GWH 1/48 F-15DJ Eagle Aggressor by Steve Pritchard

G.W.H.'s 1/48 scale

JASDF F-15DJ
Eagle Aggressor

by Steve Pritchard

JASDF F-15DJ Eagle Aggressor

Summary

G.W.H 1/48 F-15 B/D (Kit L4815)

Aftermarket Accessories

DXM decals JASDF F-15DJ Eagle Aggressor 2013 ((51-4122)
KA Models F-15C/D/E/K P&W Exhaust Nozzle Set Opened (MA-48031)
Scale Aircraft Conversions F-15 Eagle Landing Gear (48274)

Paints Used

Mr. Color C307 and C308 for the greys, lightened a little with flat white. A 50:50 mix of Mr. Color C72 and C66 for the green, and Tamiya XF-69 Nato Black for the black, all thinned with Mr. Color Levelling Thinners. Alclad shades Airframe Aluminium, Dark Aluminium for the metal areas. Tamiya Lacquer Paint LP9 clear was applied prior to decaling, and the finish coat is Wattyl Estapol Interior Polyurethane matt varnish.

Construction

Construction was fast and generally trouble free – the only issue I had was fitting the air intake ramps. I ended up with some small gaps in the interior parts where they join the fuselage. Fit of the wing undersides was excellent, no filler needed there. I left the vertical tails off until painting was complete to make access between them easier for painting – they needed a little paint touch up and small gaps filled with Micro Krystal Klear once fitted. I thinned down the horizontal stabilisers (thick trailing edges and overly pronounced surface details) and the flaps and ailerons.

Having largely completed assembly, I added the main undercarriage legs and discovered that the wheels seemed to adopt a very wide stance – in my efforts to correct this I damaged one beyond repair, hence the aftermarket replacement. I also ordered the replacement exhaust nozzles at the same time and these are much improved over the multiple part kit ones.

Painting and Markings

I had been keen to have one of the Japanese Aggressor Eagles in my collection for some time. I decided to use the GWH kit, provided it included the corrected parts that were issued following the initial release of the kit in 2013. Fortunately, Ilias of The 48ers.com, was able to send some photos which confirmed he had the corrected kit in stock. Once ordered, it arrived a week later from Cyprus.

I had already ordered the outstanding DXM decals – I originally intended to make the two-tone green machine 82-8092, but then saw pictures of 82-8091 on the web and just had to do that one despite it not being on the sheet. I wouldn’t say the result is entirely accurate but I am happy with it. I only had to make ‘1’s to replace the ‘2’s in the aircraft serial number – the other markings and stencils were straight off the DXM sheet. Getting the correct shade of green was difficult – as always, I found no two photos where it looked exactly the same., but in the end I settled for the 50:50 mix noted above. The Mr. Color paints mix well and spray beautifully with levelling thinner.

Conclusion

After 50 plus years, the F-15 Eagle remains one of those outstanding aircraft that just looks right. It will continue to be in service in one form or another for years to come. This GWH kit too is excellent in most areas - surface detail, fit and accuracy. It was a pleasure to build and a challenge to paint, and makes a colourful addition to the collection.

Steve Pritchard

Christchurch

New Zealand

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