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I've built both within this year. GWH is really really nice. If price is not an issue go with GWH. I liked GWH so much that I am planning to build the F-15I and K versions just because of the joy I got from the C and J models :) 

 

For me GWH has only one issue which I didn't try to fix so far but I will probably buy the aftermarket eventually. It is the exhausts. Even though they are very nicely detailed (one of the best kit exhaust when it comes to molding) they are longer than they supposed to be. It looks that way to me anyway. 

 

Has will be built into a very nice model too. However, with that, I've bought cockpit, exhausts and weapons aftermarket. So, it was actually more expensive than GWH for me. 

Edited by foxmulder_ms
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G.W.H F-15C is very good, but not without problems, like flatened windshield and canopy and too thick trailing edges of control surfaces. Hasegawa is better in those areas, but much less detailed overall.

Edited by Vodnik
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26 minutes ago, picknpluck said:

Dare I ask how Revell/Monogram stack up, especially considering the cost? 

I love Revell/Monogram! The kit can build up into a nice F-15C. But it's got raised panel lines and the fit is....well....not Has or GWH. And I have a beef with the cockpit. I wish there was more to it....but that's just me.

All in all....for the price RM can't be beat. And...I did get a lot of joy out of building it. But the others are probably better....but pricey.

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1 hour ago, flanker27 said:

Did GWH release a F-15K?

 

It is a different brand but yes,

 

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235013232-148-mcdd-f-15k-rokaf-slam-eagle-by-d-corporation-plastic-gwh-released/

 

K comes with some Academy weapons, apparently. I do not have it.  

 

Also, I bought decals too for my has one. On the other hand, the decals of GWH is great, too. If you take the GWH (Pit-Road) F-15J decals out and sell them as an aftermarket item, they will go for $20. 

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1 hour ago, polybebber said:

What are the weak points with the Academy offerings?

 

I think the main grip is the shape of the engine fairings / humps on the upper aft fuselage, and the decals on early releases were crap.  If there are other gripes I am unaware. The kit does have engraved panel lines as a plus.

 

Academy's "E" is really a "D" and lacks E-specific details, much like Hasegawa did (or rather didn't) with their D/E kits.

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2 hours ago, habu2 said:

 

I think the main grip is the shape of the engine fairings / humps on the upper aft fuselage, and the decals on early releases were crap.  If there are other gripes I am unaware. The kit does have engraved panel lines as a plus.

 

Academy's "E" is really a "D" and lacks E-specific details, much like Hasegawa did (or rather didn't) with their D/E kits.

 

Didn't Hasegawa correct most of those with their last release of the TMOA F-15E?

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10 hours ago, galfa said:

Hasegawa.

 

Cheaper than GWH and more accurate.

 

Not to derail the thread too severely; what's more accurate on the Hasegawa kit? Are there any details the GWH kit got right that Hasegawa didn't?

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15 hours ago, habu2 said:

 

I think the main grip is the shape of the engine fairings / humps on the upper aft fuselage, and the decals on early releases were crap.  If there are other gripes I am unaware. The kit does have engraved panel lines as a plus.

 

Academy's "E" is really a "D" and lacks E-specific details, much like Hasegawa did (or rather didn't) with their D/E kits.

 

Actually, many of the latest releases of Academy's F-15E's have updated sprues that bring the aircraft up to current 'E' standards. It is still the old tooling for the aircraft itself though. I bought the 'Seymour Johnson' boxing, kit 12295 just to rob its parts to update a Revell F-15E. The ordnance alone in the newer releases makes the purchase worth it as well.

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12 hours ago, jester292 said:

 

Not to derail the thread too severely; what's more accurate on the Hasegawa kit? Are there any details the GWH kit got right that Hasegawa didn't?

This isn't a derailment at all. This is exactly the kind of discussion I'm interested in!

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Thanks for the update, I haven't seen the latest Academy releases.  I bought my Academy Eagles in Korea back in the 90s when they first came out.  Been there done that so haven't considered their current offerings.

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14 hours ago, jester292 said:

 

Not to derail the thread too severely; what's more accurate on the Hasegawa kit? Are there any details the GWH kit got right that Hasegawa didn't?

 

When you look at them side by side, there is only one area where Has is "better" and that is the thickness of the horizontal tails. Has is thinner and that is more accurate. However, GWH one has reinforcement braces so I like to have those over the thinness of Has ones. Overall, whereever you look GWH has more and sharper details than Has one. Plus, it has really nice weapons and decals. Price difference is around $15 from where I shop so it has been definitely worth the price for me since I bought aftermarket stuff when I went with Has as I wrote above.

