The Mudhen Returns To Mideast

Historical Background

The F-X fighter programme which resulted in the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle was specifically tailored for air superiority mission with little consideration for air to ground missions (hence the phrase 'not a pound for air to ground'). The opposition by the F-15 Special Project Office in The Pentagon caused McDonnell Douglas to quietly work on the interdiction version of the Eagle envisioning it as a replacement for the F-111, the (then) remaining Phantoms and to augment existing Eagles. In 1978, the USAF initiated the Tactical All-Weather Requirement Study (TAWRS) which, amomng others, looked at McDonnell Douglas's proposal. The study recommended that the Eagle as the USAF's future strike platform and in 1979, McDonnell Douglas and Hughes teamed up to develop the F-15's air-to-ground capabilities. An F-15B, serial number 71-0291 was modified to act as a demonstrator and was first displayed at the Farnborough Air Show in 1980.

In March 1981, the USAF announced the Enhanced Tactical Fighter (later renamed Dual-Role Fighter) programme to procure a replacement for the F-111. The programme envisioned an aircraft capable of flying deep air interdiction missions without additional electronic support and fighter escort. McDonnell Douglas submitted its now-named F-15E while General Dynamics submitted the F-16XL. After a lengthy evaluation programme, the F-15E was chosen as the winner on 24 February 1984. Key factors in the selection of the F-15E over the F-16XL include lower development costs, belief that the F-15E had future growth potential and twin-engine redundancy. The first officially-completed F-15E was first flown on 31 March 1987 and the first production aircraft was delivered to the 405th Tactical Training Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona in April 1988. The USAF contracted for a total of 400 F-15Es (later revised to 392).

The F-15E Strike Eagle, although optimized for air-to-ground missions, retains the full air-to-air combat capabilities of the original Eagle. Although the prototype was basically a modified F-15B, production F-15Es have significant structural changes and using much more powerful engines (originally Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 rated at 105.7 kN with afterburner, later the Dash 229 version rated at129.7 kN with afterburner). The rear cockpit position is 'missionised' to allow the WSO to work the air-to-ground avionics (while still having flight controls, allowing the WSO to pilot the aircraft should it become necessary). Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs), containing 2,800 liters of fuel (in addition to the original  internal tankage) on either sides of the fuselage gave the Strike Eagle its long legs at a slight cost in drag and performance. The APG-70 radar system incorporates Doppler Beam Sharpening, Mapping and Synthetic Aperture Radar modes to enhance operational capabilities. One feature of the system is that it can 'freeze' the air-to-ground radar map and then goes back to air-to-air mode to check for aerial threats. In addition, the WSO is able to designate ground targets while the pilot engages aerial targets. The APG-70 was replaced by the APG-82 AESA radar beginning in 2014.

The F-15E carries most air-to-ground weaponry in the USAF inventory, from 'dumb' Mk 80 series bombs to precision strike JDAMs. Since it inherits the original Eagle's counter-air capabilities, they regularly carry air-to-air missiles and trained for counter-air missions. Precision delivery of weapons by day or at night and in poor weather was made possible by the use of LANTIRN pods mounted externally. The targeting pod (AN/AAQ-14, AN/AAQ-28 LITENING or AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod) contains a laser designator that can mark an enemy's position from as far away as 16 kilometers. The AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod  contains a terrain-following radar to allow the aircraft to fly safely at very low altitude and it even allows a hands-off terrain-following capability. The pod also contains a FLIR for night or low-visibility flight conditions. Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS) integrates all the countermeasures available (RWR, chaff, flare, radar jammer). An AN/ALQ-131 ECM pod can be carried if required.

The F-15E, dubbed Strike Eagle (or more popularly, the Beagle ('bomb eagle') or Mud Hen) achieved initial operational capability on 30 September 1989 with the 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing at Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina. The Strike Eagles were first deployed for combat during Operation Desert Storm conducting diverse targets, from mobile Scud missile launchers to fortified bunkers. They were also involved in 'tank plinking' attack missions prior to the start of the Coalition's ground offensive. An air-to-air 'kill' was scored on 14 February 1991, when an F-15E hit a flying/hovering Mil Mi-24 with a GBU-10 laser-guided bomb. USAF F-15Es continue to be deployed in various operations such as during Operations Northern & Southern Watch, Operation Deny Flight, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Odyssey Dawn and Operation Inherent Resolve.

The Strike Eagle also enjoyed export success with variants being sold to Israel (F-15I Ra'am), South Korea (F-15K Slam Eagle), Saudi Arabia (F-15S/SA) , Singapore (F-15SG) and Qatar (F-15QA). Proposed variants include F-15SE Silent Eagle incorporating internal weapons carriage and use of radar-absorbent materials. Israel and Saudi Arabia have also used their Beagles in combat.

The Kit

Despite being in service since 1989, the F-15E received a rather cool attention from model kit companies. The 1/48 fraternity is quite well served with a number of kits depicting the E version but the 1/72 community was less so with the prototype-feature kit from Hasegawa (who then, true their policy, re-released it a number of times). The same goes with Airfix, Academy and Italeri. In 2011, Fujimi came up with a new-tool Beagle. While having all the 'E' features, it unfortunately suffered by being overscale, something around 1/66 rather than 1/72. In 2012, Hasegawa finally decided to do a new-tool F-15E in 1/72 scale. And now we have a relative newcomer, Great Wall Hobbies with their rendition and I think this kit is a worthy rival to the Hasegawa kit. First impression is good with parts displaying crisp recessed lines and nice (for 1/72 and in plastic) raised details. Unlike Hasegawa the GWH offering has a more contemporary ordnance to be hung beneath the model. Decals provide markings for three aircraft:

1. 87-0173 'Shark Mouth', 391st Fighter Squadron 'Bold Tigers', 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, 2002

2. 87-0169 'Tiger Lead', 391st Fighter Squadron 'Bold Tigers', 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, 2002

3. 89-0488 ' 336th Fighter Squadron 'Rocketeers', 4th Fighter Wing, Al-Udeid AB, Qatar 2003.

