1/48 f-15c

[elmerfudd94]

see the hasegawa, revell and tamiya offerings, wondering which one is worth the money. want to do the missouri ones twobobs just released.

thanks,

ron

[DONG]

Hasegawa is the first choice, then Revell.

Don

[Jennings]

Hasegawa is the first choice, then Revell.

Don

Revell? You mean the old Monogram F-15A (masquerading as a C)?? Revell proper has only done an E, not a C. The Academy kit is probably second fiddle to the Hasegawa for a C. The old Monogram kit, as many fit problems and raised panel lines as it has, is still the most overall accurate F-15 single seater there is (shape-wise).

J

[Netz]

I don't think Academy is 2nd to Hasegawa, I think you were right with Hasegawa 1st Monogram 2nd, Academy has some bad issues with the rear fuselage engine area. Tamiya has some major issues also, it's probably the oldest 1/48 F-15 on the market. I just think you'd be money ahead to start with a Hasegawa kit, as it can be built straight from the box. the others would take either allot of work or aftermarket just to get it to Hasegawa's base kit standard.

Curt

[Josh1971]

I don't know- I've often heard that Monogram's basic shape is the most spot on of all of them.

jb

[Jonathan_Lotton]

The Hasegawa kit is IMHO the easiest to assemble, as long as you know the tricks and shortcuts.

The Revell kit is apparently the most accurate in outline and such.

The Academy F-15 has some features which are very nice, such as the ability to position the intakes and such, and fairly accurate turkey featherless cans out of the box. However, the engine flairings/humps are very proud and are larger than should be.

However, if you're looking for a quick and fairly accurate Eagle, the Academy kit fits the bill. Ken Middleton has done very very nice models with them for the Massachusets air guard, and if they, actual pilots dont care, I think thats a fairly good pass on the kit!

Hasegawa :Basically..if you are really fussed by ease of fit and overall very good accuracy, the Hasegawa F-15 fits the bill the best, and most aftermarket decals are fit for the kit. It has recessed panel lines, but be prepared to spend about 30 bucks for the baseline F-15C, which doesnt include the featherless burner cans or the ECM flairings on the booms just aft of the exhaust nozzles. Add in another 25 or so for the Aires Featherless aftermarket cans, and you're looking at about 50 bucks, throw in the Wolfpack MSIP/MSIP II conversion set which includes the LAU-128's and accurate MSIP IP and such, you're looking at closer to 80. Add in a good set of Aftermarket decals, and you're looking at about 100 bucks for an accurate Hasegawa F-15C, but the quality IMHO makes up for it, but not to everyone. I dont remember right off the top of my head if the Hasegawa F-15C kit includes armament, but if it doesnt, then you're looking at another 20+ for either the Hasegawa weapons set or scavenge the weapons from another kit. OH! and you only get two tanks, want to do a 3 bag config? you have to source the 3rd seperately! Aires and Eduard and others do to photoetch updates for it.

Basically, for an accurate, 2006-7-8-9 F-15C, you're going to be likely looking at between 75-100 dollars, depending on how far you want to go. The Base F-15C is accurate for an early to mid 80's F-15C. Alot of kits, like the 58th FS release, Alaskan Air Group release, Gulf Spirit, the High Grade release and such do have a set of ECM antennas for the tail booms in the kit, and the featherless burner cans are provided with photoetch, but its far easier to simply get the Aires burner can replacements than mess with the photoetch. Those special release kits will run between 45 and 55 US dollars.

Academy: If you want a accurate enough F-15 which the featherless cans, recessed panel lines and fuel tanks plus armament, then this kit will work for you. You can more easily do an inflight display due to the positionable intakes and the fit isnt bad at all. You can also do a D, which is nice too! There are updates available for it from Wolfpack in terms of the MSIP mods and Eduard in the ways of photo etch. You can get the Academy F-15C/D for anywhere between 20 and 30 dollars. Ken has built a number of these kits, and have produced very good results!

