Tamiya F-15E Strike Eagle 1:32

Into the build…

The nose section is separate to the main centre fuselage section and screws into place with the metal screws provided – all once assembled, detailed and painted.

As you can see in the cockpit images I have, the side consoles and main panels are very nice having well defined raised detail. You just need to paint the base light Interior Grey and darker grey panels. some subtle dry-brushing and spot painting brings it all to life. The MFD panels in front of the pilot can be enhanced using the map decals provided, although, in fairness the displays are off when the aircraft systems are shut down and the square units tend to take on a deep green/grey solid look.

The ACES II ejection seats are nice and just need some seat belts, plus a few other small additions if you wish. The belts you see here are scratched using metal foil (old wine bottle tops) rubbed down over a rasp file to create some texture. I had some PE buckles in the spares box (Reheat I think) and these look pretty realistic I think when added.

To finish off the seats some Eduard 1:48 (I think their 1:32 ones look over-scale) RBF tags add some colour as do a few other small additions I have seen in cockpit photos.

Now that the main cockpit tub is finished it can go into the fuselage – just follow the instructions and you can’t go far wrong.

Nose – multiple options

You certainly get a few options in this kit and one of these is whether to have the nose cone open, revealing a well-detailed radar within. I did choose to do that this time, although I’m generally a fan of doing this as it spoils the sleek lines of many jets. You could add some fine sections of wire to the protrusions on the bulkhead behind the radar to add a bit of finesse, although I passed on this model.

Avionics bay

I love the way Tamiya has provided the option for an open avionics bay on the front port side of the fuselage. The detail within is good but of you add some wiring that is visible on the real aircraft, it looks much better.

Here’s a photo of this area on my finished model – looks okay, doesn’t it?

As I say, the cockpit is added to the forward fuselage halves and I’ve temporarily added the seats so you can get an idea of how it will all look, although these are best left aside safely for now to avoid damage while handling, what will become a large model :)

Intakes