Construction

As usual with aircraft kits, construction started at the cockpit. The seats while having better details than kit-supplied parts of yore, still cannot compete against resin aftermarket ones. nevertheless I still used them for this build.  The cockpit features nice raised details, which although not mentioned, must be sanded off if one wants to use the decals for the instrument panels. I just applied them over the riased details. Also, GWH forgot to mention in their instructions about two further decals that needed to be placed for the WSO's office  And, as per my usual style, the parts for the cockpit were painted while still on their sprues. After the cockpit has been compeleted, the forward fuselage halves were closed together. While the forward bulkhead was used, I left off the radar parts as they won't be visible anyway. Modelling clay was then filled into the nose cavity to act as ballast, just in case. The intake tunnels have the vanes inside it but there are no actual locating holes and I opted not to add them.

GWH thoughtfully include the steps to build the model in flying pose so take note of the relevant parts to build the model with its wheels down. The main upper fuselage was assembled and was the attached to the lower fuselage/FAST pack. However GWH did not indicate holes to be drilled for the pylons (although I should have known better). I managed to pry back the wings and drilled the holes underneath the wings but it was too late for the fuselage bottom. The forward fuselage was the jointed to the main fuselage. The fairing behind the cockpit was then added. and, almost predictably, resulted in a number of seams. The exhausts were left off at this time. The fin tips are needlessly separate. The tangential pylons are butt-jointed to the sides - there are engraved marks to help you. Funnily enough, the instructions ask you to drill holes for them. Thankfully, holes have already been pre-drilled for the long pylons. The tabs to mount ordnance were however removed from most of the  pylons.

Painting and Decalling

While fighter Eagles were painted two-tone greys, the 'Bomb Eagle' was painted a uniform dark grey, specifically, FS 36118 Gunship Grey. The paint used was Vallejo AIr 71.097. The metallic end of the fuselage was painted Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf with certain parts were painted Mr. Color Super Titanium or Super Iron 2. The exhaust petals were painted Gunze Burnt Iron while the insides were painted Flat White. The ordnance were painted Olive Drab although somewhat bafflingly GWH suggested Gunship grey for the GBU-15. After the paint has dried, it was time for the decals. My selection is somewhat affected by the rather arbitrary weapons load selection suggested by GWH, which I think was influenced by the now-defunct F15e.info website. As I wanted to have a rather 'heavy' load, the third option was taken. The decals looked rather thick and several stencil decals shared the same carrying film. While somewhat shortening the decalling proces in theory, one might end up with large patches of silvering. I end up cutting up most of them into separate pieces, leaving just the decals for some 'No Step' stencils and the group on both sides of the cockpit.

Another issue with decals is concerned with the coloured strip at the top of the fins. GWH printed them in a way that they are all of the same orientation. Two of the four need to be printed facing the same side with the other two on the decal sheet. The way they are actually printed, the decals for the port fin inner right fin outer could not be used and I had to paint the relevant strips.  The decals were then bedded down with an application of Mr. Mark Softer. The panel lines between the control surfaces and the body were enhanced using AK Interactive Paneliner while the rst of the panel lines were slightly enhanced using a pencil. The inside of the exhausts were then weathered using Tamiya Modeling Master Soot.

Finishing

I started by assembling the landing gears. As usual in 1/72 and with models of modern planes, they are quite fiddly during assembly. After  being painted and weathered, they were attached to the model. Fit is quite tight and I ended up having a splayed main landing gears. After some trimming, they are now straight, perpendicular to the fuselage. Also, GWH moulded the main wheel tyres 'weighted'. However the instructions mis-pair the wheel halves and you might end up having a flat spot at the top of on one half of the wheel. Once the model stands on its legs, I added the weapons, pods and external tanks. I however use the Sidewinders and an AMRAAM from Hasegawa's US Aircraft Weapon Set V. The GBU-15 can easily be converted into AGM-130 simply by using adding part (which was marked as 'not used' in the instructions. If you still want have the weapon as a GBU-15, fill the holes at the bottom of the bomb. Next up is the canopy. I forgot to mention that there is a gap between the windscreen and the fuselage which needed filling. There was no problem encountered when fitting the canopy to the fuselage but by this time you realise that the tranparencies are pretty thick, especially when the canopy is in the open position. Finally the blade aerials were fitted and the build is finished.

Conclusion

The kit itself does not have any deal-breaker or any noticeable shortcomings and is a good alternative to the Hasegawa kit. The instructions however is a different matter and suffer from a number of mistakes. It probably wouldn't faze seasoned modellers but would probably cause some problems to newcomers to the hobby. Also the GWH kit, like the Hasegawa kit, only provide markings and ordnance and sensor options appropriate to the Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom era (like clearly stated in the kit's sub-title). Aftermarket stuff were needed to to display the model in a more contemporary setting.

