1/72 Revell F-15B/D KF-15 "Mother Eagle" |
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Gallery Article by Harry McNally |
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Aircraft History
The year is 2020. With dwindling Congressional support following World War Two and a Half, the U.S. Air Force faces a dilemma. Aircraft keep running out of fuel and plunging to the ground when being ferried over long distances. What is needed is a stop-gap tactical refueling aircraft until the KC-135ZZAQs can enter service.
As commonly happens in Air Force history, there is no money for new aircraft. There is, of course, cash to be had to re-vamp existing airframes. A review board led by Colonel Harry "Q-Tip" McNally of the resurrected "Fighter Legitimate-Businessman-Association" (we have to be politically correct in this day and age) works non-stop for 38 hours a day, 11 days a week to come up with a solution.
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images below to see larger images
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The idea comes in the middle of the third week.
What if, they supposed in a deluded haze of sleep deprivation and coffee, we add a refueling package to the F-15? The idea took off from there, and it was approved.
Externally, it looks like nothing more than an a two-seat F-15 with a boom attached. In order to save weight for more fuel, the outdated computers, fire control systems and avionics are replaced with a Pentium IX computer with the proper software kludge.
Given the engineering instructions, several F-15Bs, Ds, and Es are taken from storage and modified into the KF-15 platform.
The KF-15 soldiered on for sixteen months before it is discovered that extensive use of cyanoacrylate in the modifications had weakened the structure. The KF-15s were retired with no fanfare, and the design team was summarily executed.
The Modification
Being a college freshman with no car, it is highly difficult to get any new models. I have a couple that I've yet to start, but I didn't want to start them quite yet. But my modeling urges began to itch, and I had to scratch it. What I had was a partially completed, yet also screwed up F-15 that I had purchased a couple months ago. I just completed the basic construction, slapped a coat of gunship gray on it and called it a day.
When it came to decal it, I decided to go with tail code and numbers and national insignia only. Too bad the kit decals wouldn't even come off the paper. So if anyone has some spare 1/72 F-15 decals they don't need, drop me a line.

After a few weeks, the urges began to itch again. So I took an extra pylon from the kit, butchered it, and threw in a piece of
sprue. The modification took an X-Acto knife, more gunship gray, lots of CA, and about 15 minutes. The most important lesson was this: Just because the glue looks dry, you should wait a day or so to paint it anyway.
Harry McNally
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