Crew Dog

Once the epoxy was sufficiently cured, i sprayed the whole strut with Satin White (gloss coat will happen during decal phase.) While that was drying, I moved on the spray the cockpit sidewalls and highlight the C/Bs located there. The next steps were to remove the existing vents on the inlet ramps, and all I can say is, while salvageable, I should've taken more time on them. But, as with the ECS bay door, putty will be all that's necessary to fix. My last step at this point was to close the fwd fuselage and add details to the nose strut, and I am very happy with how everything there turned out!

Work has nearly wrapped up in the forward fuselage section, with the cockpit, nose well and NLG all installed. With assistance from @geedubelyer I was able to make the necessary modifications to the nose strut to have it reflect a Strike strut more accurately. I began by laying the strut on top of the wheel and tire assembly, then marking where the new hole will be. Once happy with the spacing between the fork and tire, I drilled out the new screw mounting hole. I then chopped off the now extended portion of the fork to have it match the correct length from the existing screw hole to the bottom of the fork, leaving just the very top of the old hole to simulate the cutout on the real thing. Once I was happy with that, I cut the fork off of the strut, then the piston. I then bored out lands for the 3/32" drill bit that will replace the piston. After cutting the bit. I secured it to the strut and fork with some two part epoxy and let that cure overnight. I also ground out the fwd and aft faces of the fork to better represent the real thing.

Thanks, I was pleasantly surprised that it was a smooth fit, with no major bulges or gaps. Now to figure out how to make a C model nose gear into an E model...

Work is finally done, sans control sticks, on the main parts of the cockpit. The MIP's all have their required CB's, knobs, switches and pull levers attached. I also added Clear Red to the screens of the RCCP (back) and UFC (front.) As stated earlier, the layout is fairly familiar to me, and as such was able to use work knowledge to apply the detail work for the SELECT JETT, EMER JETT, EMER GEAR, EMER STEER and EMER VENT switchology. I decided to cut the forward fuselage halves from their runner in preparation for painting and detailing the sidewalls. Once they were off, I went for a quick test fit to see if I would need further adjustment to the console panels to make the whole thing fit snugly, but to my surprise, everything fit without any additional shaving needed! The next steps for me are to paint the sidewalls gray, detail the CB's in the back seat, and paint the NLG wheel well/detail the ECS/RLCS ducts. As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

I think it was because, since the SA models, Boeing has opted to go with an all-black cockpit (presumably to cut down on glare,) but the insulation blankets are still made in the gray coloring, most likely due to other jets also using them. If you do a Google search for an F-15QA cockpit, while most of the focus is on the LAD's (Large Area Displays,) you can see the MIP's and consoles are all black as well. Makes reading the C/B lables more...fun Edit: F-15EX cockpit image searches will show the same all-black pit scheme

Great work on the consoles and the MIP's. Word of warning from someone in the same stage as you: the switches and knobs love to fly off into the ether

Yeah, the thread used for the stitching is lighter than the insulation blankets themselves, almost an off-white color. Of course, they're mainly covered up on the new builds by black plastic panels. I think a light sand panel line wash should simulate the stitching effectively

I've been trucking along with the cockpits, mainly focusing on the WSO station. I began by drilling out all the knob/switch holes that are on the left and right consoles, intending to work the Pilot station first, but when I drilled out the holes for the engine generators and engine control switches using the recommended 0.5mm drill bit, the two holes fused into one. I opted to drop the bit size and went with a 0.45mm for the rest of the drilling. I then moved on to detailing the aft bulkheads of the pits, with detail mainly consisting of painting the lights trim panels in black, since most of the escape system wiring would be hidden by the seat. I then turned my focus onto the aft cockpit consoles, and they (in my opinion) turned out much better with the smaller bit. As you can see, I also painted the oxy/comm hose, using my green from my spitfire rather than olive drab, as that seems to brown for how they look. The CRU-94 still needs to be painted black, but beyond that, the side consoles are done. I also added the hand hold rail on the aft MIP glare shield, and added cockpit gray to the top of the box that is next to the canopy lock mechanism. Now work has turned to the aft MIP itself, with the RCCP already added and mostly detailed (just needs clear red on the screens) and the knobs added to the panel. I wasn't completely happy with the way the MPD buttons turned out, but after trying about five times with my 10/0 brush, I settled on using the needle of one of my old airbrushes to get the job done. The screens, on the other hand, turned out brilliantly, using the included clear sheet and painting the reverse side in black, still giving the sheen that the glass would. Now I just have to add the last details to the aft MIP, and then work moves on to the front. As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