Cik Mek Su!

Historical Background

In 1969, the Soviets learned of the USAF's F-X program which eventually resulted in the F-15 Eagle. They realised that this new fighter would represent a serious technological advantage over contemporary Soviet fighters. In response, the Soviet General Staff issued a requirement for a Perspektivny Frontovoy Istrabitel (Prospective/Advanced Frontline Fighter). Specifications include a long range, good short-field / austere field performance, excellent agility, heavy armament and speed in excess of Mach 2+. The Central Aerohydrodynamic Instiute (TsAGI) in collaboration with the Sukhoi design Bureau would carry out the aerodynamic design of the new aircraft. The specifications however proved too challenging  and costly for one airframe and in the numbers needed. The specifications were therefore split into two: Lyogyi (light) PFI, which eventually resulted in the MiG-29 and the Tyazholyi (heavy) PFI.

The TPFI was assigned to the Sukhoi OKB which came out as the T-10 which first flew on 20 May 1977. Spotted by Western observers, it was the NATO reporting name 'Flanker-A'. The development program however was bugged with numerous technical problems resulting in a number of crashes and extensive redesigns. Production Su-27 (NATO: Flanker-B) began to enter operational service in June 1985 although problems still persist. It officially entered service in August 1990. Su-27s served with both the Frontal Aviation and Voyska-PVO. Although possesing a good range, the Su-27 still did not have enough range for Voyska-PVO which needed to cover the vast expanse of the Soviet Union. Sukhoi hence developed the Su-27PU, an improved Su-27 capable of serving as a long-range interceptor and as a sort of an airborne command post, supporting the original Su-27, MiG-31 or other manned interceptors of the Voyska-PVO. The two-seat Su-27UB combat trainer was used as the basis as it had the performance of the single-seat Su-27 while two crewmembers were needed for long-range missions. The first Su-27PU flew on 31 December 1989 at Sukhoi's Irkutsk facility.

Known to NATO as the 'Flanker-C', the Su-27PU entered production in 1992. By this time, it was being developed into a multi-role combat aircraft with an eye towards the export market. In 1996, Russian authorities gave it a new designation, the Su-30. The new aircraft was aerodynamically and in general, structurally similar to the Su-27. A combination of low wing loading and powerful basic FBW controls make the Flankers an exceptionally agile aircraft as evidenced by the airshow maneuvers of Pugachev Cobra, tailslide and dynamic decelaration. The use of thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles and canards on some versions of the Su-30 gave even better maneuverability. Although not yet seen in combat trainings, the maneuvers mentioned above have potential combat usage as the rapidly decelerating Su-30 can cause its pursuer to overshoot, as well as breaking the the Doppler radar lock as the relative speed of the Su-30 drops below the radar detection threshold.

The Su-30 is powered by a pair of Saturn (formerly Lyulka) AL-31F low-bypass turbofans, each rated at 28,000 lb thrust. The basic Su-30MK (Modernizirovannyi Kommercehskiy = modernised commercial) is able to fly a 4.5 hour mission at a range of 3,000 km. Inflight refuelling  increases the range to 5,200 km or to a duration of 10 hours. As with the Su-27, the Su-30 is equipped a multi-mode pulse-Doppler radar with track-while-scan and look-down/shoot-down capability. It was also equipped with a OLS-27 IRST system in the nose (offset to the right) allowing an emission-free target detection at a range of 100 km. A single GSh-30-1 30mm cannon (with 150 rounds) forms the fixed armament while external stores can be hung beneath 10 hardpoints. In general, the Su-30 has two distinct versions produced by organisations under the Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO) produces the Su-30MKK and MK2 versions tailored for both air-superiority and attack missions and generally similar to the F-15E while Irkut Corporation produces the Su-30MKI and its derivatives. Irkut-designed Su-30s have enhanced features for the air superiority role such as canards, thrust vectoring and long-range phased-array radar.

In 2003, the Royal Malaysian Air Force selected Irkut's Su-30 design to fulfil its requirement for a multi-role combat aircraft. A contract worth US$900 million for 18 aircraft was signed in August that year and the first two Su-30MKM (Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Malaysia) was handed over to RMAF on 24 May 2007. Based on the Indian Air Force Su-30MKI, the MKM has the same engines with thrust vector control and digital FBW system. The MKM however incorporated canards and differs in avionics; Thales of France provided the HUD, NAVFLIR and the Damocles targeting pod. Main sensor is NIIP N011M Bars PESA radar with an aerial search range of 400 km (front) and 60 km (rear). Tracking range is 200 km with up to 15 aerial targets tracked at once and four engaged simultaneously. EW systems are Russian, including KNIRTI SAP-518 jamming pods. The Su-30MKMs are also equipped with South African SAAB Avitronics missile approach warning system (MAWS) and laser warning system (LWS). Weaponry include R-27, R-73 and R-77 air-to-air missiles, Kh-31 anti-ship / anti-radar missiles, Kh-59 Ovod TV-guided stand-off missiles, KAB series laser-guided bombs and FAB series free-fall bombs.

