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Great walkaround F-15E Lakenheath


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Thank you for posting this FABULOUS walk around video!  At least I thought it was fabulous...the video quality was top notch and the areas you see on the jet are great for modelers!  But...you just cost me big $$$, as I hadn’t, until seeing that video, planned on getting the GWH 1/48 F-15E, but you’ve forced my hand!!  Darn you! 😊😊 One surprising thing was how clean and uniform the gunship grey paint is on that airplane.  After watching that, I will be VERY careful about painting my model, and highly limit the black-basing effect of varying the tones in the paint job, and will do that far less than I would have planned to do had I not seen this video.  On the other hand, the scrapes and chips in the paint, what little there is, is quite distinct, and the chips seem to almost be outlined in white or other light color, which is very stark next to the dark grey color of the airplane.   So...I guess it’s gonna be another big modern jet in the stash for me.  I am disappointed to see that Quinta Studios hasn’t come out with an F-15E cockpit set yet.  It will be awhile until I get to this model, though, and maybe they will have a set by then. 

 

Thanks again for posting that great video!

Edited by Curt B
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4 hours ago, Curt B said:

Thank you for posting this FABULOUS walk around video!  At least I thought it was fabulous...the video quality was top notch and the areas you see on the jet are great for modelers!  But...you just cost me big $$$, as I hadn’t, until seeing that video, planned on getting the GWH 1/48 F-15E, but you’ve forced my hand!!  Darn you! 😊😊 One surprising thing was how clean and uniform the gunship grey paint is on that airplane.  After watching that, I will be VERY careful about painting my model, and highly limit the black-basing effect of varying the tones in the paint job, and will do that far less than I would have planned to do had I not seen this video.  On the other hand, the scrapes and chips in the paint, what little there is, is quite distinct, and the chips seem to almost be outlined in white or other light color, which is very stark next to the dark grey color of the airplane.   So...I guess it’s gonna be another big modern jet in the stash for me.  I am disappointed to see that Quinta Studios hasn’t come out with an F-15E cockpit set yet.  It will be awhile until I get to this model, though, and maybe they will have a set by then. 

 

Thanks again for posting that great video!

 

I would highly recommend this video to all those weathering fanatics who turn their kits into something that has been to a disaster area!!!!!

 
There is some nice chiping, and some hand marks on some of the regularly opened panels, but apart from that it looks nothing like in comparison to 99% of kits on shows!  
 
There is artistic freedom or license but in most cases it is overdone by miles.
Sure there are more weathered aircraft also, but again no so much as most modellers imagine them to be!
PLEASE LOOK AT THE REAL THING!
 
Excellent video!!!!!
 
Best regards
Gabor 
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In all fairness, this is a jet at home station, with full access to all support, wash rack, and paint barn facilities, engaged only in training missions.  Take a look at how some forward deployed E-models look after only a few weeks ina desert environment.  They are often absolutely filthy, with dirt and dust caked onto every panel gap, fluid leak, and condensation point on the airframe.

 

They’re not always this clean.

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2 hours ago, Waco said:

In all fairness, this is a jet at home station, with full access to all support, wash rack, and paint barn facilities, engaged only in training missions.  Take a look at how some forward deployed E-models look after only a few weeks ina desert environment.  They are often absolutely filthy, with dirt and dust caked onto every panel gap, fluid leak, and condensation point on the airframe.

 

They’re not always this clean.

 

Love to see some photos if you have them.

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5 hours ago, Waco said:

In all fairness......They’re not always this clean.

 

Certainly, while this may be true, as for me, if I am going to model this particular jet, or a jet from the same squadron, then the 'clean look' is appropriate, no?  I had the impression that it was just the nature of military flying that added significant weathering.  So, obviously, not ALWAYS the case.  As Matt Foley requested, if anyone has as detailed. high resolution photos or videos of the same F-15E plane when stationed in the desert, or other location where the paint is significantly weathered, I'd love to see them so I can do appropriate weathering when I build one of THOSE.

