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1/48 Revell F-15E Strike Eagle 335th TFS, 4th Fighter Wing, February 1991

Started by Louis Gardner · 13 ≡ · ↻ 3 years ago

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Louis Gardner said 3 years, 8 months ago:

Here's a kit I have been wanting to build for a long time now... This F-15E "Strike Eagle" was credited with destroying an Iraqi helicopter.

I have had this model in the stash for many years. As you can see the box is not holding up very well... but these flip top boxes were not known for being very strong in the first place.

This will be a kit built straight from the box. No additional aftermarket parts, and I plan on even using the original kit supplied decals. I hope they work OK. They still look like brand new, with no signs of deterioration.

Here's the decal placement guide. I has a little bit of information about the plane, but not too much...

If anyone here knows more about this plane and the mission when the helicopter was downed, I'd like to hear what you have to say.

Some of you are probably thinking... What ? Louis building a JET ! No way ... but it is true. If things work out, I might have several more jets built in the future. Time will tell.

As always,
Comments are encouraged.
Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 8 months ago:

Hi Louis @lgardner! This is such a great choice! I love the F-15 looks. It's such a beautiful plane and in 1/48 it's going to be big!
Chuck A. Villanueva said 3 years, 8 months ago:

Great choice Louis, and no not really surprised on seeing you build a fast mover. You did a couple of Mig's last year. Though Korean and Vietnam era, still a jet. The F-15E was just finishing up there operational service training when Desert Shield was announced. Brand new in USAF service. They were sent to Gulf for the first time into combat. From Scud hunting, to tank plinking and all kinds of ground targets to prosecute. The F-15E was the most advanced attack system in theatre. And more lethal once the targeting pods started to arrive later on. 48 of them operated during Desert Storm. Your particular subject is one that took place on Valentines Day. A routine mission (war is not routine) hunting for SCUDS when an Awac's directed them to some Iraqi Mi-24 Hinds operating close to a spec op mission and needed to clear them. The Strike Eagle still retains all the air to air capabilities as an F-15C, but in this case the Echo acquired a helo but would not quite lock on to shoot. Too low and lots of ground clutter and the helo started to accelerate. Bakke decides to switch to ground and release a GBU smart bomb and guides it right through the rotor blades, cockpit and explodes under the helo, obliterating it. The other Hinds see this and high tail it out of there. Thus allowing the Spec Op to continue un hindered.
Erik Gjørup said 3 years, 8 months ago:

Some of you are probably thinking………. What ? Louis building a JET !

well - you've been there before my friend! (Me 262 as I recall) The real surprise is no BMF 🙂

But what a story - bombing Hinds with a smart bomb.

Looking forward to the ride - I'm strapped in!
Robert Royes said 3 years, 8 months ago:

But has he done a Phantom? or will he? lol. Nice choice, I did Monograms 1/72 'E' a long time ago. I workedfor a company that manufactured the bomb release units [BRU], for the F-15E, They were pretty sophisticated as they had automatic sway braces.
Louis Gardner said 3 years, 7 months ago:

Thanks gentlemen for the kind words. It’s been a while since I have posted any updates for this build. I’m happy to report that I have made some great progress on it.

This Revell F-15 E has been a remarkable build so far. I happened to have a set of decals for a plane that was special, in that it had nose art to remember 911, and FDNY. Since I’m a former firefighter and I was working on duty at our Fire Department the day the attack happened, this place has special meaning to me. I have since had the opportunity to meet several firefighters who were on duty with FDNY on this tragic day. These men and women are special people. Never Forget !

So I decided to get another identical model so I can use the 911 decals on it. As luck would have it, I scored another kit just like this one on EBay. It has arrived and I have started with the preliminary painting on it.

I have also decided that I would build the other F-15 in my stash. It’s the much older F-15C model, and it comes with decals for a plane that flew in Desert Storm. I’ll start a separate build journal on it, so look for it to show up soon. I’ll also build my Monogram F-117. Here’s the aircraft kits I will now be working on. I placed both of the F-15E models into one box.

On the original kit I have assembled a lot of stuff. Here’s the cockpit. It will get painted now I have it assembled.