 

I will probably never buy Has F-15s again. Don't get me wrong, they can be built into amazing models but for that they require aftermarket and even then their surface details are behind GWH. All these are words at the end, one needs to see them side by side to appreciate the difference.    

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Accuracy for non E model in this order.

GWH has very nice detail and is very accurate overall. I haven't built one but they look good for the shape and detail in the box. I didn't take out my calipers for this one though. I haven't seen their A model but from the pictures they missed some things that make it an Albino A. 

Monograms kit is much older and has not too bad of detail but is the most accurate with shape. As mentioned this kit has raised lines and squashed canopy.  This is actually an A model from the box

Hasegawa's C/D's  are nice but misshapen around the engine humps  not as bad as Academy's but the Academy's kit is copied from the Hasegawa kit.

i did a comparison of the Academy kit to the real thing when it was first released while sitting on top of the jet in a HAS on alert in Osan Korea I also did the same thing when I picked up the Hasegawa kit at the BX there and did the same. 

The academy kits just exaggerated Hasegawas mistakes overall. 

The Tamiya is not bad but allot of aftermarket to bring it up to date

Italeri's kit is not too bad in the shape area but you would think for a modern kit they would have added more detail. 

Fujimi forget it completely, not worth the work. 

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21 hours ago, jester292 said:

 

Not to derail the thread too severely; what's more accurate on the Hasegawa kit? Are there any details the GWH kit got right that Hasegawa didn't?

 

More accurate does not mean more detailed. GWH is more detailed than Hasegawa Eagle, but the overall accuracy of the GWH kit is much lower than the accuracy of the Hasegawa.

 

Just compare the GWH and the Hasegawa jet exhausts. Accuracy wise, Hasegawa wins hands down. GWH really needs some aftermarket exhausts.

 

Just tio give you another example, the same is true about the ejection seats. GWH are definitely more detailed, but the dimensions of the Hasegawa ones are more accurate.

But just see by yourself how many Hasegawa parts master modeller Gary Wickham used to build an acceptable GWH F-15D :

 

https://www.scalespot.com/onthebench/f15dj/build.htm

 

Edited by galfa
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I knew about the oversized GWH ejection seats. I did not know about the exhausts. I have the GWH F-15C ANG kit. I've never owned a Hasegawa 1:48 F-15C kit.  To each his own, but if Ol Crew Dog says it's good, then it's good enough for me. 

Edited by jester292
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5 hours ago, galfa said:

But just see by yourself how many Hasegawa parts master modeller Gary Wickham used to build an acceptable GWH F-15D :

 

https://www.scalespot.com/onthebench/f15dj/build.htm

 

I think galfa's opinion has been clear since the repeated posting of his list of (perceived) issues with the GWH kit. You can also consider Gary Wickham's conclusion, from the same link that galfa posted:

Quote

Conclusion
So that's another one for the display cabinet. Overall I'd give this latest kit from GWH a 9 out of 10. I'm not going to comapre it to the Haseagwa kit or anything like that. Sure as you have seen I used some parts from that kit in preference to the GWH parts but thats really only because I had one spare and I was being lazy. I'm very happy with my choice of paint scheme and I have my eye on the GWH F-15C and who knows maybe that too will be a JASDF Aggressor.

So if you are looking to build an accurate, detailed, well fitting F-15 two seater then the GWH kit should definitely by on your shopping list.

 

Personally, for me it is no contest: If I was to build a F-15C now, I would definitely start with the GWH kit. I may or may not replace a few things with resin and/or PE.

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I have to agree to Galfa, that the Hasegawa F-15C has a few areas, which are more accurate compared to the GWH kit (canopy shape cross section, ejection seat). On the other side, the GWH also has areas, where it is better then the Hasegawa kit (shape of top front fuselage, engine bulges).

 

However, may be the most essential is the better detailing and fit of the GWH one. A real nightmare of the Hasegawa kit is the fit of the wing to fuselage joint. Many hours of filling, sanding,rescibing and riveting have to be spent here for a satisfying result. if this is not properly executed, you will have a eyecatcher in a negative way.

 

So my opinion is, the GWH tops the Hasegawa one by far. The optimal F-15C would be a GWH F-15C with Hasegawa canopy, but the windshield will not fit in any way.

 

May be sometimes in the future, I will try to adapt the Hasegawa front fuselage section to a GWH kit.

 

 

 

 

 

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