Bucking the trend,......not a WNW build

[geedubelyer]

Hi Derek, good to see you. Thanks for the encouragement, much appreciated.

 

Hi dsahling1, you should do it. I've been meaning to write a comment on your Aggressor build but keep forgetting. I'll get over there right away.

I have some Xtracrylics for the dark Mod Eagle grey but have n't compared it to photos yet. You say LifeColor make the correct shade? I do like LifeColor paints so I'll keep my eye out for some as an alternative.

 

Hello Richard, I bought the Flightpath set directly from Mr.Parkins. I ordered the etch over the phone and it arrived a couple of days later. Hannants have some in stock too: http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/FHGS3218

 

HTH

 

Cheers.

[Elboogie]

Thanks for the info geedubelyer, I will contact Hannants to get that from them because my next project is a 1:32 scale F-15 and i may as well get my aftermarket products while I am starting my F14 D Tomcat. But thanks for the info.

[geedubelyer]

Hi everyone,

 

Here's a short update to prove that I'm still working away in the shadows.

Unfortunately I'm not getting as much time on the Eagle as I'd like so progress is slow. However, I think I've remedied the issue with most of the intake fit. If you remember, the nodding intake mouths don't fit particularly well and there's a gap.

What I've chosen to do is sand away the mating face of the interior walls on the intake trunking.

This simple action allows the intake mouths to fit snugly against the fuselage like the real deal. Since I'm not planning on moving the intake mouths this technique is fine on this build. There looks to be a bit of tidying to do around the hinge point but I'll deal with that when I fix them for good.

 

Whilst I was considering how to make the intakes look better I stumbled on a detal that I'd previously missed. Between the main air intakes and the fuselage nestle a pair of auxiliary air intakes for the air cycle air conditioning system (ACACS).

These look smaller on the model than they do in the Modern Eagle guide so I removed some plastic to open them out.

This improves the look but it's hard to judge how big the intakes are.

If anyone can provide a head on shot of an Eagle showing these intakes clearly I'd appreciate it.

Once I've got them the right size I'll fit the strengthening rib that sits horizontally in the centre of each opening.

 

Another area that I've begun to address is the main gear wells. Fortunately, the F-15 keeps the majority of her gear doors closed so not much is seen which saves alot of plumbing. However, there are a couple of bits that can be seen easily, one of which is the side wall to the rear of the main gear bays. This is plain on the kit with two large cut outs for the oversized plastic door hinges.

Since this face is visible I opted to add some rib detail using Evergreen stock. I also added a couple of large round caps which I'll paint a red colour eventually.

This is removable so I can mask easily for painting. I also took the time to thin the rearmost edge of the main gear doors to improve their scale appearance. In the image below, the right hand side as we look at it is thinned, the left is un-touched.

More below.....

Edited February 27, 2013 by geedubelyer

[geedubelyer]

There are a few things that benefit from some modifications for an accurate "-C". One thing is the JFS chimney on the upper rear fuselage of the jet. The Tamiya kit has six small chimneys which are a legacy of the F-15E origins so they need to be filled and a single chimney made in their place. I carefully checked the photos in the Modern Eagle guide, drilled out the opening and fitted some fine mesh.

All was well until I studied images of the jet that I'm intending to depict. It was only then that I discovered a small issue. For some reason, the JFS chimney on the jet I'm building is in a different place. So,......I had to fill the hole I'd just created and drill a new one in the correct position.

Something to watch for if you're building this model.

 

Finally for this update, the gun....

I'm umming and aahing over whether or not to shell out for the Master M61. It's brass barrels and fittings look beautiful but on the F-15 only the tip of the barrels can be seen poking out of the wing root. £10 or so seems a bit extravagant for such a tiny detail.

I've taken the time to open out the gun vents but even with the gun painted up very little can be seen behind the mesh.

If I was opening the gun bay it would be a no-brainer but none of that beautiful crafting will be seen except 2-3mm at the tip.

I'll sleep on it and decide later.

 

Thanks for having a look. More soon I hope.

 

Cheers.

[crobinsonh]

Fantastic work as usual. Looking forward to your next update.

[Daywalker]

Cheers Guy, excellent update ideas here! I am carefully watching how you do this so I can follow someday with an Eagle of my own.

 

Those Master barrels are nice, REALLY nice (have a set of my own). If you are unwilling to get them, would these serve as another idea?

 

Quickboost M61 gun

 

Just an idea!

[geedubelyer]

Hi guys, thanks for the kind words.

 

would these serve as another idea?

 

Just an idea!

 

And a jolly good one at that. Thanks Frank. I did n't know these existed so I appreciate the link. If they are upto the usual Aires standard they'll be ideal. I need a set of Master AOA probes so I'll get a pair of these at the same time

 

Cheers.

[Out2gtcha]

That is quite trick!

I didnt realize Aires made those either, and for your purposes Guy, it looks like the perfect solution. Especially since your keeping the gun panels closed. (I too am a definite "closed panel" guy)

 

 

[Guest Peterpools]

Super work on the Eagle. Just love the attention to the details

Keep 'em coming

:popcorn:

[geedubelyer]

Hi Brian, hi Peter, good to see you both here. Thanks for stopping by and adding your kind words.

