1/48 Academy F-15E Strike Eagle

by Chuang Xue Qian

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Hello again. 

Here is my latest build and my 3rd 1/48 model. The 1/48 Academy F-15E Strike Eagle with weapons. This isn't a very popular kit as I don't see many of them in the galleries, so I'm here to help add to the numbers of Academy F-15Es in the galleries and also prove that Academy is just as good.  When I first bought this, I decided that this kit should be my best ever.  Well I should say that I am very satisfied with the results! 

While this kit isn't as great as the Revell kit, it still builds up into a very good looking Eagle.  It comes with not only LANTIRN pods and 4 Sidewinders, it also comes with 3 fuel tanks and a large payload of weapons for you to hang under your bird.  Yea.. I know there are some inaccuracies like absence of bulged gear doors, lacking of the 2 antennas near the tail section and also the lack of modern weapons like AMRAAM missiles and JDAM bombs.  So in order to build a decent F-15E to the best of my knowledge, I had to make some modifications.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

Below is a list of modifications made to my F-15E: 

1. I used a razor blade to cut out a large portion of the molded 2 main landing gear doors and replaced them with the bulged doors which were left over from an old Italeri F-15A kit. 

2. Cut and dropped the flaps cos I wanted to depict my F-15E as about to taxi hence I also chose the dropped intakes. 

3. Added the 2 antennas to the pointed part next to the edge of the elevators. 

4. Cut off the pointed section between the tail pipes and filled them with *gasp* modelling clay. (I don't have putty you see...) 

5. Converted 1 of the 610 Gal. fuel tank into a WRM fuel tank. It's easy, just cut off the end of the fuel tank and fill the inside with modelling clay. Then add some detail and paint it off! 

6. Modified the GBU-12s supplied with the kit to make them more realistic. 

7. I scratch-built a new wide-angled HUD for the cockpit.  

So basically this kit was built mostly OOB. I made use of all the weapons that Academy supplied and I think my F-15E sure looks very mean. I decided to arm this big girl with 4 AIM-9s, 2 AIM-7s, 2 GBU-12s, 6 Mk. 20 bombs and a mixture of 1 fuel tank from the kit and 1 WRM fuel tank which I converted from another kit tank. Well she sure looks good seeing a combination of tanks. The 2 pilots and ground crew were from the 1/48 Hasegawa Ground Crew Set: B. I didn't make use of all the decals as Strike Eagle's nowadays aren't that filled with markings.  

Oh yes, before I forget, if you want to assemble this kit, it's best to have some reference photos nearby cos there are some inaccuracies in the instruction sheets like the wrong paint scheme, wrong decal position and also wrong missile positions! While looking at the reference photos of F-15Es carrying the AIM-7, I noticed that the F-15E carries that missile on the CFT at station 3C and 4C while the instructions call for them to be assembled on station LCT3 and RCT3. Check f-15estrikeeagle.com to find out the correct positions at where the missiles should go or you can check out my model cos there are at the correct position. Haha... 

So in conclusion. This is still a fine kit except for some slight modifications to be made. Nothing major to change cos the inaccuracies are just very slight and not too much to gripe about. Well to the expert modellers, you'll definitely gonna need to buy lots of aftermarket stuff like new ejection seats, new afterburner cans and perhaps new decals and weapons. But still, this kit is highly recommended!  

Ok I shan't be talking too much as I don't want to waste your time. I shall let the pictures do all the talking for yall. Hope you'll like them!  

Please feel free to leave comments and questions ya?  

Till next time, take care and happy modelling. 

God bless! 

Xue Qian

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Photos and text © by Chuang Xue Qian