Tamiya F-15A

[Stuart]

Hey Guys,

I came across a Tamiya 1/48 F-15A Eagle today on fleabay for £20.00. I had no idea that Tamiya ever built an Eagle - Anybody here ever built it or know anything about it?

(And yes I did buy it!!!)

Cheers!

[KSaarni]

20 "quids" for a 1:48 Tamiya and on top of that a big bird a la F-15 !!

Looking at Scalemates, seems it is a genuine Tamiya. Tooling is from 1988.

Good catch Stuart!

- Kari

[Stuart]

Thanks Kari - Yeah £20 for a 1/48 F-15A was far too good to pass up, no matter what the vintage.

1988 - Not too bad. It's most likely raised panel lines etc. but I can live with that.

[Stikpusher]

I think the Tamiya F-15 A is older than 1988 vintage. I’m pretty sure that it dates to early 80s or late 70s like their 1/48 A-10. The 1988 kit is probably when they tweaked it to do a C Eagle. Not a bad kit, but not like their later/newer stuff
In detail, I know that the Monogram 1/48 F-15A has better interior and weapons. Tamiya does horrible Sidewinders on their older kits. Their bang seats and IPs were pretty plain too.

[Stikpusher]

The F-15A kit is kit # 61024. Kit # 61023 is their A-10 and was released in 1977. Kit # 61025 is their A6M3 and was released in 1982. I suspect that whoever gave Scalemates the 1988 release data had a later reissue. I distinctly recall a friend of mine building the 1/48 Tamiya F-15A before I left for the army in late 1983. Why do I remember that? Because I was impressed that he could afford that kit at that time. And we drifted our separate ways after I was on active duty.

[Stuart]

I think the Tamiya F-15 A is older than 1988 vintage. I’m pretty sure that it dates to early 80s or late 70s like their 1/48 A-10. The 1988 kit is probably when they tweaked it to do a C Eagle. Not a bad kit, but not like their later/newer stuff
In detail, I know that the Monogram 1/48 F-15A has better interior and weapons. Tamiya does horrible Sidewinders on their older kits. Their bang seats and IPs were pretty plain too.

Ah so a bit of a dud then Stik... Sounds not unlike their Sea Harrier.

[KSaarni]

The F-15A kit is kit # 61024. Kit # 61023 is their A-10 and was released in 1977. Kit # 61025 is their A6M3 and was released in 1982. I suspect that whoever gave Scalemates the 1988 release data had a later reissue. I distinctly recall a friend of mine building the 1/48 Tamiya F-15A before I left for the army in late 1983. Why do I remember that? Because I was impressed that he could afford that kit at that time. And we drifted our separate ways after I was on active duty.

For a number of years ago I got this huge "need" to actively update and add data into Scalemates. Some because of errors I found, wrong information even box-pictures were wrong. So I sat an updated and noticed that I could write anything, add almost any picture without "anyone" double-checking. I don't know how it is today, but I found it odd.
Not that I believe people in common would enter wrong data on purpose, typos are always a risk, so might very well be that the one who wrote 1988 perhaps meant 1977 ? Easy error, 7 and 8 are pretty close to eachoter on the keyboard...

@Stuart, just for the curiosity, do you find any year numbers in the instructions, sprues etc that could give us a clue ?

- Kari

[Stikpusher]

I think the Tamiya F-15 A is older than 1988 vintage. I’m pretty sure that it dates to early 80s or late 70s like their 1/48 A-10. The 1988 kit is probably when they tweaked it to do a C Eagle. Not a bad kit, but not like their later/newer stuff
In detail, I know that the Monogram 1/48 F-15A has better interior and weapons. Tamiya does horrible Sidewinders on their older kits. Their bang seats and IPs were pretty plain too.

Ah so a bit of a dud then Stik... Sounds not unlike their Sea Harrier.

Yes and no. Yes in that the seat and Sidewinders are like that on the Sea Harrier. But not a dud by any means. It will loook like an Eagle when built, and more than likely has a good fit. Especially if you have an earlier issue. The Sea Harrier has more “work needed” because the GR.1 kit that it was based off of dates to 1973 or so. I can go on about their Sea Harrier’s shortcomings, but won’t. Their Eagle has to be better. I’m sure that it will have ultra fine raised panel line detail and very sharp in scale trailing edges.

[Stuart]

Thanks Stik - It shouldn't be an issue getting a seat and some new winders. Aeroclub actually do a white metal seat for a 1/48 F-15A.

When I get it I'll take some pictures - I don't have a laptop at the moment (it died) but I can use my phone.

I started Their 262 kit this morning - It's awesome!

[Medicman71]

It'll be interesting to see the kit when you get it. I have their A-10 in the stash.