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Waco is absolutely correct.  The jets get filthy in deployed locations.  In 2011, we had a dust storm at Bagram that coated the jets with pasty gross dust.   It was inside the cockpit as well.  It stuck to everything and took weeks to wear away.   Here is a picture of me and “Hammer” taking gas during the fall of ‘11 over Afghanistan.  Note the dust and grime accumulation.  Our jets were pretty filthy by the end of the 6 month deployment.   
YHkOAMe.jpg


Here are some photos from our ‘13 Gulf deployment - again, the jets were subjected to some pretty extreme sand and dust.  
 

Xfd1hcu.jpg
 

PHDVgXP.jpg

 

CJA4f4X.jpg
 

68eaRRy.jpg
 

Steve

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https://lmgtfy.app/?q=F-15E+deployed

Quote

Love to see some photos if you have them.

 

LMGTFY - F-15E Deployed

 

They are not particularly hard to find.  There's tons of photos of filthy forward deployed F-15Es.

 

Quote

if I am going to model this particular jet, or a jet from the same squadron, then the 'clean look' is appropriate, no?

 

If you're modeling it while it's at home station, straight off the wash rack or out of the paint barn, then sure.  But considering the Lakenheath Strike Eagles, and particularly the 494th, have been deployed a whole lot of the past several years, you'd be equally valid in modeling a heavily weathered aircraft.  As a bonus, they've also worn a bunch of cool temporary nose art while deployed, which can be a fun detail to include on your models.  In fact, this particular aircraft, 00-3000, wore nose art on its last deployment.

 

Here's 00-3000 wearing her "Captain Insano" nose art, midway down the gallery of jets.  It also looks particularly grimy and grungy in that shot, which was taken as it was returning to home station. 

 

And Falconxlvi provided a litany of filthy looking Strike Eagle pics above as well, but those cited above are specific for Lakenheath birds, which is the subject of this walkaround video.

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While a bit off the original video topic, thanks to Steve and Waco for the additional info/details about potential weathering of the F-15E.  Now I'm kind of on the fence, since at the moment, I'm only getting one F-15E.  In fact, I literally JUST placed my order for the GWH 1/48 F-15E from SprueBrothers (taking advantage of their Thanksgiving discount of 20% off), and ordered the KA open exhaust set and Eduard BigEd set for this airplane...and so approaching a $200 investment for this F-15E.  Oh well, it's only money, right?  As long as my wife doesn't kill me.  

 

Anyway, now not sure if I'll go 'clean' or weathered.  Maybe a coin flip?  I'll ask Steve, since he is a former F-15E driver...which way would YOU go?

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10 hours ago, Falconxlvi said:

Waco is absolutely correct.  The jets get filthy in deployed locations.  In 2011, we had a dust storm at Bagram that coated the jets with pasty gross dust.   It was inside the cockpit as well.  It stuck to everything and took weeks to wear away.   Here is a picture of me and “Hammer” taking gas during the fall of ‘11 over Afghanistan.  Note the dust and grime accumulation.  Our jets were pretty filthy by the end of the 6 month deployment.   
YHkOAMe.jpg

 

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

 

Thanks for the excellent photos. They are important to show what REAL weathering is like and modellers should take a lot of time examining them in every detail!!! Before starting painting / weathering.  

 

Please have a look on the nose section of this F-15 which looks pristine on this photo (just as the fuel tanks, the missiles. . .), the left wing (and left side of fuselage) is very different from the weathering on the right one, I suspect partly because of aerial refuelling. The problem is that people take a look at this left side and weather the complete aircraft to the same grime level even the nose.

 

My point is that in almost all cases modellers use indiscriminate heavy weathering, pre and post shading which has little to do with the way the real subject looks like!

 

There should be weathering but this F-15 in the video (and all those standing next to it) clearly show that NOT EVERY model should look like it has been through a fire storm (sand storm, decades of neglect (tick where appropriate)). If one looks carefully there is weathering even on that Eagle in the video and one should do weathering to a certain level, but not over doing it AND NOT EVERYWHERE!

 

Something else.