 

I've sent off for the Quickboost barrels along with a set of Master F-16 pitot and AOA probes so I'll put a photo up as a comparison to the kit parts when they arrive.

 

This short update relates to something called the "regenerative heat exchanger exhaust". This is a circular grille on the starboard fuselage side just behind and below the canopy.

 

If you are building one of these jets then check your references as some airframes have this exhaust deleted. The aircraft I'm building does still have the exhaust so I thought I'd see if I could modify it slightly.

I started by drilling out the opening and filing it round. Then I sanded the raised panel flat.

I glued a thin brass sleeve cut from a tube inside the opening then created a horizontal shelf made from plastic extrusion and foil scribed to represent parallel grooves perpendicular to the opening.

 

 

Lastly, I used a length of plastic tube fixed to the shelf to fill out the opening. I found a photo on the net by Don Hinton showing the interior of this vent clearly but I can't find the link now, sorry.

 

Once I'd finished the interior I made the gills from thin plastic extrusion. This is tough!

 

Getting all of the gills at the same angle, parallel to one another and correctly orientated with relation to the aircraft proved too much of a challenge. In the end< i did the best I could and left it at that. At least they allow sight into the vent from one side and not the other like the real thing does.

 

 

 

More soon.

 

Cheers.

Edited October 1, 2017 by geedubelyer

[geedubelyer]

Hi gang,

Well, I've managed to get the main fuselage together. A little dry fitting showed that some persuasion would be necassary to align both halves neatly, particularly at the rear.  To help with that I used an old trick and glued some plastic extrusion inside each half. These bits overlapped keeping  the fuselage plastic in line.

 

Turning my attention back to the gun I got hold of the Quickboost M-61 barrels that Frank suggested.

They are sharper than the kit parts.

 

The kit barrels protrude too far when compared to refs. I had to remove the tip of the kit part to make way for the resin additions.

 

Whilst staring at my reference pics I decided that I needed to gently modify the gun opening and with that done, I secured the resin barrel tips in place with some two pack putty.

 

 

The last thing I'd like to share with you guys for this update is all part of my cunning plan. I remembered that I'd kept the magnets that were left over from my P-51 build and these are being put to good use now.

The airframe that I'd like to depict was used as a show bird in 2006 and was totally clean. This means no pylons. However, most shots on-line show Lakenheath birds with wing pylons carrying a pair of AIM-120s, an ACMI pod and an AIM-9X. Now since I'm lucky enough to own a Zactomodels AIM-9x I really want to be able to mount it at least some of the time. This is where the magnets come in. By plugging the holes in the wing that mount the pylon with two of the smaller magnets and glueing two of the larger magnets into the pylon I can add or remove the ordnance quickly and easily. My only fear is that the fully laden pylon may be too heavy for these little magnets alone. Time will tell.

 

 

Cheers.

Edited October 1, 2017 by geedubelyer

[Daywalker]

Cheers Guy, brilliant idea on the magnets- I hope it works. I have an F-16 which I have tried to figure out how to do like you mention- I never even thought of magnets!

 

Always enjoy your updates, keep 'em coming!

[Out2gtcha]

Great Ideeeer!

 

Ive thought of similar uses for those tam P-51 magnets myself, as Im not an open panels guy and will not be using them on my mustang build.

[Youngtiger1]

Guy, you work is always amazing and full of new ideas. I must keep them in mind.

 

Mike

[geedubelyer]

Cheers Guy, brilliant idea on the magnets- I hope it works.  ----- I never even thought of magnets!

 

 

Great Ideeeer!

 

Ive thought of similar uses for those tam P-51 magnets myself, as Im not an open panels guy and will not be using them on my mustang build.

 

Thanks Frank and Brian, I appreciate the kind words. A guy called Rob (Rraab) over on ARC posted a great link.

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=10

If Tamiya don't offer the magnets seperately or we need more than we have left over, maybe those guys will have what we need. The images of the magnets on their site look exactly the same as the Tamiya version.

Guy, you work is always amazing and full of new ideas. I must keep them in mind. 

 

Mike

Thanks Mike, good to see you. I wish I could help you out with those Pitzmodels Su- exhausts man. Good luck with your auction.

 

Unfortunately I've got r/l stuff going on at the moment so my progress has been sporadic at best.

What I have managed to do is create a new "bullet" for the tip of the right empenage. The kit provides the oldest, round tipped version. The airframe that I wish to depict has a bullet with a more square profile.

While I was at it, I attempted to create the other versions of the tail bullets that appear on alternate versions of the Eagle. You never know when they might come in, right?

 

 

The one on the left or toward the rear is the kit part cut off the empennage

The next one resembles the bullet that mounts on the left hand empennage of the F-15E & I.

Third from the left (or second to the front) is the right hand style fitted to the "-E" and the "-I"

Lastly , on the right or to the front is the style that will fit my bird.

These were carved from sprue. If you have the kit, the sprue surrounding the wings and tails has a couple of lengths in just the correct diameter.

 

Not much to show but at least I've done something.

 

Cheers.

Edited October 1, 2017 by geedubelyer