strikeeagle801

That's still the plan!

Nah. I'm not selfish. Just so long as I get one before Brad, I'm good. Aaron

49. You have to save one for me. 🙂

There is a difference, but only somebody really familiar with the engines would know it. The basic design is the same, but the -229 linkage and track bars are a bit different. Also, at shutdown, the -220 nozzles go to about 90% closed, whereas the -229's are almost completely open. Sierra Hotel has excellent exhausts, both -220 and -229. Reskit has them too, but I haven't looked closely enough to know how accurate they are. Aaron Ps. Phase Hanger makes a whole slew of updates and improvements for the GWH F-15E, including wing and centerline Pylons. Highly recommended.

The -229 scoops are included in the GWH kit, but not the new nose cone or UFC. The only updated nose cone that I am aware of is from Model On Details https://modelondetails.com/producto/1-48_f-15_radome_wsec/ As far as the UFC, there was an update set that included it from BAM Models, but he is no longer in operation, and I am not aware of it in any other set or form. Aaron

Hey Mike Caracal makes a sheet for the 389th. https://www.caracalmodels.com/cd48190.html The major markings have not changed since this sheet came out. Here is 87-0169 at Beale a few weeks ago. Note that these jets have been upgraded to the -229 engines, and have the additional air scoops along the fuselage. Also, some history about this particular aircraft. It was featured on Twobobs' Mountain Home Avengers sheet as well. Although it was flying with the 391st Bold Tigers at the time, it was deployed and participated in the first retaliatory strikes into Af

I totally concentrated on the photo, not the time frame. Thanks for filling in information that I missed, guys. CCIP didn't start until 2001, so, especially with a Block 40 (often dubbed the Night Falcon) in 1996 it would have carried the LANTIRN system. No HTS pod. Niels- the GBU-27 was only employed by the F-117. I think that you meant the GBU-24. Aaron

Once put on the jet, the HTS (HARM Targeting System) pod rarely comes off...similar to the Pave Penny pod the A-10 used to use. It is time and maintenance-intensive to download and upload it for different missions, and it has no real affect on flight parameters. So, you would be completely accurate to include the HTS with or without a HARM actually loaded. Some added info. Originally the HTS was only carried by the Block 50/52. After CCIP, it can be carried by the 40/42 as well. It is rare, but it can happen. Also with CCIP, the left-handed HTS has become standard, with a targetin

I know very little about the Harrier, so to me, the uninitiated, it looks like a Harrier. The panel lines are awfully deep, but for a first kit, I would expect some mistakes to be made. I already know that if I do get one, I will be counting on Flying Leathernecks to help me out with pylons and drop tanks (hopefully the ones he has for the Hasegawa Harrier will be close enough). I have heard horror stories about building the Hasegawa Harrier, so if it builds up better than that, I will deal with the deep panel lines and any other discrepancies Aaron

Hello all I recently got the 1/48 MH-60L kit from ICM and I will be building it as an MH-60 that I saw back in 2012. I thought that adding some SF guys sitting in the back would be a cool idea, but I can't seem to find any that fit the bill. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Aaron

There's some up on ebay already. Xfree hobby has it for 54 and some change, plus 30 bucks shipping. Every other seller that has it listed is either not shipping to the US, or is charging an arm and a leg to do so. Aaron

Yes, you are correct. I forgot to mention that. LAU-129's are used on both stations now. The T-birds are the only US squadron that I am aware of to use the S210's on any station. Aaron

As for the Air Force, the LAU-114 was used for Sidewinders on the F-15 until Desert Storm when the AIM-120 came online. The LAU-128 with the ADU-552 adapters took over, but was in short supply during ODS, and only the "Light Grays" were issued them. Even after ODS, it was possible (common in fact) to see LAU-114's on the inside wing stations and LAU-128's on the outside stations on F-15E's, as the LAU-128 was still in short supply and the AIM-120 has a tendency to pierce the CFT's as they are being loaded on the inside stations. By about '99 or so, the LAU-128's were in exclusive u

I just got a harder & steenbeck Evolution 2024 2-in-1 off of Amazon for $167.00. I haven't used it yet, but I'm excited to. I've had an Iwata for several years now (which I bought at Hobby Lobby for 149, so the H&S wasn't that much more), but small parts kept breaking, and it is out of warranty, so I'm moving on. Before that, I had Testors Aztec brushes. They had a lifetime warranty on them, but I remember them breaking quite often, and it taking anywhere from 4-8 weeks to get a replacement. When you are in the middle of a project, that is a long time to have to wait.

I actually thoroughly enjoyed both. My dad was USAF, so I may be a little biased towards the T-birds. That, and the fact that I get to see them this weekend at Beale made it a little more special for me. Aaron

Thank you. I can't find many references online of this airframe and I can't tell from the instructions if it had the white belly, flaps/spoilers and horizontal stabs. I'm thinking of switching to another A model from Furball in 1999 instead, so AIM-7M, AIM-9M and AIM-54C, correct?

That looks amazing! Great all-around finish. Aaron

I am building Bullet 216 from the Bullseye Fleet Tomcats #2 sheet. The time frame is July of 1977. What AIM-7 and AIM-9 models would be appropriate for that time? I'm pretty sure it would be an AIM-7E, but I'm less sure on the Sidewinders. Aaron

I understand that, but wouldn't that be different enough to cause them to have to go through recertification? Or don't you think so? I'm honestly not sure, that was just a guess on my part. Aaron

It looks pretty good to me, other than the panel lines on the wing tanks. I'm not sure why, but they went very overboard with them there, and they look very "toy-like" as a result. Aaron

I think that you probably answered your own question. TER's have been authorized for carriage by the Strike for quite a while, and the "high speed" TER was developed specifically for the Viper. Instead of going through all of the testing and authorizations required to integrate the Viper TER onto the Strike, I think that they just went with what they knew would work so that the capability got to the Warfighter as quickly as possible. The first photos of this load out in testing were literally just taken last week. I think that, as much as is possible in today's environment, this was a "rush jo

I haven't seen this announced or discussed yet (my apologies if it has) but considering that the GWH C-130H has been pretty well-received, I thought that some of you might find this interesting as well. Aaron https://www.ebay.com/itm/376290641841?_skw=1%2F144+AC-130J&itmmeta=01JWJRBGSWGWSWX5FV4XV5B56E&hash=item579cab87b1:g:h4YAAOSwsZxoOKrR&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eHncVQKZovUceXnyjIMoNx%2BKLLVnq%2B%2BY6i3%2Fhy8rdLKoKKj9i%2FEHKBmhle3p6uRAdRFomPF%2Fgc73eXpjqRe0SFITfXiaeNvMgjhfmgWNxakbbG0XEBYTSEhFduTfuAD%2FjgjaobtIGH1bmwXH29b0t02g7SwDv%2FWjL

Technically, yes. Practically, no. The only mission the EX is performing right now is Continental Air Defense with the 123rd FS out of Portland, OR, and they are not flying the 1/9 pylons at this time. It will be years (if ever) until the EX is cleared for the kind of missions that the Echo is flying right now. Aaron

I know that they are cleared to, but this is the first time I've seen an operational load out using TER's on an F-15E. 42 APKWS rockets, plus a full load of 4 AIM-9X and 4 AIM-120's. That is a hell of a lot of counter-drone weapons. https://theaviationist.com/2025/05/30/centcom-releases-photo-of-f-15e-carrying-counter-uav-loadout-in-the-middle-east/

Sold items removed. All outstanding orders have been shipped as of today Aaron