The Kit

Trumpeter first came up with a 1/72 Flanker family when they released the J-11 kit in 2011. This was followed by the release of the Su-27, Su-27UB and this kit in 2012. Apparently reduced in scale from their earlier 1/32 Su-30MKK kit, the 1/72 kit contains 110 parts spread among 13 light grey and 2 clear sprue trees, four decal sheets (one for the weapons, one for cockpit instrument panel faces, one for stencils and essential markings and one for distinctive markings and serial numbers). The parts are well-moulded with nice engraved lines and raised details where appropriate. The canopy and the airbrake are positionable and Sorbitsya ECM pods were provided as an alternative to the wingtip missile launch rails. Weapons fit provided the usual Russian air-to-air weaponry  (4 Archers, 4 IR Alamos, 4 radar-guided Alamos, 4 Adders). The air-to-ground-weapon is however a bit of a disappointment with just a pair of KH-31s (the box art shows a pair of Kh-59 with APK-9 datalink pod in addition to the Kryptons). Decals provide markings for two aircraft although no details were provided as to their identity.

I however intended to finish the model as a RMAF Su-30MKM. While the kit provided some basics (twin-wheel nose gear and the offset IRST ball), other, more significant features would have to be provided by the modeler him/herself. The job seemed too daunting for me and the kit were set aside for months while I tackled other projects. Fortunately, a fellow modeller, Nazaruddin Hashim owner of Naza Model Art, came up with a resin conversion set. The set consists of new LEXs with canards, extended-chord tails, TVC nozzles in 'rest' position and the various bumps and bulges. While the resin parts feature nice engraved and raised lines, there are some air bubbles and imperfections especially on the canards and the tails. Small matter though, just a short session with sandpaper and putty should solve it (the IFF aerials were not included and have to be scratchbuilt by the modeler). For markings I use a decal sheet from Fishbone Inc and the now-defunct VFA Productions.

Construction

I started by washing and cleaning up the conversion parts, removing surface blemish and any mould release agent. Afterwards, I cut out the existing LEX and part of the forward fuselage. The conversion parts follow the base kit's panel lines so knowing where to cut was not a problem especially for the upper fuselage. The lower fuselage however does not have panel lines to follow but the way NMA moulded the replacement LEX makes it easier to mark the areas to be removed. I left the LEX ('shoulders') aside for a while and I turned my attention to the cockpit. The RMAF is very secretive about the interior of its combat airplanes and photos of the interior are very rare. However, a Russian website have the photos of the cockpit during the handing over ceremony for the first two airframes completed and they were used as guides (photos of Indian Su-30MKIs are also useful). The cockpit was painted overall grey ( I'm not sure of the shade so I used Gunze H306. The dashboards are different from the kit decals so I painted (badly!) the MFD screens, cut the instrument decal and place dots of white paint to represent knobs and dials. I however used the kit's side instrument panels.

The fuselage can now be closed, but before that, holes were drilled into the lower half of the wings. While the instructions have you put the exhausts (which have the rear face of the engines moulded on), I really think that they were not needed in this build as the downward angle of the resin TVC blocked the view (not to mention the resin construction themselves). To accommodate the TVCs, the locating lips were removed from the fuselage. The new shoulders were then put in place and needless to say, putty was required to close the gap between the new parts and the fuselage. The canards were however left off at this time. The intake tunnels were next. The solid (with raised framing details) FOD guard were replaced with mesh from my still-unbuilt Tamiya Type 10. It may not look like much but I believe it was way better than the originals (I think it is the best if there is a smaller pitch mesh to represent the actual screen - the larger pitch mesh merely act as the frame). A piece containing the turbine faces was included but I did not attach it as they were quite hidden inside the intake tunnel (it would be totally invisible if the original solid FOD screens were used).

At this time, I decided to leave the tailplanes and ventral fins off to ease painting the unpainted metal areas. The MAWS and LWS antennas were cut from the casting blocks and placed on the model. The conversion kit does not include any instructions as to the placements of these items but there are plenty of photos on the internet for reference. The four LWS bulges came in two sizes : the larger pair went to the sides of the air intakes while the smaller ones went to the front fuselage. The intakes have faint engravings of something (I think it should not be there as MKKs do not have antennas or other electronic 'bumps' in the area) which helps in the placement, more or less. Before supergluing the fins, I deepened the separation line between the rudder and the fin as I think they are too shallow and being too similar with the rest of the panel lines. The fins are not interchangeable - the starboard side has bumps on both sides of the upper half. I tried to drill out the base of the fins for the heat exchanger air intakes but only managed to do so for the port fin (the starboard-side vent is quite small and I don't have a small enough drill bit to drill it out). Thin strips of plastic were cut and positioned on the radome to represent the 'bird slicer' IFF aerials. This was done before radome was cemented to the fuselage to ease handling. The TVC exhaust nozzles were superglued to the fuselage and before I forgot, RWR aerials were cemented to the wing leading edge ( I cut the aerials on the original kit fins and sanded them to size).

Painting and Decalling

I started by painting the radome first, using a mix of Tamiya XF-83 Medium Sea Grey and XF-20 Medium Grey. The unpainted exhaust areas were painted a base of Burnt Iron and the access panels were painted Silver. The front half of the bottom portion look brass-ish in photos, so Mr. Color Silver and Brass were mixed and applied. For the main colour, earlier builds of Su-30MKM models used Medium Sea Grey but a modelling friend suggests that Gunze 337 (FS 35237 Blue Grey) is a closer match. Thinking all paints are created equal (or nearly equal), I used Vallejo 71.114. It looked too bluish and I have to strip it off and used Gunze's version of FS 35237. The leading edge of the fins and the lower half of the ventral fins were painted Medium Sea Grey (Tamiya XF-83) while the dielectric fin caps were painted Medium Gunship Grey (Vallejo 71.097). The nose wheel well is of a yellowish colour which I was not able to pin down so it was simply painted H3317 like the rest of the wells.