Remember judging few years ago a 48th scale Hind from a Czech modeller which had very heavy weathering, a bit too much for me but this would have not been a problem. Colours completely faded, primer showing through, heavy staining and wear and tear. . .    After weathering he applied perfect quality decals for different marking and apart from minimal panel lines on them they were left the way they came off from the decal with 100% colours and details. This is a common mistake made by many. After judging I did speak to the modeller and asked him about the markings and the real problem is that he did not really see (and understand) any problems with this and would do the next kit the same way. Oh well.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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4 hours ago, Curt B said:

While a bit off the original video topic, thanks to Steve and Waco for the additional info/details about potential weathering of the F-15E.  Now I'm kind of on the fence, since at the moment, I'm only getting one F-15E.  In fact, I literally JUST placed my order for the GWH 1/48 F-15E from SprueBrothers (taking advantage of their Thanksgiving discount of 20% off), and ordered the KA open exhaust set and Eduard BigEd set for this airplane...and so approaching a $200 investment for this F-15E.  Oh well, it's only money, right?  As long as my wife doesn't kill me.  

 

Anyway, now not sure if I'll go 'clean' or weathered.  Maybe a coin flip?  I'll ask Steve, since he is a former F-15E driver...which way would YOU go?


Curt,

   Personally, I would take advantage of one of the cool new F-15E sheets with noseart and build a deployed jet, loaded up with GBU-38s/54s/31(s).  Just remember you will need to source a station 5 (centerline) pylon because GWH totally omits one in the kit.   It doesn’t have to be as filthy as some of the pics I’ve shown, but I was just trying to point out that deployed Strike Eagles do, in fact, get pretty dirty.   I am partial to the 389th and Caracal just released a beautiful sheet with noseart from their most recent deployment 😇

 

20 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

 

Hi Steve,

 

Thanks for the excellent photos. They are important to show what REAL weathering is like and modellers should take a lot of time examining them in every detail!!! Before starting painting / weathering.  

 

Please have a look on the nose section of this F-15 which looks pristine on this photo (just as the fuel tanks, the missiles. . .), the left wing (and left side of fuselage) is very different from the weathering on the right one, I suspect partly because of aerial refuelling. The problem is that people take a look at this left side and weather the complete aircraft to the same grime level even the nose.

 

My point is that in almost all cases modellers use indiscriminate heavy weathering, pre and post shading which has little to do with the way the real subject looks like!

 

There should be weathering but this F-15 in the video (and all those standing next to it) clearly show that NOT EVERY model should look like it has been through a fire storm (sand storm, decades of neglect (tick where appropriate)). If one looks carefully there is weathering even on that Eagle in the video and one should do weathering to a certain level, but not over doing it AND NOT EVERYWHERE!

 

Something else.

Remember judging few years ago a 48th scale Hind from a Czech modeller which had very heavy weathering, a bit too much for me but this would have not been a problem. Colours completely faded, primer showing through, heavy staining and wear and tear. . .    After weathering he applied perfect quality decals for different marking and apart from minimal panel lines on them they were left the way they came off from the decal with 100% colours and details. This is a common mistake made by many. After judging I did speak to the modeller and asked him about the markings and the real problem is that he did not really see (and understand) any problems with this and would do the next kit the same way. Oh well.

 

Best regards

Gabor

Gabor,

 

  I definitely hear what you are saying and agree that over-weathering can be problematic.   Reference photos are best!  Certainly decals need to match the rest of the finish like you mentioned!

 

Cheers 🍻 

 

Steve

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2 hours ago, Falconxlvi said:


Curt,

   Personally, I would take advantage of one of the cool new F-15E sheets with noseart and build a deployed jet, loaded up with GBU-38s/54s/31(s).  Just remember you will need to source a station 5 (centerline) pylon because GWH totally omits one in the kit.   It doesn’t have to be as filthy as some of the pics I’ve shown, but I was just trying to point out that deployed Strike Eagles do, in fact, get pretty dirty.   I am partial to the 389th and Caracal just released a beautiful sheet with noseart from their most recent deployment 😇

 

 

Steve,

Thanks for your thoughts/opinion.  I looked at the Caracal sheet, and it does look nice.  I do find that it's a bit more challenging to do some weathering, rather than doing a completely clean airplane, though to do a perfect clean airplane has its own set of challenges.  Doing weathering to a very specific duplication of a photo can be very hard to accomplish, but gratifying once done well.  I think I'll go with your idea of a 389th airplane in the field.  The weathering will also help 'break up' the large expanses of dark grey.

