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F-15J 304SQ JASDF 50th Ann. 1/144


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Hi fellow model builders! It is time to start my contribution to this cool GB. I will be building the Micro Ace 1/144 F-15J in the markings that the 304SQ used for the JASDF 50th Anniversary celebrations. Here's the scheme as shown on the model box top:

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And here is how it looks at the start:

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In addition to enjoying building 1/144 aircraft, I also wanted to try a few new things for this build. I plan on adding a detailed cockpit using the RetroWings resin cockpit set. I plan on adding a 3D Printed exhaust sections for the turkey feather-less exhaust used on the F-15J. I work in the 3D printed world and wanted to get a sample of what this could do for a model built and on my shelf. It is not shown in the photo because it has not yet arrived from the printer (Shapeways).

Have fun modeling!

Mike

:cheers:/>/>

Edited by Mike J. Idacavage
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I agree with everyone, this is one cool scheme! The key will be if I can pull it off effectively in 1/144 scale. It's time to start this project. The cockpit section as it comes in the kit is a solid, flat piece:

144%20F15J%20304SQ_004_MJI07052016%20Large.jpg

My first step is to cut the area out that is very sloppily marked out by my Sharpee marker:

144%20F15J%20304SQ_010_MJI07052016%20Large.jpg

After this is cut out, here's what I intend to add to fill the empty space:

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If it looks good, I plan on cutting the cockpit canopy in two and positioning it open so that you can hopefully see the equipment bay behind the ejection seat. The resin upgrade is from RetroKits, BTW.

Have fun modeling!

Mike

:cheers:/>/>

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I don't have a lot to report, but I thought I would at least give a small update. I am currently working on painting the resin cockpit and ejection seat and cutting out the opening in the front section of the fuselage. While that is going on, I moved over to work on the main fuselage section. The kit has a funky strake on the top part of the air brake. This might be a legacy from the prototype F-15? I have marked it in black in this photo.

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I cut it off and sanded the area smooth. I then glued the bottom part of the fuselage to the top section. As soon as the glue was dry, I was reminded that the intakes are see through! D'uh! :doh:/>/> Well, this is a good excuse to scratch build some FOD covers! If anything, this will add some more color to an already bright aircraft.

In my next post, I should have some photos of the finished cockpit and/or some cool photos of the featherless exhausts that I am planning on using.

Have fun modeling!

Mike

:cheers:/>/>

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Thanks Kurt, I am glad to hear that I am not the only one to get on a roll and miss something! :rolleyes:/>/> I do have some more progress to report on this build as I just finished up a project on another GB (late, I might add). Here's the cockpit painted up and ready to be assembled. Because of its small size, this looks much better to the eye than it does through a magnified camera lens.

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Have fun modeling!

Mike

:cheers:/>/>

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  • 1 month later...

It has been a rather long break in my modeling due to a bunch of business travel and the IPMS Nats, but I am now getting acquainted with my model bench again. I'll see if I can squeeze in some more progress on my GB before travel kicks in again in September!

As a quick start, I now have the front section of the Eagle fully assembled. I am planning on cutting the canopy apart so it can be raised and the equipment bay at least partially seen.

144%20F15J%20304SQ_042_MJI07262016%20Large.jpg

144%20F15J%20304SQ_041_MJI07262016%20Large.jpg

Next step is to get the major parts of the fuselage put together along with the front section.

Have fun modeling!

Mike

:cheers:/>/>

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Thanks guys! It is a rather small bit of plastic but I like the challenge. I now have the Eagle looking a bit more like a real aircraft. I now have the fuselage assembled and am about to start my usual multiple rounds of priming/sanding now visible seams/washing and then back to priming.

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I managed to break off a few of the molded in antennas on the Eagle so I decided that I would remove all of the out of scale antennas and add some new ones gathered from several old PE sets. They definitely look much better than the kit supplied ones.

Have fun modeling!