Work continues in the front office, in addition to adding parts from the upgrade set where I can. I first sprayed the entire pit, and all accompanying parts in primer black (love my new airbrush BTW!) and while that was curing, I added some more parts to the fuselage halves from the upgrade set. I began by boring out where the corrected JFS exhaust duct will be living, and after a bit of trial fitting and recutting, it fits the way that it looks on the real thing. It still isn't glued in, as I want to spray it on its own rather than try to mask around it. I will also most likely cut out the JFS intake mesh (near the bottom of the pic) and add actual mesh to it. Once happy with that, I moved on to the 15 Door on the underside, and fitting was similar to the JFS exhaust. I did get a bit overzealous on the fwd/aft measurement, but that can easily be filled later. I also learned a valuable lesson about Kopecky's stuff: it's BRITTLE! Simply removing the flash from the vent after cutting off the casting block resulted in the forwardmost edge flying off into the ether, but again, can be fixed with a bit of putty. The next step for me was to cut out the gun bay vents, and I was getting quite nervous when sizing the positionable door one. Luckily I had patience on my side, and the result is well worth it. Happy with the additions so far, I turned back to the pit pieces and sprayed them with a coat of FS26231, which looks weird to me considering I look a all-black pits these days. Once the top coat cured, I went back on the WSO glareshield and repainted it with primer black where the gray oversprayed (maybe I should start switching needles/tips, that's why I got this particular airbrush after all...) Last step up to now was to highlight all the bezels for the various steam gauges on the back seat MIP, and will still have to add the yellow to the emergency controls, as well as the buttons for the MPD's As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

Happy to help where I can!

@geedubelyer I may have to pick your brain about shortening the NLG fork

Thanks all! It's really good to get back in to the hobby, especially since my Tomcat is still waiting to be brought over from England (the General will most likely hand-carry her on her final trip back here.) Now THAT'S a Mudhen! Love how you got the panel lines without overemphasizing them!

Hey all, I'm back with a new build! This one is very near and dear to my heart, not only because I now work for Boeing, but also because I spent 10 years of my life constantly hearing/seeing these beasts. I'm opting to go with the kit-supplied markings for 91-308 from the 492d FS that is part of the 48FW at RAF Lakenheath. As per my usual, I will be throwing a lot of aftermarket at her, with a majority coming from the beautiful work of Jan Kopecky. The AM list is as follows: Kopecky Scale Models: -F-15E Instrument Panels (I will be referring to these as MIP's, due to habit from work) -F-15E Cockpit Upgrade Set -F-15E Upgrade Set -F-15 Tail Antennas -F-15E Pylons w/ rails (wing pylons) -F-15E Centerline Pylon -F-15 610 Gal Fuel Tanks Eduard -AN/AAQ-33 Sniper ATP -GBU-12 (4 ea) GT Resin -F-15 Seamless Intakes -PW F100-229 Exhaust cans Reskit -GBU-38 (non-thermally coated) -GBU-31 Aires -ACES II Type B (2 ea) As for the obligatory box art photo: Work has just started on this monster, beginning with the cockpit, as per usual. The back wall of the front seat has already been attached to the main tub, and based on what I see from work, is leaps and bounds ahead of whats offered in the kit (though not hard considering its a blank plate!) The detail on the console panels/MIP's is insane, and looks very familiar to me (although with subtle changes, as I work on newer F-15 variants.) Santa (or the General, depending on who you ask) has also been kind to me, and I am now the proud owner of a Paasche Talon airbrush! As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

I am now at a bit of a conundrum. With my move coming up in a couple of weeks, I am seriously debating on finish the model completely or get 95% of it done, and leave the more fragile parts (glove pylons, TCS pod, armament, gear doors and vertical stabs) off, box them up with the rest of the model, and essentially pack as is. I plan on getting the same foam that camera operators use to pack their equipment, cut custom holes to nestle all my models (tough job on the already completed ones, I know) and secure the models as best I can, since they will be going overseas. With that out of the way, decal and detail work has been continuing as and when cure times allow. I added the bare metal lips to the intakes, taping off the exterior and carefully freehanding the interior. I have also opted to add the Lion Head nose art, as the majority of reference pics I've seen of her time with VF-213 show it on the jet. I have given the areas that I touched up the Flory treatment, and will clean it up after work today, mainly to ensure the Flory has plenty of time to cure. I may just go over the rest of the upper surface with the Flory to even everything out. I also dirtied up the glove vane pylons, and they turned out exactly how I wanted. The last main bit to do that I know I can before packing is to paint off the tail hook, as you can see that is already underway. Any thoughts on if I should temporarily call it a day on her and wait till the move are always welcome and appreciated. As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

My shipment of Flory wash has arrived, and how I did models without it, I have no idea. I clear coated the underside of the jet, and while that is curing, I proceeded to apply the Flory to the undersides of the wings and the Phoenix pallets. Let me tell you, I am one of the converted! Easy application, easy clean, all paint/clear coat intact, what's not to love? I went with the Dark Wash, and it's a similar color to MiG's version. I will leave these with you to formulate your own opinions of the new wash, but I think you'll agree with me. As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!