Revell/Monogram:If you want a test kit for paint schemes or such, or if its just a quick kit for a kid or a What-if, then the Monogram kit will fit the bill as well. However, it is fundamentally a F-15A, not a C. It doesnt have the MSIP etc antennas or the ECM flairings on the tail booms. The Featherless exhaust is a joke, but also has the feathered exhausts, but both needto be drastically reworked. The kit DOES come with a fuel tanks and weapons. Early/80's releases of the F-15A/C also sometimes have a ASAT, the kit also has a fairly well represented APG-63 antenna and the radome can be positioned open.

Be prepared for alot of putty work and sanding/loss of detail to get this kit together well. I've heard the Monogram original issue doesnt have as many fit problems, due to fresh molds and such, but its getting progressively harder to find. You can get a new pop F-15C for about 15 bucks, or an original release for between 15 and 25 dollars on Ebay. This kit has raised panel lines.

Tamiya: The Tamiya kit is IMHO fourth of those listed. The fit isnt great, the seams split the fuselage horizontally, leaving a very obvious seam to fill. The exhausts are turkey feathered only and are wide open, like the darn thing is in the process of blasting off to the moon. The cockpit is all decals, and the profile of the canopy and nose isnt accurate. Another good A/C for kids or a What-if. This one wil run you between 15 and 25 bucks. I believe it also has a radar antenna that you can present. I believe this kit has raised panel lines.

Italeri: I havent build the Italeri Eagle so I cannot comment on it, but I have heard people put it between the Monogram and Academy Eagles. Havent bought one, so I dont know what it'll run, my guess is about 20 bucks.

Edited August 7, 2008 by Jonathan_Lotton

[DonSS3]

I would add, that if you're going to build an Academy F-15 to make sure that you reinforce the forward/center fuselage joint. Maybe adding some plastic strip on the inside of the seam. I built one, and didn't do that, and when I dropped it in my lap as I was adding the AIM-7s, the nose broke right off! It may not be the most accurate, but for me it was a trouble-free build (other than the aforementioned boob) and certainly looks the part to me. As Jonathan mentioned, above, the positionable intakes and featherless exhausts are nice to have SOOB, too.

[gb_madcat_sl]

I've built the Academy Eagle before. It come out as a pretty nice Eagle with recessed panel lines and weapons. It also comes with a separate tail-hook so you can remove the "stinger" fairing and modify that area to represent a more modern Eagle. You also don't need to hunt high and low for a 2-seater as Academy provides the proper canopy and cockpits for both versions albeit without the Bay 5 electronics gear for the single-seater.

However, the exterior of the kit could use some of the Eduard photo-etch as most of the vents do not have the grilles molded on unlike the Hasegawa one.

HTH!

Mark

[graves_09]

Italeri: I havent build the Italeri Eagle so I cannot comment on it, but I have heard people put it between the Monogram and Academy Eagles. Havent bought one, so I dont know what it'll run, my guess is about 20 bucks.

I have built the Italeri kit. Avoid it at all costs. The fix was pretty bad especially the fuselage and under the wings. I had to do a lot of forcing to make it fit right and under the wings required A LOT of filling. It had the featherless exhaust cans but they had almost no detail. I ended up buying the Aires set to add detail. (i think the resin set cost more than the entire kit) the only plus was the engraved panel lines. Otherwise I would go with one of the other cheaper kits mentioned in Jonathan's post.

[Eric2020]

Never buy the Italeri!! I have built the E model, but as above very poor fit, and above all very very very bad soft plastic, and breaking nosegear after some time as well. Also Italeri offers decals in the cockpit instead of doing an proper job on this scale.

[4scourge7]

Never buy the Italeri!! I have built the E model, but as above very poor fit, and above all very very very bad soft plastic, and breaking nosegear after some time as well. Also Italeri offers decals in the cockpit instead of doing an proper job on this scale.

The Italeri Eagle is a dog, it is true, but is not representitive of all their kits. Some are nice.

