Revell 1/48 F-15E Strike Eagle, by Blair Stewart

Revell 1/48 F-15E Strike Eagle

KIT #:	5511
PRICE:	$30.00 'used'
DECALS:	Two options
REVIEWER:	Blair Stewart
NOTES:	Detailed cockpit, landing gear, exhaust.

The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. An array of avionics and electronics systems gives the F-15E the capability to fight at low altitude, day or night and in all weather. The F-15E is a 1980s derivative of the single seat F-15 Eagle to give the US Air Force a long-range, high-speed, interdiction aircraft that did not have to rely on escorts or accompanying electronic warfare aircraft.

The F-15E prototype was a modification of the two-seat F-15B. It includes significant structural changes as well as more powerful engines. The aft fuselage was redesigned to incorporate the more powerful engines with advanced engine bay structures and doors, which incorporate superplastic forming and diffusion bonding technologies. The back seat is equipped for a weapon systems officer (WSO) to operate the air-to-ground avionics via multiple screens to view the radar, electronic warfare, or thermographic cameras, monitor aircraft or weapons status and possible threats, select targets, and use an electronic moving map to navigate.

Previous models of the F-15 are assigned air-to-air missions; the E model is a dual-role fighter. It has the capability to fight its way to a target over long ranges, destroy enemy ground positions and fight its way out.

The aircraft's navigation system uses a laser gyro and a Global Positioning System to continuously monitor the aircraft's position and provide information to the central computer and other systems, including a digital moving map in both cockpits.

The APG-70 radar system allows aircrews to detect ground targets from long ranges. One feature of this system is that after a sweep of a target area, the crew freezes the air-to-ground map then goes back into air-to-air mode to clear for air threats. During the air-to-surface weapon delivery, the pilot is capable of detecting, targeting and engaging air-to-air targets while the WSO designates the ground target.

The low-altitude navigation and targeting infrared for night, or LANTIRN, system allows the aircraft to fly at low altitudes, at night and in any weather conditions, to attack ground targets with a variety of precision-guided and unguided weapons. The LANTIRN system, consisting of two pods attached to the exterior of the aircraft, gives the F-15E unequaled accuracy in weapons delivery day or night and in poor weather.

The navigation pod contains terrain-following radar which allows the pilot to safely fly at a very low altitude following cues displayed on a heads-up display. This system also can be coupled to the aircraft's autopilot to provide "hands off" terrain-following capability.

The F-15E was deployed in August 1990 during Operation Desert Shield in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. At the start of Operation Desert Storm, 24 F-15Es launched an attack on five fixed Scud installations in western Iraq on 17 January 1991. Missions against Scud sites continued through that night with a second strike of 21 F-15Es. At night-time, F-15Es flew hunter missions over western Iraq, searching for mobile SCUD launchers. The US hoped to deter the Iraqis from setting up for Scud launches by conducting random bombings in suspected launch areas.

On the war's opening night, an F-15E failed to hit a MiG-29 with an AIM-9 Sidewinder; other F-15Es also unsuccessfully engaged this lone MiG-29, which was eventually brought down by a missile of unknown origin. On 18 January, during a strike against a petrol oil and lubricant plant near Basrah, an F-15E was lost to enemy fire, killing both pilot and WSO. F-15E crews described this mission as the most difficult and dangerous of the war as it was heavily defended by SA-3s, SA-6s, SA-8s and Rolands as well as by anti-aircraft artillery. Two nights later, a second and final F-15E was downed by an Iraqi SA-2; the crew survived and evaded capture for several days and eventually were able to contact coalition aircraft, but a rescue was not launched due to security issues over an airman who failed to identify himself with proper codes. The Iraqis later captured both airmen.