As for the markings, I used a mix of decals from Fishbone Inc and VFA Productions and also the kit decals. The Fishbone decals only provide markings for M52-14 with its special tail colour scheme during LIMA 2017 while I wanted to do a line bird. So, the VFA bort and tail numbers were used. I however have to use the Fishbone TUDM roundel (as only they have the 'light blue outside' roundel) even though it has a slight registration problem. A number of Fishbone's stencil decals also have the same registration problems so they were substituted with the kit decals whenever possible. Also some of the decals in the Fishbone sheet were not shown in the instructions so I have to quite constantly refer to photos for the actual placement. At the same time not all of the kit-supplied decals are used on the MKM.So it kind of slowed down the decalling process.

Finishing

As usual, the final stretch started by cementing the landing gears into place. The ventral fins were next. Their tabs however did not fit into the slots, necessitating a cut and basically just butt-jointing them to the fuselage. The various pylons were then cemented to their locations. I decided to use the wingtip ECM pods for my model. They however represent Sorbtsiya, rather than SAP-518 pods used by RMAF. Apparently, the latter has a wider girth than the former (I think). While that can't be helped, the least I can do is to modify the Sorbtsiya pod to look like the SAP-518 by removing and/or relocating details on the pods. As for the weapons loadout, as I have mentioned before, the weapons selection is quite disappointing considering that the real SU-30 is an MRCA. I intended to have my model in SEAD mode with four Kh-31s. As Trumpeter provided only two of the Kryptons, I robbed the other two from my Italeri Su-34. Alas, it was in vain as the Italeri Kryptons were too large. I ended up using the kit Kryptons on the intake pylons, R-77s on the tunnel pylons and two R-27Ts, another pair of R-77s and two R-73s on the wing pylons.

The model then received highlights to the panel lines while the metallic exhaust areas received smoke- and blue-coloured washes to replicate heat staining (or something like that). The more vulnerable parts such as pitot probes and aerials were then cemented. I love having my 1/72 planes having their canopy raised. The kit doesn't allow that so I cut off part of the airbrake raising mechanism, drill a hole at the back of cockpit, stick the cut part and voila! Raised canopy! (Yes it might not be accurate I know). The canards were last and they were superglued in a canted position like can be seen on the real aircraft. 

Conclusion

Previously, modellers wanting to build a Su-30MKM (or for that matter, any canard- and TVC-equipped Su-30) would have to use the earlier Su-27UB kit from Academy plus donor parts from other kits and most often, having to scratchbuild them. The Trumpeter kit allows a basic Su-30 to be made OOB while NMA's conversion kit allows further modification into the MKM version (it can also be made into the basis for any other MKI-type SU-30). While the conversion part (probably in my copy only) suffer from tiny blisters on the surface, it still doesn't detract from the fact it was finely engraved and having a good fit (again, the bad fit which can be seen in the photos are because of my bad trimming on original parts and bad filling and sanding ops afterwards). The base kit is also OK and my criticism are reserved to just the ugly seam on the clear parts and the relative lack of external stores. The Fishbone decal is however quite a letdown with rudimentary placement diagrams and showing only the major decal locations only plus a number of registry problems. Again, my copy is a first-print edition and probably were better for the later editions.

Supersonic Hun

Historical Background

In early 1949, with the wealth of captured German aerodynamics data, North American Aviation began researching for sustained Mach 1 flight. In January 1951 while its subsonic F-86 fighters were clashing successfully with the MiG-15 over Korea, North American Aviation handed an unsolicited proposal to the USAF for a supersonic day fighter named Sabre 45 because of its 45° wing sweep and being an evolution of the Sabre. The aircraft would be powered by a Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet which provided the best performance among the early jet engines. In July 1951, the mock-up was inspected and after over a hundred modifications were made, it was accepted as the F-100 on 30 November 1951. In January 1952, the USAF ordered 23 prototypes (YF-100) followed by 23 F-100A models in February and another 250 in August.

Like the F-86, the F-100 has a nose-mounted air intake although thinner and more oval than the original Sabre. The wing of course has more sweep angle than the F-86 and it was also thinner. Decision was also made to move the ailerons inboard, allowing the Super Sabre to have a better rate of roll. Internal armament consists of four Pontiac M39E 20-mm cannons while external ordnance can range from unguided rockets to tactical nuclear weapons. The pre-production YF-100A first flew on 25 May 1953, seven month ahead of schedule, while the first production F-100A was first flown on 9 October of the same year. Test pilots however noted lack of stability at high speeds leading to inertia coupling. Although officially entering service on 17 September 1954 with the 479th Fighter Wing, the USAF declared that it was not ready for large-scale deployment due to deficiencies in the design. By November 1954, there were six major accidents including one on 12 October 1954 which killed North American's chief test pilot, George Welch.

The accidents forced the USAF to ground the entire fleet until February 1955. Because of the still existing problems, the A model was taken out of service beginning in 1958 with the last aircraft leaving active service in 1961. During that time another 47 'A' models were lost to attrition. The F-100A's place was taken by the 'C' model, which was built to satisfy Tactical Air Command's need for a fighter-bomber. The F-100C has longer wings to improve roll but otherwise similar to the F-100A and having all its problems. The inertia coupling was partially solved when the fleet was fitted with yaw and pitch dampers. To allow carriage of weapons and extra fuel, six hardpoints were made available underneath the wings. However not all F-100Cs can carry conventional munitions and like the A model, it suffered from attrition, losing 85 by the time the variant was retired in 1970.

