SPA Modeler

Paul wrote:I may be able to jump in on this one
Ar 234, Me 262, F-35 and in the venerable 1/32 scale to boot.
A-7E in 48

That would be great Paul - any of those would be superb!

double post...

Well you know I'm in. One will be a F-16. Not sure on the any others as of yet.

Very cool and welcome aboard Mike.

I saw you're F-16 tail art post - can I assume that'll be one of them?

Yes it will. Texas ANG Viper.

Excellent - looking forward to it.

I probably am going to do that Tamiya F-15A Eagle I have in the stash - it's been calling to me of late. I don't however have any decals (the ones in the box are shot), so I'm open to suggestions (as long as it's standard USAF two tone grey) about what markings to put it in.

Stuart, there are plenty of markings out there for USAF Ghost Gray F-15As. I don’t know if any A models went to the darker two tone “mod Eagle” scheme during their later years. But during their life as the premier USAF air superiority fighter in the light & dark Ghost Gray, the only thing that really changed was the tail codes, unit & theater command badges, depending upon which wing, and the National Insignia went from original full color to stencil block outline low visibility style in the early to mid 80s.

Hi Carlos,

Ah, you learn something new everyday I didn't realise the grey scheme changed over the years. Being simplistic I thought they were all light grey with the darker grey area's over the wing uppers - I didn't know they were originally all over grey.

Caracal do a sheet called 'The Early Years' - I have to say I like the middle scheme, AND the high viz markings. (should be a hell of a lot easier to paint as well).



Cheers!

I do like that scheme...

The only USAF eagles that wore a monotone overall gray were some of the prototypes, which wore aircraft gray, 16473, along with orange high visibility markings, and the F-15E Strike Eagle, in overall Gunship Gray 36118. The earliest F-15As were “air superiority blue” which actually had gloss and flat areas. It was only worn by initial training and development units at Luke and Nellis AFBs. This was soon replaced by the two tone light and dark ghost grays, 36320 over 36375, very early in production. The photo you posted above is that scheme. In some lighting conditions, the demarcation is hard to make out, but it is barely visible in the photo. Black Tail codes were never used on the air superiority blue Eagles, only white. In the mid 90s, the darker two tone “mod Eagle” scheme was introduced for the A and C (air superiority mission) F-15s.