Question on F-`15's

[TonyH]

Are there any external difference's between the F-15E & F-15D?

Tony

[Two Mikes]

Many Tony

Drop me a PM and I will get you straightened out.

Mike

[Ol Crew Dog]

You want my list Mike? Did you make one of your own?

Cheers

Dave

[Ol Crew Dog]

C/D model to E model differences

First I will tell you that I have worked on all the models of the F-15 A through E from 74 model to 96 model E's, including the J when I was on exchange in Japan with JASDF and the I and S when I was Transient Alert at Lakenheath. The 96 models had more composite material on the airframe thus Gear door interiors and speedbrake interior have a ribbed structure.

E to C/D starting from the Radome working back, general considering the C is a single seater and the D is a Tub.

1)Radome on the E does not have the Urethane boot on the tip (glossy portion on the C/D model)

2)ICS Antennas from the C/D, in between the blade Ant and aft of nose gear aft door on the underside of the nose replaced with flush mounted Ant.

3)HUD combining glass and fwd/aft cockpit instrumentation and CRT differences from C/D to E.

4) the E Canopy framing has ECS ducting installed due too the increased need for more cooling air for the backseater and avionics.

5)Wing root anti-collision lights are smaller and set closer to the wing root on the E then the C/D.

6)Speedbrake is beefed-up and has a small indentation on the aft Trailing edge for a hand hold for manual raising of the speedbrake on the E, also there should be no well for the speedbrake as on the real aircraft it lays flush on the skin of the airframe on all F-15's.

7) Just aft of the speedbrake there are 6 screens (three per side of the rectangular panel on the center line) this is the JFS (Jet Fuel Starter) chimney on the E, on the C/D there is one screen offset to the left for the JFS chimney, the panel in the middle is for additional avionics on the E.

8) The engine humps have additional doors to facilitate engine maintenance on the E as the C/D only has one for the engine forward mount and two for the aft mounts.

9) Rudders have an additional beef-up for the center hinge point on the E, this was being done to the C/D but through attrition.

10) A logo light was installed at the base of the Vertical stab on the E not on the C/D.

11) the E model horizontal stab has a reinforcing strip (sealant) raised line running along the leading edge dogtooth fairing mount, C/D models do not have this.

12) Stinger Ant or what we called nipples are of a different configuration from the C/D model to the E, references should be checked for the specific aircraft to be modeled as to what is installed.

13) All E models came from the factory with panel 128 removed, depending on time frame the A/B/C/D models these were not removed till 1991 after a mod was done.

These are mods Nose to tail on the belly of the aircraft

14) Gun door has a bulge on the E referred to as the ext clip door, this was were we put our forms for the aircraft also access to the gun drum which the interior was modified from the D to E in having more avionics stuffed up inside of there as well.

15) Main forward Gear doors are bulged on the E for the beefed-up landing gear and increased height and width of the E model tires.

16) JFS exhaust no longer has the louver just a hollow pipe (aft of centerline pylon on the centerline of the aircraft) on the E model, C models were all modified with new JFS exhaust by 1994.

17) E model Engine bay panels modified so they could be dropped for engine maintenance without dropping the CFTs, the CFTs covered some of the engine bay panels on the C and we had to drop the CFTs anytime we had Engine maintenance.

18) There are two Engine Oil servicing doors on the forward engine bay panel on the E, one inboard and one outboard, the C had one.

19) Tail hook was extended down 2" from the bottom of the fuselage on the E to give more room for more avionics, the C models was flush to the fuselage.

20) Stab actuator panels reconfigured so limited stab maintenance could be done with CFTs installed including a small access panel for doing flight control trimming was installed, C model had unmodified panel as CFTs were hardly ever installed.

Ohh and the struts..

1)Nose and main struts are beefed up, thinker then the A/B/C/D struts.

2)Draglinks on both nose and mains are thicker with the drag springs larger in circumference (round spring looking things at hinge point on drag link used to help strut retract)

3) The bungee on the C/D model strut replaced with a rigid link on the E (thing that comes down and attaches to the draglink from the trunnion on the mains) this is what makes the strut rotate into the wheelwell when retracting.

4) Wheels (rims) on the E have a spacer on the mains for height and different internal for width, different rim overall, face still has the same pattern as C/D.

5) The nose strut has a shimmy damper installed on the front to keep the heavily laden E model nose tire from oscillating on hi-speed taxies or take-off and landing (looks like a thick tube coming out of the strut).

6) The oleo is square I frame on the E in comparison to the rounded oleo on the C.

7) Nose tire is thicker on the E then the C.

There are numerous other changes not noticeable on a model of 1/48 or 1/32, but you get the point. This is a pretty basic list but gives you some idea as to some of the changes to the E model, there are more panel differences but I would be typing all day with panel lists in front of me. Any questions just e-mail me direct.

Cheers Dave