The final single-seat version, the F-100D, became a dedicated ground attack machine with secondary air-to-air fighter capability. Key features of this variant include autopilot, in-flight refueling, ECM equipment and Sidewinder capability. To further address the dangerous flight characteristics, the wing span was extended by 66 cm and the tail area increased by 27%. 65 of the D model were modified to fire the AGM-12 Bullpup missile. As a type, the F-100 received numerous modification programmes during its service life. Many were concerned with the structure, electronics and to improve ease of maintenance. One of them was the replacement of the afterburner can with the one from retired F-102 Delta Daggers.

The F-100 saw combat service during the United States' involvement in Vietnam. Six Super Sabres were deployed to Don Muang air base in Thailand on 16 April 1961, acting as the vanguard for the type's involvement in the conflict until withdrawn in 1971. The Super Sabres mainly acted as fighter-bombers giving close support to ground troops and anti-MiG escort while two-seat F-100F model acted as Forward Air Controllers and performing the first anti-radar, Wild Weasel missions. By the end of their deployment on 31 July 1971, Super Sabres have logged 360,283 combat sorties : just four wings of F-100s have clocked a larger number of combat sorties than their WW2 predecessor, the P-51. Despite being used as escort fighters flying into North Vietnam early in the war, the F-100s recorded no MiG kills, save for one 'probable' on 4 April 1965.  No F-100s were shot down by enemy fighters but 242 were lost through other causes (186 by AA, seven from sapper attcks and 45 in operational incidents).

The F-100 was also used by Turkey, France, Denmark and Taiwan. The last-named received ex-USAF F-100As which were retrofitted with D model vertical tails. A number was lost during reconnaissance missions over China. The Super Sabres of the Armee de l'Air was used during the Algerian War of Independence.

The Kit

The Tamiya kit was released in 2001 following the original Italeri release in 1998. It was originally thought to be a straight re-release of the earlier, 1980s-vintage ESCI kit. Close inspection revealed that while the Italeri kit may indeed a re-release, there are some difference between it and the earlier ESCI kit. as follows:

1. An extra, non-existent frame on the canopy

2. Shorter (275- US gallon) fuel tanks

3. More detailed landing gear parts

4. Raised details for the instrument panel

5. Better-detailed ejection seat(s)

6. External ordnance

The kit engineering is fairly simple but it featured nicely engraved panel lines. Two types of exhaust nozzles were included - standard and the F-102 type. However the air intake is fairly shallow and ended at the cockpit. The decal sheet feature markings for three aircraft - each from USAF, Armee de l'Air and the Danish Air Force.

Construction

As nearly always with aircraft model kits, construction started at the cockpit. Also, as usual I painted the parts while still on the sprue - Gunze Aqueous H317 for the majority of the cockpit and seat, Tamiya XF-1 for the instrument and side panels and  the sidewalls white for the switches and dials. While having more details than the original ESCI kit, they were quite pitiful compared to other kits in the scale. Before joining the fuselage halves together, a ballast of 20 grams was placed at the nose (I just crammed plasticine in the nose halves until it feels 'right'). The wing parts were assembled; no problems here really, but the wing fences were a bit loose in their slots. As the intake trunking was non-existent, the 'bulkhead' was painted black before the intake was cemented to the fuselage. The intake-fuselage joint was not smooth and I had to sand the area for a seamless joint. Another area with bad fit was the lower tray on the fuselage (with two troughs for the two of the cannons) - I still wonder why do they have to make that area separate. As the canopy is a one-piece affair and a couple of decals go on both the canopy and the fuselage, it was attached and masked off. However, like the lower tray mentioned above, the canopy-fuselage fit was not great.

Painting and Decalling

I decided to finish the kit as a Hun from the 353rd TFS, 354th TFW (based at Myrtle Beach, Florida) 1958. Tamiya's instructions have you paint the interior compartment silver but I am of the opinion that they were actually painted US Interior Green. So I made a mix of 2 parts XF-5 Flat Green to one part XF-3 Flat Yellow paint the interior accordingly. The unpainted rear fuselage (on the real aircraft) was painted a mix of Gunze 8 Silver and 61 Burnt Iron while the exhaust was painted straight Burnt Iron. After masking, the rest of the fuselage was painted Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf (although with hindsightI think TS-17 Gloss Aluminium would be more appropriate). Afterwards the decals were applied. No problems here as Italeri's in-house decal are pretty good. Inside faces of landing gear bay covers and the airbrake were painted Gunze Silver 8. Tamiya Weathering master 'Soot' was used on the exposed metal area of the fuselage to simulate heat weathering (maybe other shades or colours were more appropriate but that's what I have in my arsenal).The decals were the treated to the usual decal solution application.