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4 hours ago, Falconxlvi said:

Personally, I would take advantage of one of the cool new F-15E sheets with noseart and build a deployed jet, loaded up with GBU-38s/54s/31(s).  Just remember you will need to source a station 5 (centerline) pylon because GWH totally omits one in the kit.  

 

Steve,

You are the expert, and I'm completely ignorant, so after looking at a few things, a few questions...

 

The GWH F-15E instructions, page 18, refers to and shows Centerline pylon (X2).  I don't know what these are for, and since there are 2 of them, I presume that they are supposed to be mounted one behind the other, down the center of the airplane?  These are obviously not the pylon you are referring to as 'omitted'.  Do you know who makes one?  Secondly, it looks like the kit does not include any of the GBU-38/54/31 bombs you are talking about.  Presumably, there are aftermarket options for these weapons...do you know who offers them, and if there are multiple manufacturers, who makes the best of these?

 

Sorry to be bugging you with these questions, but since you know what you're talking about by having lived it, your opinions and knowledge are the best there is, in my opinion.  So you're stuck with me asking you...if you would be so kind!  😊  😊

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2 hours ago, Curt B said:

 

Steve,

You are the expert, and I'm completely ignorant, so after looking at a few things, a few questions...

 

The GWH F-15E instructions, page 18, refers to and shows Centerline pylon (X2).  I don't know what these are for, and since there are 2 of them, I presume that they are supposed to be mounted one behind the other, down the center of the airplane?  These are obviously not the pylon you are referring to as 'omitted'.  Do you know who makes one?  Secondly, it looks like the kit does not include any of the GBU-38/54/31 bombs you are talking about.  Presumably, there are aftermarket options for these weapons...do you know who offers them, and if there are multiple manufacturers, who makes the best of these?

 

Sorry to be bugging you with these questions, but since you know what you're talking about by having lived it, your opinions and knowledge are the best there is, in my opinion.  So you're stuck with me asking you...if you would be so kind!  😊  😊

No worries Curt 👍🏻
 

On Page 18, the pylons in question are for under each wing (stations 2 and 😎

nSoMhmm.jpg
 

The centerline pylon missing from the kit is known as station 5 and would be where the red circle is below.  

EJXwt5J.jpg
 

Although not always carried home station, it is almost always carried down range and used for a 2000lb weapon or the Recce pod (ASQ-236), which isn’t yet available in 1/48th scale.   You can rob a centerline pylon from the Revell kit if you have one of those handy.  If not, PM me your address and I’ll send you one.  
 

As of this month, Eduard makes resin GBU-38s, 54s, and 31s.  If you don’t want to bother with the photoetch harness pieces, Meng makes some nice plastic ones in their Satellite Guided bombs set (see link) https://www.scalemates.com/kits/meng-model-sps-045-us-satellite-guided-bombs--1075927

 

There is no shortage of loadout options available, as a quick internet search will show, but whatever you do, please don’t fall into the trap of mounting 2000lb weapons on the upper CFT (shoulder) stations or any JDAMs (31/38/54s) there.  USAF F-15E’s cannot carry JDAMs on those stations unlike the F-15K and SG.  
 

Hope this helps!

 

Steve

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38 minutes ago, 11bee said:

Nice pictures Steve.   Question - the ones you posted from your 2013 deployment show the jets with training missiles and ACMI pods.   Was that very common for deployed jets?  

It was on training sorties.  That deployment was a mix of training and OEF.  We did a lot of work and exercises with our Gulf allies and USN/USMC friends.  👍🏻👍🏻
 

Steve

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Steve,

There must be  difference between the instructions that you got in your GWH F-15E kit, and the instructions that I downloaded from Scalemates, here:

https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/9/2/7/1148927-15-instructions.pdf

If you look at page 18 in this pdf of the instructions (note that the page number on this set of instructions, contrary to your page 18, is shown at the bottom of the page, centered, in quite small print), it shows two centerline pylons, about the middle of the page on the right side.  However, these instructions don't appear, to me anyway, to ever state or show when to install those centerline pylons or exactly where they are supposed to go.  It's entirely possible I just missed those details.  Of course, this set of instructions may have been from an initial, intended run of instructions that did not end up in the kit, and maybe referred to parts that were GOING to be included in the kit, but actually weren't.  In any event, there is a difference between the instructions in your kit box and what Scalemates identified as the instructions for this GWH F-15E airplane model.  

