A swingin' F-15!

[anthonyp]

This is just a fun build!  Even with the starboard wing root disintegration, it's been fun, even as a learning experience.  I know what to do for my next build, either the A-15N or F/A-15N+ version.

I'm debating removing the top part of the fuselage stripe, so that the diagonal meets the black paint and doesn't overlap.  Opinions?

The pylons are currently in the "paint/fabrication shop" (ie, paint desk in the basement).  Mucking up construction methods for an AIM-162 right now.  I've got some test articles I can ruin before I receive the actual missiles to modify from Jschmus.

[cthulhu77]

Looking good with the loadout! Yikes, that sob packs a punch!  My wife uses these "traveling cosmetic" sets, and in them are these tiny (like, barely bigger than a toothpick) emery files...maybe they could be used to get rid of the nubblies without destroying all of the detail on these small scale jets?

[anthonyp]

This is a "proof-of-concept" model for me.  It's ugly, looks funny, has defects...  and that perfectly describes my usual model.  I gave up on making it "smooth" when the starboard wing root let go.

The next one, however, will look more "proper."  I've got the "Man nails traveling kit" from CVS, and its got this "make-your-nails-look-pretty" file that I've been thinking about transferring to the modeling desk.  Next model.  Not this one...  It's on the "I-need-to-finish-this-before-I-get-disinterested!" Express.

[Archibald]

Don't forget all those imaginatives models  

1 RAF F-15K,
1 RCAF F-15B,
1 RCN F-15M,
1 RAAF F-15C,
1 USN F-15N,
1 171st Aggressor F-15D,
1 FRoCA F-15B,
1 Spanish F-15A, and
1 Italian F-15B

[B777LR]

Comrades!

Our great leader has finally produced an aggresor to train our glorius Su-33 pilots aboard the admiral kuznetsov! Now those filthy western capitalist swines cant hide, we know how swing wings look like! A tanker (or two) of vodka for anthony!

[anthonyp]

Don't forget all those imaginatives models 

1 RCAF F-15B,
1 171st Aggressor F-15D,
1 FRoCA F-15B

Yeah...  I misplaced some of the decal sheets when doing them up and ended up rearranging the build order for some of them.  They'll eventually get built, just they're not in this batch.

And I hate painting missiles.  That's the part about building models that's my pet peeve:  painting the ordinance.

[anthonyp]

Whoa... it's, like, progress!!

I finally did up those AIM-162's I've been thinking about.  

Just to recap, here's a pic of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow compared to the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile:


And a RIM-162 launching:


Thanks to Jason (Jschmus), I got those AIM-120-ish shapes I needed as a starting point.  He fortunately sent me six of them, so I can call these "YAIM-162D" shapes.  I was experimenting with figuring out the fins on the AIM-162's at this point, so they're sorta bulky:


The next pic shows the AIM-162's after refinement (ie, took a pair of small scissors to them):


They're now ready to put on the F-15N!  Now, all I need to do is find suitable AIM-9's, and I'll be done!  Except, I've been giving some thought to building up some 1/72 AIM-95's to go with the rest of the speculative missile load on the thing  :dum:  :dum:  

[Scooterman]

Nice looking AAMs!  They look like MICA on steroids.

[Shasper]

More like mutated Standard ARMs to me!

Shas B)

[anthonyp]

Standard missile look-close-to's was what I was going for, as that's what the RIM-162 looks like.  I made these up by cutting the front end off a mutant ESCI EFA "AMRAAM," glued the front end from a smaller, not entirely accurate AMRAAM, clipped the aft fins, and then made the strakes out of sheet styrene.  As can be seen in the "in-progress" pic, the strakes were inaccurate to say the least.  Painted, though, they look much better.

I got Standards on the brain...  I've been thinking of an entirely hypothetical missile in the Sidewinder class, looking very similar to these, just smaller, thinner, with forward control surfaces ala the Sidewinder.  An IRIS-T might be a good starting point...

[Shasper]

Take a look at the latter Python/Derby series from IAI

Shas B)

[anthonyp]

I actually did a search for AAM's after thinking about doing up some AIM-95's, and wasn't too impressed with what I saw, save for the IRIS-T's as a futuristic/new/DUDE! type of AAM.  The Pythons and Derby look too much like their predecessors, ie, Sidewinders and Magics.  I'm not talking about internal components, which are more advanced, but the look is dated to me.

AIM-9X's might work, but I've only got two in the stash in a Hasegawa F/A-18E.  I wish Hasegawa would come out with a new Air-to-Air weapons set.  There's been a lot of new missiles developed since they came out with their original one.

Besides, I got Standards on the brain.   :dum:

BTW, the experiment with the magnets is almost successful, but the polarity of the magnets got messed up during mounting (I didn't mark North/South).  I'll probably have to use stickem or something similar to get the pylons to stay straight for the pics.

Wow, who'd'a though I'd work Physics into a model build  

Oh, and fun fact:  The thing the painted missiles are sitting on is a logo coaster from the canceled Crusader self propelled artillery project.  There were stacks of them in the office  

[anthonyp]

It...  LIVES!!!!!!!

I'm done, finally.  I finally found some Stickem at a store a couple months ago, but just now decided to try it out on the F-15N's pylons.  It works.  I may end up building the next one without the magnets mounted on the wings and just put the magnets on the pylons only to give the Stickem a big flat piece to adhere to.












EDIT:  Fixed the pic that was misbehavin'!

[John Howling Mouse]

That's crazeeeee, Pop, just crazeeeeee.

All you'd ever need aboard a modern USN a/c carrier would be ONE of these babies to take care of business.

Economies of scale: say, I think you're onto something here!

[anthonyp]

I just realized I still have to replace the carrier name on it (finally printed up those "USS Reprisal" tags).

I can't wait for the snow to melt so I can take pics of this one, as well as all of VFA-209 (the Selfridge based USNR squadron I finished up late last year).