F-15Es destroyed 18 Iraqi jets on the ground at Tallil Air Base using GBU-12s and CBU-87s. On February 14, an F-15E scored its only air-to-air kill of the war: an Mi-24 “Hind” helicopter. Capt. Tim “Rhino” Bennett and his WSO Capt. Dan “Chewy” Bakke - flying aircraft tail number 89-0487 of the USAF’s 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing - and another F-15E were patrolling for Scud missiles near Al-Qa’im when they received a distress call for help from US Special Forces. Upon entering the area where the Special Force troops were operating, the F-15Es spotted five Iraqi helicopters. Using their FLIR, Capt. Bennett and Capt. Bakke, acquired a helicopter in the process of unloading Iraqi soldiers, and released a GBU-10 bomb. They let the bomb go four miles from their target, as Bennett’s F-15 was screaming across the sky at 700 MPH and 2,500 feet. As it was released, their radar read that the target was moving at 100 knots and climbing. Now out of range, Bennett and Bakke knew the explosive wouldn’t reach the helicopter. As seconds went by with no sign that the bomb had exploded, Bennett told Bakke to keep the laser pointed on the Mi-24. He recalled saying, “There’s no chance the bomb will get him now,” but, remarkably, the helicopter turned toward them, allowing Bakke to secure the laser-guided bomb on the target.

The F-15E crew thought the bomb had missed its target and were preparing to use a Sidewinder when the helicopter was destroyed. The Special Forces team on the ground estimated that the Hind was roughly 800 feet above the ground when the 2,000 lb. bomb hit its target.

The Strike Eagle has been deployed for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya, among others. During these operations, the strike fighter has carried out deep strikes against high-value targets and combat air patrols and provided close air support for coalition troops. It has also been exported to several countries. Boeing is currently enhancing the F-15E design through the advanced F-15EX Eagle II.

I haven’t built too many “modern” aircraft these days, so I decided to pull this kit out of my stash and give it a go. Having built the Hasegawa F-15E, which was based on the prototype aircraft, it was a surprise to see Revell release this kit. Released in 2000, my version came in the “loser” integral-lid box that Revell was fond of using during that time. Upon examining the parts on their sprues, one is impressed by the detailed scribing and lack of flash. Especially detailed are the exhaust nozzles, with Revell providing the individual actuator rods for the afterburner petals. The kit includes all the hard points for weaponry but only drop tanks and Sidewinder missiles as underwing stores/armament (Note: in 2014, Revell/Germany reissued this kit with an assortment of bombs as Kit no. 04891, “F-15E Strike Eagle and Bombs”. It is currently out of production). The 16-page instruction booklet is typical Revell. One nit is that Revell does not mark individual sprues and only provides part numbers on the sprues. This sometimes creates a “desperate hunt” for parts called out in the instruction booklet, especially some of the smaller ones.

The kit decals include markings for two aircraft: No. 89-0487, 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing (Iraqi Helo killer aircraft), and no. 87-210, 391st Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Wing

As usual, construction begins with the cockpit interior. The instruction booklet provides detailed painting guidelines for the instrument panels alongside the cockpit assembly instructions. The cockpit has good detail, and I decided to use the kit ejection seats as they were also well detailed. After assembling the cockpit, one turns the cockpit over and attaches parts that form the nose gear well. The instructions call for assembling the nose gear at this point, but I opted to defer this step closer to the end to hopefully avoid breaking off the gear (my usual trick).

I sprayed the cockpit tub with Humbrol dark gull gray and then used artists’ flat acrylics to paint the instrument panels and pick out the various switches and knobs using flat light gray, red and yellow paints. I painted the CRT panels on the front and rear instrument panels with Tamiya clear green. Since the kit ejection seats did not have lap belts, I included some printed paper belts that I had in my parts stash. As a final touch, I glued paper “remove before flight” tags to the cushion area of each seat.

Step E of the cockpit assembly calls for gluing the forward fuselage halves together with the cockpit/nose gear well sandwiched between the halves. Although not called for in the instructions, I decided to include some weight in the nose in the event the model would be a tail sitter (it turns out this is not needed). I left off the nose gear doors for later.