Finishing

I forgot to mention that I tried to remove that extra frame on the canopy. While it was removed without a hitch, the clean-up process went awry in the sense that I could not get the canopy clear again - not sure why but I guess my sandpaper were not fine enough (just down to 1500 grit only). Anyway, lesson learnt - try find finer grade of sandpaper and more importantly, do on scrap plastic before committing yourself. As usual, the landing gears were added first to allow the model to stand on its 'feet'. As for 'things under the wings', I decided to substitute the M117 bomb and rocket pods with a pair of AGM-12 Bullpup and a pair of Mk 81 bombs. Both are from Hasegawa weapons sets. The Bullpup has raised mould parting lines while the bombs have a pair of ejector pin marks, all of which needed cleaning up. Flat clear was sprayed onto the bombs while the Bullpups received a semi-gloss coat. Although many photos show USAF Super Sabres have their speed brakes raised while on the ground, I have them lowered for added visual interest. Some paint touch-ups were needed after removing the masks.There was no locating hole on the wing surface for the refuelling probe so I have to cut off the locating tab and just use Mark I Eyeball to place the aforementioned probe.

Conclusion

Although rather old, the Tamiya/Italeri/ESCI F-100 kit is still a good model. The glitches in the kit are rather minor and any reasonably competent modeler can sort them out (and count me out for that). Coupled with a rather low price (I got mine for RM36.00 which I think is half the price of of Hrumpeter's Hun) it was indeed a bargain.

Super Bug

Historical Background

In the 1980s, McDonnell Douglas proposed an enlarged F/A-18 Hornet, marketed as Hornet 2000. The concept envisaged an F/A-18 with a larger wing and a longer fuselage to carry more fuel (the Hornet's main shortcoming) and more powerful engines. The study was made official in January 1988. At the same time, the US Naval Aviation was having problems with the A-12 Avenger II stealth attack aircraft programme, which was intended to replace the A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair on board US carriers. The Navy was also looking for a replacement for its aborted Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (which was basically a navalised F-22 Raptor). The Navy also considered updating an existing design rather than designing a totally new aircraft, as the end of the Cold War led to budget cuts and considerable restructuring. As an alternative to the NASF and A-12, McDonnell Douglas offered the Hornet 2000 as the 'Super Hornet'. In 1992, the US Navy ordered the Super Hornet, partly to replace the venerable F-14 Tomcat and partly as all replacement aircraft should be based on the F/A-18 pending the introduction of the F-35. Despite basically a new aircraft, the F/A-18 designation was retained to help the Navy to sell the Super Hornet to the Congress.

The Super Hornet first flew on 29 November 1995 with full production begun in September 1997. In 1999 it went through the Navy's operational tests and evaluations and was finally accepted in February 2000. The Super Hornet is about 20% larger than the original Hornet (now dubbed 'Legacy Hornet'), it was also 3,200 kg (empty weight) and 6,800 kg (maximum weight) heavier. The Super Hornet also carries 33% more fuel, allowing a 41% increase in mission range and endurance by 50% over the Legacy Hornet. To make room for that extra fuel and additional electronics, the fuselage was stretched by 86 cm and the wing area was enlarged by 25%. However, although it was 5,000 kg lighter than the F-14, the Super Hornet still cannot match the former's range and endurance. Despite the extension and enlargement, the Super Hornet has 42% less structural parts than the Legacy Hornet. The Super Hornet was powered by a pair of General Electric F414 afterburning turbofan engines which have 35% more thrust than the original F404. The new engines also allow a higher 'bringback' weight. With the retirement of KA-6D and S-3B inflight refueling tankers, the Super Hornet was designed so that it can be equipped with an air refueling system ('buddy tanks'), carrying a 1,200 liter fuel tank/hose drum unit on the centerline and four 1,800 liter tanks under the wings.

The intake ramps were redesigned, from oval in the Legacy Hornet to a rectangular one. The wing root leading edge extensions (LERX) were also enlarged, improving vortex lifting characteristics in high angle of attack maneuvers. The Super Hornet also incorporated some stealthy features, including redesign of the intakes so that the engines compressor face is masked, reducing the aircraft's overall radar cross-section. Other measures include panel joint serration and edge alignment. Two extra hardpoints were added under the wings for a total of 11. The Super Hornet has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire system and also a digital flight control system that detects and corrects for battle damage. Initial production Super Hornets were equipped with the APG-73 radar as the C and D versions of the Legacy Hornet but were later replaced with APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Main electro-optical sensor and laser designator was the AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR. From May 2007, the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) was delivered to operational units, allowing, among others, off-boresight missile cuing. Like the Legacy Hornet, the Super Hornet came in two versions: the single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F.

The Super Hornet achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC) in September 2001 with VFA-115 'Eagles'. The Eagles also became the first unit to use their Super Hornet in combat when a pair of them attacked two Iraqi SAM launchers at Al Kut and an air defence command and control bunker at Tallil Air Base in support of Operation Southern Watch on 6 November 2002. The mission also marked the debut of the JDAM. The Super Hornet was subsequently used in US operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and along the Somali coast. Unlike the Legacy Hornet, the Super Hornet was not operated by the USMC (who prefer to wait for the F-35). So far, only Australia is the export customer for the Super Hornet, curently operating 24. Other potential customers were sought, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Poland, UAE, Bulgaria and Belgium. The Super Hornet airframe is also used to build the EA-18G Growler, the replacement for the venerable EA-6B Prowler on board the Navy's carriers.

