CELEBRATING 37 YEARS OF THE F-15 EAGLE

The F-15 Eagle is a mighty popular subject for kit makers, and there's been a huge number of kits in all scales put out since the first flight of the twin-jet interceptor, back on July 27, 1972. SMN could do a thick book on them (and maybe we will) but today, let's just take a snapshot of what's out there.

So here is a trio of Eagles, three among many! First off (top picture) is a ‘trad’ plastic kit from Airfix in the form of the good value 1:72 scale ‘Then and Now’ twin kit of an F-15E Strike Eagle and P-51D Mustang. Both are acceptable kits, if not leading edge, but at the reasonable £16.99 GBP ($27.88 USD), who’s complaining. They would look impressive together on a diorama scene, perhaps as they might appear on an air show flight line.

Guillows (middle picture) presents an unusual take on modelling, with a balsa wood skeleton display model, to 1:40 scale. The choice of material is a contradiction in terms - a wooden Eagle anyone? - but it builds into a impresive display piece, with a big 324 mm (12.75 in) wingspan.

Last but not least comes a ducted-fan Eagle (bottom) from Freewing - and wow, what a performer for radio-control fans. As the video shows, this Eagle is controllable even in gusty conditions, and can blast through the skies at 112 km/h (70 mph). The pre-painted kit comes complete with everything you need to fly, except batteries, at £169.


Airfix kits are available from Amazon here.
Visit Guillows here.
Nitrotek markets the Freewing F-15 here.

BOX ART: IS ACADEMY THE BEST?

Here at SMN we’re huge fans of beautiful boxes – kit boxes, that is. Way back in the 1960s and ’70s, Airfix led the way with the remarkable work of the renowned British artist, Roy Cross. Then Japanese companies like Tamiya came on the scene with their take on what a box should look like. Hasegawa’s Shigeo Koike also has compilation art books that are hot favourites with connoisseurs of the genre.

So which kit company leads the pack today? As ever, art style is a matter of personal taste, but we reckon that Academy’s boxes are well up to the pace, with gorgeous paintings that glow with colour and, more importantly, show detail and markings particularly clearly. They are not so much hard-sell images, more frameable paintings, with dynamic views and angles that work especially well with subjects like combat aircraft in action.

And talking of Academy, its new 1:48 F-15 Eagle in Republic of Korea (ROK) markings, looks like a winner. The pictures here show stunning levels of detail for your delectation. It’s really apparent how much work has gone into this F-15, when you study the weapons fit, and the sparkling precision of the tailpipes. A real gem for F-15 fans, it will be available shortly from various retailers and online sellers, including Model Hobbies.