Gallery View – UMM USA

MDC F-15C "Eagle" In Progress

"Show Winning Fighter"

Scale: 1/32

F-15C EAGLE - In Progress (2008)

The vision!! It’s all about the vision. When building models, one is always looking for ways to exceed the build quality of the previous projects. Lots of thought and soul searching goes into developing the vision for a great project. In this case, the vision came in the form of a 1/32 scale F-15C Eagle. The Tamiya kit allowed for a high level of detail as well as the inclusion of an unique possibility – computerized lighting. How easy this would be, or so I thought!! So let’s travel through the trials and tribulations encountered in what turned out to be a 2,000 plus hour journey into the unknown. Many publications are available on this remarkable jet, most are lacking adequate information required to develop a high level of detail in the actual model. One excellent publication from Jake Melampy F-15 Guide was the main reference book of choice. 15 years after my finished project F-15 E/K/SG Strike Eagle by Duke Hawkins was released and it is also a highly recommended book I wish I could have also used during my time.
The balance of the research was done viewing a real F-15C and taking hundreds of detail photographs. All this information was used during the building process. Now came the search for after market parts which included an Aires resin cockpit, Eduard PE interior and exterior sets and custom decals. Everything else had to be scratch-built. The time for the project build had arrived. All appropriate parts were sanded, rescribed and riveted. For the C Eagle version, some parts required modification. The decision was made to opening the nose radome and electronic bays on the left and right sides, all gun bays were uncovered, hydraulics were uncovered for the right wing, the under-body hydraulics areas were exposed and the wing flaps were modified as well as the air brake dish. In addition, canopy hydraulics and locks were added and the front and rear wheel bays were modified, Custom wheels were made and flattened to express the weight they carried. Both engine intakes was modified as well. The right engine body was scratch-built and included a cover ( includes more than 1200 parts) as were as two exhaust nozzles ( 664 parts). To wind things up, pylons, missiles and their covers were modified. A complex LD lighting configuration for both the interior and exterior was designed and then ordered from Richmond Components. The result seemed to bring the plane to life as a result of 13 lights, 20 feet of copper wire, a computer chip and over 100 hours of work. This lighting project proved extremely time consuming to develop, install and get to a functioning state with the flashing lights, etc.Acrylic paints by Life Color produced a very fine finish. Each panel was individually pre-shaded, painted and weathered to achieve a very striking but realistic example of a particular F-15C Eagle based at Langley AFB.

A big salute of thanks to all those who have contributed to this project consisting of more than 5,000 parts and over 2,075 hours of work. Without their input this could never have been completed.

Build By: John Vojtech (Year 2008)

References:

Kit: F-15C Eagle – 1/32 Tamiya 60304, Detail sets: Aires Cockpit, Eduard Photo-etch Big ED 3232, Custom Details: Goffy, UMM-USA, Ivan R., Decals: Custom, Two-Bobs, Tamiya, SuperScale, MicroScale, Lights: LD – Richmond Controls CO. ( www.richmondcontrols.com) + modeler Tom K., Plastic Parts: Evergreen Scale Models (Styrene), Paint: Life Color, Gunze, Tamiya, Master, Metal Paint: SNJ-Hawkeye’s Hobbies, Mr. Metal Color, Alclad, Glue: BSI Bob Smith, Tamiya, Decals Solutions: Super Sol, Micro Sol, Mark Seter, Solvaset, Lacquer Thinner, Wash: Oil-Winton, Water-Polly Scale, Pastels, CMK Star Dust, Tools: Riveters-3Deatail+ Rosie, Saw JLC + Excel, France Reamers, Flex-I-File, X-Acto, Novus,Sribers-UMM+3Detail, Olfa tools, Books Magazines: The Modern Eagle Guide F-15 (Jake Melampy), Verlinden – Lock On N4, Squadron Walk Around 28, In Action 183, Warbirdtech F-15, Air Combat 1977, Internet.

Back To Galleries