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My F-15A Entry 102nd FIW - JSB


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Just wanted to show what I will be building. A MA ANG 102 FIW F-15A using the Bare Metal decals for the ghost grey scheme. It will be a departure for me as all of my MA ANG F-15s have been the MOD Eagle. I will be using the (gasp) Academy F-15 kit. Though it does have some shape and fit issues, and some guys equate building it to kissing your sister, the price I have gotten them at justifies it. Besides, I have built 3 of them for F-15 pilots and none of them seemed to mind. :worship:

I know the first order of business is using the Monogram A wheels and gear to fit in the Academy fuselage. Need to check that out still.

Hope to have pics soon.

Cheers

Ken

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Another jet from the 102nd huh?...i think your addicted Ken!

I look forward to see your progress..

cheers,

Gary..who should be working on his F-15's rather than surfing ARC..

thanks Gary - yes - another one! But like I said, it will be ghost grey in their late 80's early 90's markings. It is part of a large history project I am doing for them

http://www.102fw.aero-cafe.com/models/otis...els_project.htm

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  • 3 weeks later...

some more progress....believe it or not, this is the first time I have repositioned ailerons on a model. I simply used the backside of my Xacto blade (held at a high angle) and kept scoring the lines for it. The blade was a bit dull so that actually helped as a sharp one could easily catch the side plastic and make a new groove. It took me no more than 5 minutes or so to remove them. They need a bit of cleanup still, but I am happy with them

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the fuselage pieces...the front piece doesn't have much to mate with, so I always add some sprue supports. I temporarily insert the cockpit assembly so I know where to place the sprue.

the back portion is where I add the weight to keep it from being a tailsitter. I use lead fishing weights that are epoxied in. I prefer adding the weigh to this portion of the model as the front portion won't have the extra weight directly on the nose gear. The lighting and reflections makes the fuselage look strange, as if there is goop or cuts on the back part of it. ;)

Thanks for looking.

Ken

Edited by Ken Middleton
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Looking good so far Ken. I have the Academy 1/72nd kit....would the sprue supports be useful for that kit as well? And if it's a tail sitter that's good to know now. I've had a few kits where I discovered they were tailsitters when I finished the decals and put the kit on the shelf. (Tailsitting kits should have white metal cockpits, nosegear, or radar fittings engineered in IMO).

Justin

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those look like grapes in your fuselage :D

DP, :worship:, but they remind me of beer kegs

Looking good so far Ken. I have the Academy 1/72nd kit....would the sprue supports be useful for that kit as well? And if it's a tail sitter that's good to know now. I've had a few kits where I discovered they were tailsitters when I finished the decals and put the kit on the shelf. (Tailsitting kits should have white metal cockpits, nosegear, or radar fittings engineered in IMO).

Justin

thanks Justin. I just checked my 72nd Academy kit (as I have never built one, but have 2 in the stash), and the supports would not be necessary. The bottom of the forward fuselage is part of the lower back fuselage, therefore, it is one long piece unlike the 48th version

Looks great Ken. As I'm thinking about picking up an Academy F-15 at some point I'll be interested to watch your progress.

In a related note I did some recurrent training over the weekend with a UAL F/O who flies with the 102nd.

thanks David....PM inbound...

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wow some nice sinkmarks in the intakes too :worship:

btw did you polisch you aft area because in the picture it looked glossy :thumbsup:

greetz STB

frederick jacobs

I will fix the sinkmarks, though I am still toying with the idea of using Steel beach covers. Nope, didn't polish it - it's the angle and the bright workbench lights that make it look funky

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OOH ok sorry about that :whistle:

it would safe you some time because then you wouldnt need to do the painting on the inside of the nozzles and intakes

greetz STB

frederick jacobs

no need to apologize! Yeah, it would save a lot of work on the insides of the intakes.

Speaking of intakes, here they are attached, they need a little bit of cleanup still

helps if I attach the picture.....

Edited by Ken Middleton
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and the main landing gear....I need A style wheels from the Monogram kit as the Academy comes with C style.

Looking at the gear legs, the Monogram is on the top and Academy on the bottom. Not only are the attachment stubs for the wheels much different, they are very different in size and bulkiness.

The wheels are also considerably different in how they attach. The backside of the Monogram wheel has a huge opening for the leg stub. Also, the Monogram wheels have tread, and Academy does not.

So I was trying to decide which way to go....use the entire Monogram leg/wheel combo, and try to fit it into the fuselage (which fit fine), BUT, with its added length, I was afraid it would make the nose of the model sit too low, and back too high. I decided to mate the front of the Monogram wheel with the back of the Academy and use the supplied gear leg.

I had to remove the large tube like portion, as you can see in the bottom left pic, to mate with the Academy back half. The Academy half needed a slight bit of sanding as well. I snipped one of the Monogram gear stubs to insert into the hole in the center of the Monogram wheel half.

The finished product can be seen and temporarily attached to the gear leg. The wheels need a bit of sanding around the circumference, but I am happy with it.

Thanks for looking,

Cheers

Ken

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