Mike

:cheers:/>/>

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Thanks Kurt! Actually, the sanding is not too bad. I have had two rounds of priming/filling/sanding so far and it is getting close. With the small scale, I am looking at each seam under a magnifier and I manage to repair most of them on each round of work. I will be shooting another coat of primer this weekend and hopefully It will then be ready for the final paint scheme!

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:/>

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Hi Martin! Your timing is perfect with your question on the 3D printed parts for this build. I was planning on posting the results this week before I take of on several weeks of travel away from my model bench.

While I do have several jobs that keeps me involved in 3D Printing (I teach a course on #D Printing at a University and also work for a company that develops and supplies materials for 3D printers), I do not have a 3D primer myself nor am I interested in getting one. However, I do like what can be done with 3D printing and I make use of companies that sell 3D printed parts. For this GB, I was not at all happy with the exhausts supplied in the kit as they are the very early Turkey Feather exhausts and the JASDF are flying their Eagles with featherless exhausts. I looked on Shapeways and found that 3D printed featherless exhausts for the F-15 were available in 1/144 scale. Bingo, time to break out the PayPal account! Here is what I received from Shapeways. The kit exhaust in in the center.

144%20F15J%20304SQ_017_MJI07122016%20Large.jpg

After washing the exhausts, I started the paint process. Here are the exhausts (kit exhaust now on the right) after a primer of Black Mr Surfacer and a flat white coat on the interior.

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I fished the exhausts with an coat of Alclad Steel and an application of dry pigment to the interior.

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In my opinion, these are light years better than the exhausts that came with the kit. They look even better to the eye without the camera magnification. My future 1/144 F-15 builds will get the same treatment based on my success with this aftermarket addition.

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:/>/>

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  • 1 month later...

Hi fellow modelers! Work (travel mostly) combined with some vacation time managed to put my modeling on the back burner for the past month. I am hoping to resume the progress on this and my other build. Since my last post before the break in the forum availability, I have primed the Eagle's fuselage in preparation of the final paint steps. Here's what it looks like with primer:

 

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Hopefully, I will have something more interesting to post soon.

Have fun modeling!

Mike

:cheers:

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Thanks Kurt! I thought the same thing when I went over the primed fuselage. I am now working on the color coats for the Eagle. In the mean time, I started to think about the cockpit again. After the good detail that I added, I want to show it off with an open canopy. The kit canopy is really thick and is a rather crude fit with large tabs. After cutting the canopy in two pieces to have it raised, I could not think of a good way to make it look decent. My Mattel Vacuform came to the rescue! I made vacuform copies of the front canopy piece and the main canopy. You can see the difference in this photo with my vacuform piece in the center.

 

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As the new main canopy is larger and thinner than the original injection molded piece, the turtleback piece that fits under the canopy that comes with the kit is nowhere close to fitting. So I scratch built a new piece to fit under the canopy.

 

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This is now painted a metallic black ready to be installed. I posted the before painting photo as it is much easier to see the detail at this stage!

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:

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  • 2 weeks later...

I agree Kurt! Considering that this kit is in 1/144, that is one chunk of plastic for a canopy. I am glad I went the vacuform route.

 

I have been chugging along with the paint steps and have the initial gray and white coats down on the kit. Notice the camo scheme on the nose. The JASDF painted the blue paint over the standard JASDF Eagle scheme leaving some parts of the original scheme visible. It is hard to see in the photos with the base primer coat of MR Surfacer covering most of the fuselage.

 

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Now it is on to the blue paint coat!

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Time to add some color to this bird. Here's the Eagle after painting the overall blue paint scheme. While the photos give this a slightly light blue/purple tint, to the Mark I eyeball the color matches up pretty well to photos in a few magazines, on-line and the box top so I am satisfied. I used MR color as recommended by one of the kit instructions that I have for this scheme (different kits recommend different MR Color paints) and it looks pretty good.

 

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It is now on to the decals!

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:

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