1/72 Hasegawa Boeing F-15C California ANG

Gallery Article by Jean-Charles Goddet on Jan 31 2020

 

      

This model is an Hasegawa 1/72 USAF F-15C from a standard box. I decided to show this bird with an attractive paint scheme from California Air National Guard 194th Fighter Squadron 144th Fighter Wing based at Fresno ANG base, CA in January 2016. This special scheme represents bird serial number 78-0480 F-15C block 21 manufactured by Boeing St Louis in 1978 (460 ieth specimen coming from the assembling chain). I used decals sheet from Two Bobs 72-103 an American company very well known, decals are very accurate (I like eagle diving paint). This scheme is special because at this time the jet is still wearing an aggressor camouflage because it was an ex 65th aggressor squadron plane from Nellis NV just after the closing of this squadron. I followed Two Bobs instructions regarding colors, I used acrylics from a polish brand named Hataka grey A157 FS36251 for radome and leading edges, Brown A160 FS30140 and Desert Sand A068 FS30279 for camouflage. The engines are painted gun metal for external exhaust and metallic silver for lower maintenance doors, flat white for ceramic inside engines exit. I added a hard weathering with AMMO products (panel lines juice, hydraulics leakage on flaps, aluminium scatches on attack edges and refuelling door). I used matt varnish to finish the model.

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I show the bird with two external fuel tanks painted in standard grey, and an empty central pylon and with no armament under each wing pylons. I also show the canopy and airbrake opened, the cockpit is from the box with no resin part addition. It was a pleasure to build a so attractive and decorated plane (it is sad but now it was repainted in two tones standard USAF greys more useful for air superiority mission). I scratch built some antennas to be accurate to the last improvement of F-15 family (dorsal GPS and nose antenna).

This particular squadron even ANG aviators are "week end militaries" is regularly deployed outside USA (Canada, Ukraine, Finland see patches) and at the time I write this article it is deployed for exercise at Hawaii. I hope you will enjoy my model and pictures.

"California Love" 

Jean-Charles Goddet

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Photos and text © by Jean-Charles Goddet