen styrene if you have good refrence. 

I am doing that with the 1/32 Revell F-4G. Rather than paying the cost of the kit again for an AM resin set, I am doing upgrades myself at a fraction of the cost. 

stikpusher

Many antennas are easily scratch built from Evergreen styrene if you have good refrence. 

I am doing that with the 1/32 Revell F-4G. Rather than paying the cost of the kit again for an AM resin set, I am doing upgrades myself at a fraction of the cost. 

 

That's a solid plan.  I might have to make a first attempt at scratch building.  I think the main things I'd wanna add are the LAU-128 launchers and the GPS bump.

Just saw this post. The 1/48 Monogram/Pro Modeler 85-5965 is LOADED with weapons and available on ebay.

stikpusher

Many antennas are easily scratch built from Evergreen styrene if you have good refrence. 

I am doing that with the 1/32 Revell F-4G. Rather than paying the cost of the kit again for an AM resin set, I am doing upgrades myself at a fraction of the cost. 

 

I have this kit that I got from HL with the 40% coupon which came out to about $40 or less. I also picked up a resin pit for an E on sale at Squadron for $12. I just need to do some instrument changes but honestly, not many modelers can tell the difference between a E and G pit. 

The rear IP is the biggest difference in the ‘pits between the G and any standard F-4’s. That’s where the “Bear” gets all his info to do his job and tell the pilot where the SAMs are.

The exterior is where most of the visual changes to the G were made with all of the RHAW antennas scattered around the airframe. unfortunately, R/M left off a substantial number of those antennas when they modified the molds. And those are easily created.

plasticjunkie

Just saw this post. The 1/48 Monogram/Pro Modeler 85-5965 is LOADED with weapons and available on ebay.

 

 

That's the Revell bird with different weapons?

Edit:  Just googled for it and search for it on ebay and came up with nothing.  The one pro-modeller version that came up was unavailable as the sale was over.  Also, it looks like it has the same weapons inventory as the Revell of Germany version.

laskdjn

 

plasticjunkie

Just saw this post. The 1/48 Monogram/Pro Modeler 85-5965 is LOADED with weapons and available on ebay.

 

 

 

 

 

That's the Revell bird with different weapons?

 

Edit:  Just googled for it and search for it on ebay and came up with nothing.  The one pro-modeller version that came up was unavailable as the sale was over.  Also, it looks like it has the same weapons inventory as the Revell of Germany version.

 

You have to keep an eye out for it since they pop up now and then. It's a great value with all the included weapons.

laskdjn

34 views and no opinions?

 

You usually get better responses if you list a scale (or say any scale). There's a commerical on TV where a woman at home calls a woman who is jogging and asks if she knows a painter. When the jogger says yes, the first woman says, okay send me a list of them with references, etc.

A kit recommendation is often an open ended question unless you state scale. No one wants to start listing all the available 1/72 scale kits in order of best to worst to find out you want one in 1/48 scale. Or that the best is out of price range or out of production.

I once got a 1/48 scale Monogram F-15E Strike Eagle kit from Walmart, back when they sold real model kits. It was very nice, but I don't know the accuracy level or if it is still available just in another box.

Rob Gronovius

 You usually get better responses if you list a scale (or say any scale). There's a commerical on TV where a woman at home calls a woman who is jogging and asks if she knows a painter. When the jogger says yes, the first woman says, okay send me a list of them with references, etc.

A kit recommendation is often an open ended question unless you state scale. No one wants to start listing all the available 1/72 scale kits in order of best to worst to find out you want one in 1/48 scale. Or that the best is out of price range or out of production.

I once got a 1/48 scale Monogram F-15E Strike Eagle kit from Walmart, back when they sold real model kits. It was very nice, but I don't know the accuracy level or if it is still available just in another box.

 

Touche, sir.  That was certainly my mistake.

plasticjunkie

 

 

laskdjn

 

plasticjunkie

Just saw this post. The 1/48 Monogram/Pro Modeler 85-5965 is LOADED with weapons and available on ebay.

 

 

 

 

 

That's the Revell bird with different weapons?

 

Edit:  Just googled for it and search for it on ebay and came up with nothing.  The one pro-modeller version that came up was unavailable as the sale was over.  Also, it looks like it has the same weapons inventory as the Revell of Germany version.

 

 

 

 

You have to keep an eye out for it since they pop up now and then. It's a great value with all the included weapons.

 

So it's a RoG F-15E, but cheaper.  I'll definitely keep an eye out for that.

