MDD Eagle F.1 (RAF F-15)

[kitnut617]

So I've started my RAF F-15, I have read that had it gone ahead it would have had UK equipment installed.  What I read sort of insinuated that the radar for it would have been what eventually appeared in the Tornado ADV and that Skyflash would have been used along with Sidewinders and eventually have AMRAAM and ASRAAM.

First part was to source a radome from a Tornado and Trevor (Howard of Effingham) was kind enough to send me one.  This radome is about the same dimension top to bottom as the F-15's, but side to side it's wider.  Top and second down pic below shows I've made some razor saw cuts after I cut the original radome off, these cuts went as far back as a panel line that lines up with the leading edge of the windshield.  I then carefully prized the fuselage sides outwards until they lined up with the Tornado radome diameter.

[kitnut617]

Next thing on the agenda was to sort out the exhaust nozzles, Evan had suggested something like a Mirage 2000 nozzle but in the end I went with a pair of F110 engine nozzles.  These I had to make some castings of using an F-16N nozzle as a base.  These pics show my nozzles, bottom one shows I was able to cast the nozzles with the rear of the engine in place, although that was a bit tricky trying to extract the part from the mould..

[ChernayaAkula]

This is gonna be nice!  :)

[kitnut617]

For the weapons of choice, I'm going to go with a UK developed BVR missile for the main armament.  The story is that the UK couldn't get the AIM-54 so decided to go with their own.  I'm thinking that a missile based on the Martel/Sea Eagle frame would be about right.

These pics show what I had done to a couple of Martels I have.  I decided to go with a jet engine version and they will be mounted on the conformal tank.  I had made these up a few years ago for another project but they'll work quite well for this one.

[kitnut617]

This is gonna be nice!  :)

Thanks, that's what I'm hoping Moritz   :)

[Jeffry Fontaine]

This is gonna be nice!  :)

^ what he said :)

Your trick to match the Tornado radome up with the F-15 forward fuselage is neat, never would have thought of something like that so thank you for showing me alternative solutions to solving a problem.

Would the MARTEL/Sea Eagle be capable of maneuvering to intercept a fast moving target? 

What about a ramjet powered MARTEL/Sea Eagle since you are turning it into an air to air missile? 

What would be a fitting name for such a missile?  Need to come up with something catchy for a name. 

[elmayerle]

Use the basic Martel airframe with a more pointy nose and an integral-rocket-ramjet for propulsion (or just have them license the un-used Vought LVRJ concept).

This is definitely going to look quite interesting and, if GE and RR had teamed earlier, I could see the Eagle F.1 with F110's since RR didn't build anything in that thrust range.

[FAAMAN]

I really lookin' forward to this, brilliant idea!!!!

[kitnut617]

Thanks guys,

I'm not going to deviate much more than I have from the basic F-15B/E, except for the weapons fit.  In a 'mystery box' of kits I got the other day was a 1/72 Hasegawa F-14A, I found that it had the wing glove pylon adapters for the AIM-54s it could carry on these stations.  I'm going to use the adapters for the AIM Martels and position them on the conformal tank right where the main hanger is for the MERs that the F-15E prototype had.  It seems to position the MER/adapter right about the load cg, judging by where the rest of the F-15E load is. 

I'm going to go with two pylons per wing, the main ones will have the tank and two ASRAAMs on each, and for the outer pylons, a twin AIM-120 set-up.  While looking through my spare decal and instruction sheets that I keep, I found I have a 1/48 instruction sheet for a Monogram F-15C. Odd because I've never built one (or even had one for that matter) and for the life of me, I don't remember where I got it from.  Anyway, this instruction sheet shows an outer pylon with an ECM pod on it, so now I know what the pylon looks like and more importantly, where it went!

[kitnut617]

Use the basic Martel airframe with a more pointy nose and an integral-rocket-ramjet for propulsion (or just have them license the un-used Vought LVRJ concept).

This is definitely going to look quite interesting and, if GE and RR had teamed earlier, I could see the Eagle F.1 with F110's since RR didn't build anything in that thrust range.

My original workings of the missile had a sort of ramjet set-up, but I changed it to a pure jet.  Bottom pic shows a comparison between the Martel and AIM-54. The two white Martels come from the Airfix MRCA (pre-Tornado) kit, the grey Martel comes from the Airfix Buccaneer kit and for some reason is much shorter than the other two.

[kitnut617]

I was able to keep the puttying to a minimum although after a primer coat of paint shows I need to touch it up in a couple of places.

[Volkodav]

Very interesting........

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Looking good Robert.  Have you given any consideration to changing over to the probe and drogue style aerial refueling feature?  Just to make it more unique :)

[kitnut617]

Yes Jeff, I think the probe would definitely be a must, I'll try to scribe an appropriate panel on the forward fuselage side about in line with the windshield, pretty much the same as what the Tornado F.3 got.  Evan had made the suggestion of having a probe in the port wing glove box but I think the whole probe would be way too long even if it was extendable.

[GTX_Admin]

Plenty of discussion re that here:  http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=838.0

I personally would go with something like the Tornado's external set up.

[taiidantomcat]

Had me at F110 

[Brian da Basher]

That's one of the best nose jobs I've seen yet!

This one's gonna be fun to watch!

Brian da Basher

[kitnut617]

Seeing as I'm in the 'civvie' GB, I need my 'military' fix:

I've been working on my weapons load-out, going with two pylons per wing and one off each conformal tank.

On each outer pylon will be two AMRAAM's which will hang down off a pair of launch rails where the outer rail will have the passive radar detector on the front and flare dispenser at the rear, then on each inner pylon will be the drop tank and two ASRAAM. The two pylons off the conformal tanks will have what I'm calling ALRAAM's    I haven't totally decided on their position at the moment, while there's plenty of clearance below the missile to the ground, the main wheels are a tad close for what I'd call ideal. It's a work in progress ----

I've found some Martin Baker Mk.7 seats in the spares box so I'll go with those in the cockpit.  The nose has ended a bit longer though, scale wise it's about 18" longer.

In the Hasegawa F-15E kit, it has a couple of extras to replace the pointed end of the tail booms with some sort of detector canister which looks like what's on the front of the launch rail.  I'm going to have these as the rear looking PRD

[Old Wombat]

Looking good, kitnut! :)

[kitnut617]

Thanks mate!

I have to wonder what all the hype is about Hasegawa kits, this particular one is a right bitch to put together. Overly complicated and parts that just don't fit (I'm talking about the conformal tanks which don't fit very conformally)

[GTX_Admin]

Seeing as I'm in the 'civvie' GB, I need my 'military' fix:

Oh, don't worry…I van arrange for you to get a "military fix"…

[kitnut617]

already way past that style Greg  (on the right)

[GTX_Admin]

And what do you call that growth on your face man?  This isn't the Navy you know!

[kitnut617]

Yuk! Yuk! 

[kitnut617]

Not much of an update, been working on the other conformal tank trying to get it to fit. A lot of sanding and use of the hobby knife which is unusual for a Hasegawa kit.

Managed to f*&k up my two ALRAAM pylons, well one of them. Was trying to move the second one to the very corner of the conformal tank but took too much off it.  Got to work out the easiest way to fix it now ---