Revell has its copyright information placed on the inside of the wing.

The older F-15C is not nearly as nice as the new one.

For some reason the information on the inside of the plane wasn’t enough, so they decided to place their trademark information on the tail surfaces too.

I sanded it off and now it’s as if it was never there.

While I was waiting for the cockpit parts to dry, I started building the main part of the kit, which includes the wings. They’re molded with the rear portion of the fuselage as a single part. The fit was very good.

The air intakes have been installed, along with the landing gear bays.

The two fuselage and wing sections were then glued together.

The last step was to glue the vertical fins in place. It’s already looking like an Eagle.

This kit has been very enjoyable to build so far. It looks good and the fit has been excellent.

As always comments are encouraged. Please look for the new build journal for the early version F-15C and the Monogram F-117 Stealth.

These are also 1/48 scale kits.

I’ll be building up the 911 tribute Eagle at the same time. So if you occasionally think you’re seeing double, don’t worry. You are actually seeing two of these.
Robert Royes said 3 years, 7 months ago:

Nice projects, Louis. I've been guilty of leaving those copy right trade marks on some of my Monogram builds. Looking forward to the 9 11 build, Tomorrow is the anniversary , this year the powers that be in their infinite wisdom have cancelled the remembrance ceremony here in New York. We'll have to ring our own bell for the moments of silence. There's still a large hole in the skyline. @lgardner.
Louis Gardner said 3 years, 7 months ago:

Hey Robert.
Thanks for chiming in here. Wow. That’s a sad state of affairs with the current powers that are in charge of NYC today. It doesn’t surprise me one bit though. The mayor is probably more concerned about offending someone, rather than taking care of the people who actually protect the City. Enough said about that. You and I are on the same page.

Here’s the decals I mentioned in my last post. I actually have a set of similar ones for the F-16. With tomorrow being the 20th anniversary I will most definitely start a build journal for both planes as a memorial for those who fought back, and for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Had I not been married and if I was a few years younger I definitely would have been at the local Army recruitment office on Sept 12th the following day.

Anyhow thanks again buddy and here’s a few pictures of the decals.

Stay safe my friends.
Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 7 months ago:

Hi Lewis @lgardner!
You have been busy and it shows! The Strike Eagle looks great already! You are set to buld another Strike Eagle? And a -C? And an F-16? And the Nighthawk? Man, this will be so great! A joy for us to watch your progress!
09/11 is a sad anniversary, a day that the world changed forever.
Lest we forget all those who perished!
Chuck A. Villanueva said 3 years, 7 months ago:

Looking good Louis, very ambitious project including a -C Eagle, F-16 and a Stealth. As Robert mentioned, 9/11 is tomorrow, normally several memorials would take place. But due to the Covid-19 restriction, its the new normal cant do nothing. Two Bob's decals are very good, I got to know Bob himself as he was a local guy here before he moved away. He did everything himself with another Bob who left the business. Nice projects.
Erik Gjørup said 3 years, 7 months ago:

Louis (@lgardner), thanks for the update and the words on 911. I suppose there is a build journal on the 911 F-15, but just to share in; I was at work on the Faeroe Islands. I do not know why, because I never had done it before, but I went to the crew-room and turned on the TV just after the first hit. While I saw the smoke and heard the host talking of navigation error(!) the second one hit, not noticed by the host. To this day I do not know why i turned on the TV at that time. Never forget.
Robert Royes said 3 years, 7 months ago:

Quick note, there was a ceremony albeit, more subdued. I think it was initiated by a private foundation.
Louis Gardner said 3 years, 7 months ago:

Thank you my friends for sharing what the day was like for you 20 years ago.

I turned the TV on that morning, and was eating blueberry pancakes for breakfast. The news broke in and showed one of the towers as it was burning. Then I remember watching as the second plane slammed into the other tower... I told my wife that we were under attack, and how we would be going to war over this... Then reports started trickling in about the Pentagon crash, and shortly after that a plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania. Then this information confirmed my previous suspicions. I spent a good part of the day sitting in a dentist chair... and went to work that night and worked my shift.

I'll go ahead and start the F-15 build journal now, and I might as well include the F-16 with it.

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