The Kit

Hasegawa introduced their 1/72 kit of the Super Hornet in 2003 by releasing the 'F' version and this was followed by the 'E' in 2004. The parts were spread among seven light grey and one clear sprues. The parts were well-moulded and featured finely engraved panel lines and hundreds of tiny dimples representing the flush rivets. The fuselage breakdown allow Hasegawa to make just one mould for the forward fuselage of both E and F models. The intake trunking, as with many other models are short and ended with a 'wall'. Other interior details, such as for the landing gear wells were sufficient in 1/72 scale. Unlike previous Hasegawa kits, there were some external stores provided : four 480-US Gallon external tanks, two AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9X Sidewinders. Also included is a AN/AAS-38 NITE Hawk FLIR pod (strangely not the ATFLIR). Of course you need weapons from other sources to fully arm your Rhino. Two marking options were provided : NH 200 / 165861, VFA-14 Tophatters, USS Nimitz and NK 200 / 165781, VFA-115 Eagles, USS Abraham Lincoln.

Construction

As usual, construction started at the admittedly not-detailed-cockpit. It was painted Gunze 317 with the details (make that just the control stick) in Flat Black. The dials and switches were represented by decals. Rather bafflingly (as it would be invisible), Hasegawa instructed you to fill the holes in the shell of the rear crew position. The front fuselage of the kit is a three-piece affair. The left and right halves were cemented first. The cockpit was cemented to the lower fuselage and afterwards it was cemented to assembled upper halves. As with any other multi-part assembly, some extra care were needed to avoid seams. Although instructed to be fitted later, I decided to put the ejection seat into place. I however discarded the kit ejection seat and replaced it one from Aires. The nose assembly was set aside as I go through the main fuselage.

The main fuselage is another multi-part affair with the possibility of bad fit. Before doing anything, holes were drilled into the bottom of the fuselage to accommodate an external fuel tank later on. As the intake trunks ended in a blank 'wall', the latter was painted Flat Black while the intake trunking itself was painted Gunze H308. The decals representing the grille (I think) on the intake was done at this time as there might not be enough space for my fingers when the intake parts were joined together. A blanking plate closes the aperture for the WSO's cockpit. The mounting for the engine turbine face at the rear of the fuselage is also the mount for the horizontal tail and was provided with poly caps so that the tails can be removed for painting. As feared, there are some steps on the joint lines which needed attention but nothing major. The same goes when the fuselage was mated to the nose assembly.

The wings were two-piece affairs and holes were drilled into the lower half before the two of them were mated together. The wingtip missile rails were separate and the instructions have you cement the rail and missile together before cementing the assembly to the wings. I digress by cementing the rails to the wings first and leave the missiles for later. But the way the wingtips were engineered meant that I have to apply the decals for the wingtip slime lights (after painting the relevant areas first) before cementing the missile rails. The separate hump on the spine fit well but there was a bit of a gap between it and the fuselage towards the rear. The twin vertical tails were cemented while the horizontal tails were pushed into place. The latter would be removed during decalling to ease things. As usual, all the small parts, landing gears and doors were left off until after painting. The pylons wera also left off at this time to ease handling.

Painting and Decalling

As with most US modern military combat jets, the Super Hornet is painted a two-tone grey scheme, specifically FS 36375 and FS 36320. The former was applied using Gunze H308 while the latter was mixed from Tamiya XF-66 Light Grey, XF-54 Dark Sea Grey and XF-2 Flat White as didn't realize I have run out of Gunze H307. The still-separate parts were also painted while still on the sprue and will be touched-up later. The area next to the cannon muzzle was painted Burnt Iron. For markings, instead of kit decals, I used TwoBobs' 'F/A-18E Rockin' Rhinos #1' decal sheet featuring a CAG bird from VFA-22 Fighting Redcocks and VFA-143 Pukin' Dogs. Both schemes are attractive but in the end I chose the Pukin' Dog scheme. Having used their decals for my  F-117, A-10 and F-111 projects before, I am very sure of their quality. One complaint though : some of the decals were not shown in the instructions. The decals then received an application of AK Interactive Decal Adapter solution. I however slipped my hand while applying the said solution on the right hand side diagonal stripe, resulting in a crooked line underneath the LERX.

Finishing

There really wasn't much to do at this stage, for this kit. The landing gear was assembled, given some wash and was then cemented to the fuselage. The horizontal planes were simply pushed into place. The panel lines were then highlighted with AK Interactive Paneliner for Grey Aircraft. For underwing stuff, I did not have really clear idea on what were hung underneath the pylons during combat missions. In the decided, using stuff found in Hasegawa's Weapons Sets, two GBU-16s, two GBU-31 JDAMs and an AGM-88 HARM were used while the Sidewinders and AMRAAMs came from the kit. However I decided to use the 'L' family of the AIM-9 instead of the newer X. Liquid cement was stippled on the GBU-16s to replicate the thermal coating used on USN bombs. before cementing the external stores, certain panel lines were enhanced using AK Interactive Paneliner while pencil was used for the rest. After the external stores have been attached to the model, it was sprayed with a couple of layers of Flat Clear.

Conclusion

The Hasegawa 1/72 F/A-18E Super Hornet got a 'fair' rating from me. The overall shape is nice  although the fit wasn't, especially from the intake forward. Detail-wise, the interior was as as expected form the kit of this scale although should have added a bit more to spruce up the deck behind the pilot's office. And apparently, for this particular kit, some of the external details / panel lines are of the prototype's (or imaginary?) - I came to this conclusion after perusing the instruction sheets of subsequent reboxings of this kit, showing the required trimming/sanding/filling. And there is no need for me to go on about the relative lack of underwing stores, but at least, Hasegawa has the decency of providing modellers with the pairs of Sidewinder and AMRAAM missiles.