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Tamiya JASDF F-15J Eagle Aggressor


dmthamade

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Thanks, guys. So far the build is going smoothly with no hiccups. Last night i finished gluing the lower wings on and today i checked the dryfit of the fuselage/wing assembly to the lower fuselage part. The fit is good, alignment will need a bit of work.

 

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One spot around the gun opening and doors will need filling with shim stock, always been a problem on all the Tamiya Eagles i've done.

 

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Thw lower wing to lower fuselage joint needs a little work, the wing surface sits higher than the fuselage. I shim this with some white Evergreen strip stock glued onto the wing surface. This aligns the two surfaces level. The joint may need a bit more work but the alignment is good.

 

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Little more work then i can close up the fuselage.

 

Don

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Thanks, guys!! For some reason i try to finess the fit of parts instead of using putty. Getting back to the area around the gun, i added some shim stock to eliminate the gap at the rear. This still leaves a gap at the bottom.

 

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Instead of filling, i took a razor saw and cut a slot through the inside below the gun.

 

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I shimmed the slot and let the gap widen by itself.

 

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What i get for this work is no gap. The shims can't be too long or they will interfere eith the fit of the gun.

 

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I also added some stock to the rear of the fuselage to aid in alignment and add strength.

 

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Don

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Guest Peterpools

Don

Nice going. Totally agree with Mike that the strip makes for a better filler and add strength to the area as well.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

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Long time between updates!! I've been going through a bad case of the Flu with a side dish of ear infection, having a slow rolling sensation in my mind. Did manage to get back to the build, attaching the intakes, gun cover and fuselage parts at the tail. The fit is pretty good due to working the joints before assembly, will still need a bit of fill for the parts at the rear of the fuselage. Like you guys i prefer filling gaps with shim stock, won't crack or shrink. Couple of pics.

 

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Will tackle the pit next, my least favorite part of a build. I have to confess my work on cockpits is..... bad. Once or twice i've even sprayed everything black and had closed the canopy. With that done i'll be able to assemble the front fuselage and it to the main body.

 

Don

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  • 5 weeks later...

Loooong time between updates!! I've been slowly building subassemblies up, nothing exciting. I did manage to do the pit, just did some basic work. I'm including a pilot in the build to honestly hide the lack of cockpit work. Anyway, some pics.

 

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Pic of some of the subassemblies.

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Don

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Hi Don,

I just found this, looking fantastic so far.  All of that extra blocking is well worth the effort, that is for sure when it comes time to fit everything together. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your build.

 

Gary

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Don,

I just found this, looking fantastic so far.  All of that extra blocking is well worth the effort, that is for sure when it comes time to fit everything together. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your build.

 

Gary

Looong time between updates, have been busy with stuff so haven't been able to spend a lot of time at the bench or at the computer. Have managed to get the main part assembled, hoping to prime it tomorrow. All the extra shim work, supports, etc. are definitley worth the extra work, Gary. Truthfully it really isn't the greatest fitting kit even though it is done by Tamiya, the main fuselage and wings needing quite a bit of work. It's also getting old, done in 1999 so the molds must be getting a little old. I've also managed to get the paint figured out. The light tan is simply Radome Tan available through Model Master Acryl, The green and brown had to be mixed from Tamiya paints. Pics for the night.

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Hopefully will be able to spend more time on the build.

 

Don

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Ok, spent yesterday and today getting paint down on the build. Tired of masking/painting/masking/painting........ Brown looks off in pics, different in real. Two pics for the night, then bedtime for me.

 

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Don

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Thank you MARU5137!! The colors look all wrong, don't know how to "fix" camera settings or get lighting right. I went back and did more masking/painting around some grills and the refueling receptacle. Researching this particular aircraft shows the paint invarious states from paint booth fresh to really beat up. I'm tempted to do more weathering using a bit of artistic license, something in between fresh paint and multiple repairs/touch-ups.

 

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Will start thinking about the metal areas at the rear top and bottom of the fuselage. Seems to be a lot darker than the American F-15.

 

Don

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