Does anyone have any opinions on the Academy F-15E "Seymour Johnson?"  I know about how the engine bulges are over prounounced on the topside of the model.  I also read that there were some other innaccuracies and that the intakes were a pain to assemble.  However, it represents a more modern version of the F-15E than the Revell version.

Rob Gronovius

 

laskdjn

34 views and no opinions?

 

 

 

 

You usually get better responses if you list a scale (or say any scale). There's a commerical on TV where a woman at home calls a woman who is jogging and asks if she knows a painter. When the jogger says yes, the first woman says, okay send me a list of them with references, etc.

A kit recommendation is often an open ended question unless you state scale. No one wants to start listing all the available 1/72 scale kits in order of best to worst to find out you want one in 1/48 scale. Or that the best is out of price range or out of production.

I once got a 1/48 scale Monogram F-15E Strike Eagle kit from Walmart, back when they sold real model kits. It was very nice, but I don't know the accuracy level or if it is still available just in another box.

 

LOL I have seen that commercial several times.

The F-15E keeps getting repopped in different box art and with different weapons. The last one was at HL with I believe no weapons. The reviews say the old Monogram/Revell E is very well made. Their earlier release which was a C has the raised panel line details while the E has the recessed ones. I don't know if the ROG is the a repop or new tooling.

The Academy 1/48 F15I is also a decent kit with tons of included weapons. It's reported to have some minor fitting issues here and there but nothing terrible. I got mine from China with free shipping for under $60. It has a gorgeous decal sheet too. 

I did the math and the other F-15Is are way more expensive and some like Hasegawa don't include weapons like Great Wall as an example but they carry a hefty price tag.

The Academy F-15E "Seymour Johnson" comes with a ton of weapons, too.  All the reviews I've been able to find have been of their older mold.  Apparently they corrected some things for this release.  I was just hoping to hear from someone who's tried and built it and see what they said.

This is the kit I built many years ago. I checked the Revell site and the instructions are still the same kit number. Decals may be different though, I am not sure. I'm not much use because I wouldn't know an accurate from an inaccurate F-15. I know my kit came with missiles and fuel tanks but does not come with bombs or other ordnance. That would prevent many from recommending the kit, but I just bought it because it was on clearance at a good price.

https://modelingmadness.com/scott/mod/f15e.htm

https://www.revell.com/model-kits/aircraft/85-5511.html#.WqFzwOjwbIU

Rob Gronovius

This is the kit I built many years ago. I checked the Revell site and the instructions are still the same kit number. Decals may be different though, I am not sure. I'm not much use because I wouldn't know an accurate from an inaccurate F-15. I know my kit came with missiles and fuel tanks but does not come with bombs or other ordnance. That would prevent many from recommending the kit, but I just bought it because it was on clearance at a good price.

https://modelingmadness.com/scott/mod/f15e.htm

https://www.revell.com/model-kits/aircraft/85-5511.html#.WqFzwOjwbIU

 

Yup, that's the one I built and posted here back in January.  Apparently, that is the most accurate F-15E out there right now.  It's a Desert Storm version of the plane as it lacks a couple things, new blade antennas, the GPS antenna, and the newer dual purpose LAU-128 rails.  Still a beautiful model when built properly, i.e. not by me.

laskdjn

 

Rob Gronovius

This is the kit I built many years ago. I checked the Revell site and the instructions are still the same kit number. Decals may be different though, I am not sure. I'm not much use because I wouldn't know an accurate from an inaccurate F-15. I know my kit came with missiles and fuel tanks but does not come with bombs or other ordnance. That would prevent many from recommending the kit, but I just bought it because it was on clearance at a good price.

https://modelingmadness.com/scott/mod/f15e.htm

https://www.revell.com/model-kits/aircraft/85-5511.html#.WqFzwOjwbIU

 

 

 

 

 

Yup, that's the one I built and posted here back in January.  Apparently, that is the most accurate F-15E out there right now.  It's a Desert Storm version of the plane as it lacks a couple things, new blade antennas, the GPS antenna, and the newer dual purpose LAU-128 rails.  Still a beautiful model when built properly, i.e. not by me.

 

The above review is from 2000 and the date on mine is 2001. Just took mine out and compared the instructions and is the same kit for the exception of the weapons included in mine: GBU10 (4), GBU15 (2), Aim 120A (2), Aim9m (4), Data Link Pod, An/AAQ-13 Nav Pod, AN/AAq-14 Lantirn Targetting Pod. 