I then moved to the fuselage and wing assembly. I assembled the intake duct with their compressor blades and set them aside. Step B calls for opening 8 holes in the fuselage bottom to accommodate attaching the under-wing/under-fuselage pylons. I then glued the intake ducts to the fuselage bottom and then attached the fuselage top to that assembly. The final step here was to glue the left- and right-wing panel halves together and attach them to the wing assembly. I also attached the forward fuselage at this point.

The next steps involved gluing the intakes, conformal fuel tanks and external stores pylons to the fuselage. I decided to leave the pylons that mount to the conformal tanks off at this stage, but in hindsight it would have been easier to glue them on here (they are painted gunship gray, so I could have painted them along with the overall airplane). I did, however, attach the right and left inboard pylons.

I began assembling the afterburner cans and nozzles at this stage. There are three nozzle segments and fifteen actuator rods for each assembly. Here, I was not paying close attention, so I glued the actuator rods to the wrong spots on the afterburner cans. I didn’t realize this until after I had painted the model, and the process of removing them and correctly reattaching them was both daunting and fraught with the possibility of breaking the rods, so I decided to live with my mistake. I glued the completed afterburner and nozzle assemblies to the aft end of the fuselage.

Assembly of the LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) pods and drop tanks was the next step. I completed the drop tank pylon assemblies and glued the drop tanks to them, but I left off the sidewinder missiles so that I could paint and decal them separately. I then glued the drop tank pylons and tanks to the hard points under the wings.

The next steps involved adding fuselage details such as the pitot tubes, small antennas, and the landing lights, all of which I left off until the very end. I decided to pose the speed brake in the closed position, so I glued it into its opening in the upper fuselage. Another final assembly is the cockpit canopy and the front windscreen, both of which were left off until the end of the building process. The final step was to glue the left and right vertical tails to the fuselage.

I started the painting process by spraying the entire model with Rustoleum flat white out of a rattle can. Once dry, I stuffed the wheel wells with wet tissue paper and then used Model Masters Gunship Gray to complete the exterior color. After looking at numerous F-15E photos online, I decided that I would paint the radome a slightly lighter shade of gray to provide some contrast, so I masked off the radome, added some Testors flat white to the Gunship gray and sprayed the radome. I also brush-painted the insides of the exhaust nozzles with acrylic flat white. These nozzles have a white ceramic coating and are not overly sooty like most jet exhaust nozzles. I coated them with a wash of flat black just to dirty them up a bit.

I opted to model aircraft no. 89-0847. In preparation for decaling, I used a flat paint brush to coat the model with Quick Shine multi-surface floor finish (my latest substitute for Future, which is difficult to find these days). I have found that, for some reason, I have a hard time airbrushing Future in my locale (perhaps due to the prevailing low humidity?), so brushing on these self-leveling finishes seems to work just as well for me.

Given that my kit was over 20 years old, I had to be very careful applying the decals. Even with care, a few of them disintegrated when I tried to slide them off the backing paper. An additional problem was some of them silvered despite a heavy gloss coat on the model’s surfaces.

After decaling, I attached the landing gear, gear doors, and Sidewinder missiles. In keeping with the aircraft I was modeling, I added a GBU-10 2000 lb. bomb from a Hasegawa weapons set to each inboard pylon. I then attached the assembled canopy in the open position. I used white glue to attach various remove before flight tags to the ordinance, as well as to the canopy support strut, which numerous pictures of the aircraft with its canopy raised show.

As a final touch, I added a boarding ladder that I had left over from the Hasegawa F-15E. I painted this flat black, as this is the color of real F-15E boarding ladders.

Revell has a winner with this kit, and if you want to purchase and build one, you will have to find it on Ebay or someplace else (another justification for the proverbial “kit stash”). If you decide to purchase one, opt for the reissue with bombs – it’s more expensive, but the model needs ordnance hanging from its numerous pylons!