Of course, it's entirely possible that senility is kicking in, and I'm all confused...

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10 hours ago, Curt B said:

Steve,

There must be  difference between the instructions that you got in your GWH F-15E kit, and the instructions that I downloaded from Scalemates, here:

https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/9/2/7/1148927-15-instructions.pdf

If you look at page 18 in this pdf of the instructions (note that the page number on this set of instructions, contrary to your page 18, is shown at the bottom of the page, centered, in quite small print), it shows two centerline pylons, about the middle of the page on the right side.  However, these instructions don't appear, to me anyway, to ever state or show when to install those centerline pylons or exactly where they are supposed to go.  It's entirely possible I just missed those details.  Of course, this set of instructions may have been from an initial, intended run of instructions that did not end up in the kit, and maybe referred to parts that were GOING to be included in the kit, but actually weren't.  In any event, there is a difference between the instructions in your kit box and what Scalemates identified as the instructions for this GWH F-15E airplane model.  

Of course, it's entirely possible that senility is kicking in, and I'm all confused...

It is confusing - because the pylon is shown in the kit instructions but it is NOT included in the kit plastic.  Nor is the SNIPER Pod pylon (I’ll send you one of those too).   Check out the actual sprue pics and you will see what I mean.  This is the where I should rant about Chinese quality control, but I am thankful for a new-tooled 1/48 F-15E.  It’s not the ultimate kit and the door is open for another manufacturer to do better (incorrect canopy profile, wrong size ejection seats and engine exhausts, missing pylons, etc).  Cough, Tamiya, cough.  

 

Here’s an excellent review FYI https://imodeler.com/2019/04/great-wall-hobbies-148-f-15e-strike-eagle/

 

Edited by Falconxlvi
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2 hours ago, Falconxlvi said:

It is confusing - because the pylon is shown in the kit instructions but it is NOT included in the kit plastic.  Nor is the SNIPER Pod pylon (I’ll send you one of those too).   Check out the actual sprue pics and you will see what I mean.  This is the where I should rant about Chinese quality control, but I am thankful for a new-tooled 1/48 F-15E.  It’s not the ultimate kit and the door is open for another manufacturer to do better (incorrect canopy profile, wrong size ejection seats and engine exhausts, missing pylons, etc).  Cough, Tamiya, cough.  

 

Here’s an excellent review FYI https://imodeler.com/2019/04/great-wall-hobbies-148-f-15e-strike-eagle/

 

 

Thanks for looking, Steve.  Since I don't yet have my model in hand, your evaluation is interesting and enlightening, but hopefully you now understand my confusion.  Tamiya does spectacular stuff (most recently, to the best of my knowledge, is the P-38F/G/H), but sometimes with less than the ne plus ultra of details (e.g. the most recent F-14s without posable control surfaces, though it looks like some aftermarket outfit, don't recall which one, is working on replacement wings for the Tamiya Tomcat(s?) with posable control surfaces).  Thanks for pointing out the review...I'll read it now.  And thanks for the other pylon offer...again, too kind!

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1 hour ago, Curt B said:

 

Thanks for looking, Steve.  Since I don't yet have my model in hand, your evaluation is interesting and enlightening, but hopefully you now understand my confusion.  Tamiya does spectacular stuff (most recently, to the best of my knowledge, is the P-38F/G/H), but sometimes with less than the ne plus ultra of details (e.g. the most recent F-14s without posable control surfaces, though it looks like some aftermarket outfit, don't recall which one, is working on replacement wings for the Tamiya Tomcat(s?) with posable control surfaces).  Thanks for pointing out the review...I'll read it now.  And thanks for the other pylon offer...again, too kind!

I hear you, but at least Tamiya gets the shape right...and I’d take that over gimmicks or a billion rivets any day!

 

Steve

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1 hour ago, Falconxlvi said:

I hear you, but at least Tamiya gets the shape right...and I’d take that over gimmicks or a billion rivets any day!

 

Steve

Steve, you are right in this observation...the other aspects can always be fixed in some way, but the basic shape of the airplane, or various parts thereof, that can't really be fixed.

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