Tamiya F-15C in 1/48

[Raptor.777]

I know this is kind of an older model, but can it be updated to the MSIP II standards? Didn't really see any update kits for it on Sprue Brothers. Have some parts off an old Academy kit like missile rails and such and a bunch of missiles including AMRAAM 120Cs and AIM 9Xs and Ms. Any input would be appreciated

Thanks

Jeff

[Buckmeister]

“Kind of an older model” - by “kind of” you mean 45 years old.  Best left to the dustbin of history.  

Get yourself a Great Wall Hobby kit.

[Raptor.777]

Ended up buying on ebay a Hasegawa kit with the alaskan markings in 1/48/ I see Wolfpack designs sells a update kit to bring it to MSIP II standards. Their kit # is 48015 . Sprue brothers doesnt have it. I may email them and ask if they can order it. Any other options? I know the Hasegawa kit is an older kit but maybe a bit better than the Tamiya but not sure. Not sure about the GWH F-15C. I try not to buy anything from China if I can help it. I know its hard pressed not to buy anything that isn't made in China. That would be a last resort for me

thanks

Jeff

[Buckmeister]

If it gives you any indication, the Tamiya kit has flat panels with regular (not 3D) decals for the instrument panel and side consoles.  That’s how old it is.  

 

Hasegawa is better by a lot, but Great Wall is the best.  I understand your point about China, but it’s the world we live in.  Great Wall is doing really good work, and I don’t mind supporting people who do good work, no matter where they are.

[Raptor.777]

1 minute ago, Buckmeister said:

If it gives you any indication, the Tamiya kit has flat panels with regular (not 3D) decals for the instrument panel and side consoles.  That’s how old it is.  

 

Hasegawa is better by a lot, but Great Wall is the best.  I understand your point about China, but it’s the world we live in.  Great Wall is doing really good work, and I don’t mind supporting people who do good work, no matter where they are.

Understand completely. I have a bunch of sprues from the academy kits with all the proper attennas and such to do a modern F15C. Just going to have to do research via images of modern F15 to make sure i get all the attennas in place correctly. Should get my hasegawa kit next week. Bought off ebay

[Dave Williams]

12 hours ago, Raptor.777 said:

Ended up buying on ebay a Hasegawa kit with the alaskan markings in 1/48/ I see Wolfpack designs sells a update kit to bring it to MSIP II standards. Their kit # is 48015 . Sprue brothers doesnt have it. I may email them and ask if they can order it. Any other options? I know the Hasegawa kit is an older kit but maybe a bit better than the Tamiya but not sure. Not sure about the GWH F-15C. I try not to buy anything from China if I can help it. I know its hard pressed not to buy anything that isn't made in China. That would be a last resort for me

thanks

Jeff

According to the Wolfpack page, the 1/48 F-15C MSIP II conversion is discontinued, so unless someone has has old stock lying around, your only source is likely the secondary market.

 

http://www.wolfpack-d.com/htm/catalog48.html

[Raptor.777]

On 8/8/2023 at 5:51 AM, Dave Williams said:

According to the Wolfpack page, the 1/48 F-15C MSIP II conversion is discontinued, so unless someone has has old stock lying around, your only source is likely the secondary market.

 

http://www.wolfpack-d.com/htm/catalog48.html

I have some left over sprues from some Academy kits that I can use all the proper missile rails, blade attenas and such. Where would one look for some pictures of modern F-15C MSIP II? Need to locate all the antennas and such. Will have to make a GPS dome from scratch I guess. 

Thanks

Jeff

[Raptor.777]

What is everyone's opinion on the Academy F-15E in 1/48? I have built 1 already but I think the kit might make a good representation of a F-15D. Has all the cockpit instrument panels, not sure about the side consoles though?  Has all the modern weapons. Just a thought

[habu2]

1 hour ago, Raptor.777 said:

 Where would one look for some pictures of modern F-15C MSIP II?

 

Jake's Modern Eagle book(s)

 

 

[habu2]

1 hour ago, Raptor.777 said:

What is everyone's opinion on the Academy F-15E in 1/48?

 

Unless they've revised the molds the engine "humps" on the upper rear fuselage are incorrectly shaped.  The (old) E kit I have is a B/D airframe with CFTs and weapons, not a true E.

[Raptor.777]

18 minutes ago, habu2 said:

 

Unless they've revised the molds the engine "humps" on the upper rear fuselage are incorrectly shaped.  The (old) E kit I have is a B/D airframe with CFTs and weapons, not a true E.

Then it might make a pretty D model then. I didn't know about the engine humps. Thought they were all the same

[aircal62]

Raptor 777 some thoughts.  If you have the Tamiya older F-15 kit, add on the left over Academy parts and enjoy it.  If you have the Academy F-15 build it and enjoy it.  If you have to have the best most accurate F-15C MISP or F-15E then go out and purchase the most accurate kit, as neither of the two kits you mentioned are going to be as accurate as the GWH F-15C or even the Revell F-15E.   Trying to add on or modify an older kit to represent the current configuration of an aircraft or working to improve the accuracy when there are better kits out of the box can be a frustrating exercise.  My time is worth more than that, and its a lot less frustrating to just go out an buy something that is going to be what you want anyway.  If it's a model you want to enjoy looking at the finished product that just build and enjoy.  Getting bogged down in a fixing, modifying and kit bashing model is often a good way to get a model for your shelf of doom.   Just my opinion 

[Dave Williams]

41 minutes ago, Raptor.777 said:

Then it might make a pretty D model then. I didn't know about the engine humps. Thought they were all the same

They are the same.  The problem is that they were molded incorrectly in their previous kits and never fixed.  Like Hasegawa, the Academy kits started off as earlier models and they just threw in some new sprues, but never fixed any problems with the basic airframe mold.