I've built both and in my opinion the Revell kit is the nicer kit.  Yes, the Academy kit comes with more weapons but the AIMs are really the only ones that are nice.  You don't really see and OIF or OEF Strike Eagles with CBU-87s on MERs.  

The lines on the Revell kit are nicer since they are more blended like the real plane.  For example, the point where the engine humps begin to form on the upper part of the fuselage are blended on the Revell kit but they are fairly defined on the Academy kit.

The Wolfpack resin OEF update set and some seats from Quickboost are really all you need.  You can use the Hasegawa weapons set D and E, or get resin sets from Brassin.

Here's my Revell kit:

Fly-n-hi

I've built both and in my opinion the Revell kit is the nicer kit.  Yes, the Academy kit comes with more weapons but the AIMs are really the only ones that are nice.  You don't really see and OIF or OEF Strike Eagles with CBU-87s on MERs.  

The lines on the Revell kit are nicer since they are more blended like the real plane.  For example, the point where the engine humps begin to form on the upper part of the fuselage are blended on the Revell kit but they are fairly defined on the Academy kit.

The Wolfpack resin OEF update set and some seats from Quickboost are really all you need.  You can use the Hasegawa weapons set D and E, or get resin sets from Brassin.

Here's my Revell kit:

That looks gorgeous.  I'd love to get my hands on a Wolfpack OEF update set, but right now they look like they're unobtanium.  I actually tried emailing Wolfpack the other day to see if/when they were going to do another run of them but I haven't heard back yet.

laskdjn

That looks gorgeous.  I'd love to get my hands on a Wolfpack OEF update set, but right now they look like they're unobtanium.  I actually tried emailing Wolfpack the other day to see if/when they were going to do another run of them but I haven't heard back yet.

 

Many of their other F-15 update sets include most of the parts you need.  And, yeah....I just did a search for any of the sets and they are all gone!  If you find one take a look at it.  

I guess Wolfpack figured with the GWH F-15s coming out they were not going to sell as many sets?  I don't know.

And, like Stick said, you can scratch the antenna fairly easily.  The GPS bump can be created using sheet styrene and a punch in about 3 seconds.  

Fly-n-hi

 

 

laskdjn

That looks gorgeous.  I'd love to get my hands on a Wolfpack OEF update set, but right now they look like they're unobtanium.  I actually tried emailing Wolfpack the other day to see if/when they were going to do another run of them but I haven't heard back yet.

 

 

 

 

Thank you!

 

 

Many of their other F-15 update sets include most of the parts you need.  And, yeah....I just did a search for any of the sets and they are all gone!  If you find one take a look at it.  

I guess Wolfpack figured with the GWH F-15s coming out they were not going to sell as many sets?  I don't know.

And, like Stick said, you can scratch the antenna fairly easily.  The GPS bump can be created using sheet styrene and a punch in about 3 seconds.  

 

That's probably what I'm gonna do, just gotta figure out a way to get my hands on the missile launchers

laskdjn

That's probably what I'm gonna do, just gotta figure out a way to get my hands on the missile launchers

Fly-n-hi

 

 

laskdjn

That's probably what I'm gonna do, just gotta figure out a way to get my hands on the missile launchers

 

 

 

 

The rails...and the parts that attach them to the pylons won't be difficult to find.  The things that will be a bit challenging will be the antenna at the very tail of the plane (aft of the stabilators) and the shimmy damper on the nose gear strut.  

 

Here's a list of the AM parts that I used on my F-15E just for reference:

• Quickboost resin horizontal stabilators
• Quickboost resin ejection seats
• Afterburner Mountain Home Gunfighters decals
• Wolfpack resin OIF/OEF update set (included various antennas, LAU-128 rails, SNIPER XR & LANTIRN pods, GPS antenna, shimmy damper on the nose gear and more)
• GBU-12s, GBU-16s, and GBU-31 from the Hasegawa Weapons Set D
• AIM-120C from a Tamiya F-16 kit
• Royal Resin weighted wheels
• TwoBobs decals on the weapons
• Steel Beach vinyl reinforcement plates on the vertical stabilizers

I also scratched a few things like the hydraulic lines on the landing gear.

 

Wow, that's quite a list.  I'm currently only barely passable as a modeler, and that's quite a bit of resin

The resin parts are actually pretty simple.  None of the parts listed above require any altering or surgery of the kit.

So, the hardest part would be actually finding the oif/oef update set

I built the Hasegawa 1/48 f-15e and liked it.