I have got to agree that top choice is Hasegawa, and aftermarket in the several places where it falls down such as burner cans and wheel wells, oh...and intake tunnels.

Cheers, Ian

[Eric2020]

From what I have seen Italeri is not doing its homework, and releases everytime an bad quality model. They detail their models on the outside, that is fact, but inside there is every time an lack of good detail, and for all their models from the past years the plastic used is terrible.

Started with the F-22, same with their F/A-18E, Grippen and more.

Doing their homework would mean they offer modellers an quality cockpit as Revell is offering and from the past monogram did and Hasagawa is offering as well.

Hopefully Italeri is considering to use other plastic if not, modellers are given an over expensive model without detail they want! :lol:

[Tomcat Fan]

What about Italeri Eagle in 1/48... have one in stash and it looks OK to me.. - no eagle expert..

[Josh1971]

What about Italeri Eagle in 1/48... have one in stash and it looks OK to me.. - no eagle expert..

See Eric's post (#10) above for what is probably the general consensus on the Italeri F-15 kits.

jb

[Tomcat Fan]

Yes I read it. THX on info,

[SteveV22FE]

I did the Tamiya F-15 and it wasn't as bad as the post above. Granted I did do a lot of work that I could have saved myself with a Hasegawa F-15.

You can see my review here: http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal5..._Eggers/00.shtm

Edited August 10, 2008 by SteveV22FE

[Jennings]

Everybody keeps talking about the "Revell" (and I'm assuming 1/48 here) kit. Be aware that Revell of the US did 1/48 F-15A kit in the 1970s, and Monogram (then an unrelated competitor to Revell) did an F-15A that came out in 1979.

I'm completely confused, but I can assume you guys are talking about the 1979 Monogram kit when you say "Revell". The true Revell F-15 is a very simplified kit with crude detail. The Monogram kit still has the most overall accurate shape of any F-15 kit (including the Tamiya 1/32 kits), but is soft on detail and very poor on fit.

J

[Tomcat Fan]

What about Italeri Eagle acuracy? how is it?

[kenlilly106]

Everybody keeps talking about the "Revell" (and I'm assuming 1/48 here) kit. Be aware that Revell of the US did 1/48 F-15A kit in the 1970s, and Monogram (then an unrelated competitor to Revell) did an F-15A that came out in 1979.

I'm completely confused, but I can assume you guys are talking about the 1979 Monogram kit when you say "Revell". The true Revell F-15 is a very simplified kit with crude detail. The Monogram kit still has the most overall accurate shape of any F-15 kit (including the Tamiya 1/32 kits), but is soft on detail and very poor on fit.

Considering that the Revell kit has been unavailable for a long time, I'm pretty sure we're talking about the Monogram kit that's now available in a Revell box.

One thing the Monogram kit is missing in the accuracy dept. is the blown canopy.

Ken

[Jennings]

What about Italeri Eagle acuracy? how is it?

See above, but do so while running away - fast.

J

[jenshb]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Hasegawa kit is the only single seater to provide the correct "bubble shape" of the canopy - the other kits do not have the split mould to enable the correct crossection.

Jens

[The_Animal]

Hasegawa is the first choice, then Revell.

Don

Whut he said...

[tomcatter727]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Hasegawa kit is the only single seater to provide the correct "bubble shape" of the canopy - the other kits do not have the split mould to enable the correct crossection.

Jens

fwiw academy has the bubble shape too.

[ElectroSoldier]

How is the Tamiya F-15C kit for overall accuracy?

I know its got the old style cans in it , but Ive got the Revell kit and look at them side by side in the box the Tamiya kit looks to be a better kit.

[Jonathan_Lotton]

The Tamiya kit has an incorrect canopy profile, as well as a slightly off nose profile. The Cockpit consists entire of decals, but if you're doing canopy down I suppose that wouldnt burn too much. The biggest problems with the Tamiya kit is the fuselage seam along the nose and fit issues with the wings. Overall..it's buildable, but I wouldnt choose it above Revell, Hasegawa or Academy.