BlrwestSiR Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Back in 1993, a Japanese anime film called Patlabor 2 came out. It's based in the near future and has a fair bit of mecha action and some great military stuff but it was mostly about political intrigue. One scene really stuck with me and that's when the antagonist hacks into the JSDF and convinces them they're under attack. A pair of F-15 Kai fighter are sent to intercept. The Kai is based on several advanced prototypes of the F-15 that were actually built and flown, just not with all of these features at the same time. Anyways, I've wanted to build one of these for a long time. I need a break from the 262 so I figured why not. I'm starting with a pair of Revell F-15 Strike Eagles. I got them cheap and I figured that the JASDF would have updated some of their two seaters. I started with the main wings. They should be an easy mod to the F-22 shape. I scribed in the section I wanted to remove. Popped it out. Using a second upper wing , I cut out the new panel. This way I keep the correct airfoil profile. Compared to the stock wing. I then repeated this three more times for the other wing halves. This took about 90 minutes so that was good. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark31 Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Nice idee and looks great. Mark 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Carl What a terrific idea and going to enjoy following your progress. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 This is super exciting, not because I am pretending to understand the whole anime culture, but because of this slight hint of reality. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 12 minutes ago, Martinnfb said: This is super exciting, not because I am pretending to understand the whole anime culture, but because of this slight hint of reality. Just enough of a factual base to make it so much more plausible. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 Next up was the tailplanes. I took the kit ones and cut them apart to make a longer rear section I could attach to a second set. This ended up being vertical tails from a Tamiya Strike Eagle. It was easier to bend them in. I modified the base of the tailplanes slightly by levelling them so that the tailplanes could be angled outwards instead of straight up. The horizontal tailplanes are next. 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark31 Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Great love it. Mark 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 It's so exciting to see how this is all slowly blending in. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 15 minutes ago, Martinnfb said: It's so exciting to see how this is all slowly blending in. It really is. I'm having lots of fun. The best part is I don't have to worry about 100% accuracy. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerWomble Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 I love this sort of work , fictional but 100% plausible . You're making the blends look far easier than I suspect they are . 👍 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 Working on the tailplanes, the kit ones mount to the fuselage vi a pair of very large tabs moulded to the fuselage halves. I scored them lightly and gave them a bend downward then slid the tailplanes on to see if it would work. They're angled down more than they will be when things are glued but it seems to work. So next step was to re-shape the tailplanes themselves. I also cut the canards out from an extra set of tailplanes. Again, just mocked up for fit. I got some close inspection of the work courtesy of our carpet monster. 6 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 3 minutes ago, PanzerWomble said: I love this sort of work , fictional but 100% plausible . You're making the blends look far easier than I suspect they are . 👍 Thanks, actually they've been fairly straightforward. To be honest, a lot of it I'm just winging it. Lots of TLAR* in this build. The vectored thrust nozzles are going to be the big challenge. I'm leaving that for last and if I bodge it, then I'll use the kit exhausts and call it done. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerWomble Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 1 minute ago, BlrwestSiR said: Thanks, actually they've been fairly straightforward. To be honest, a lot of it I'm just winging it. Lots of TLAR* in this build. The vectored thrust nozzles are going to be the big challenge. I'm leaving that for last and if I bodge it, then I'll use the kit exhausts and call it done. I'm guessing this is all modelling in one hand and watching the screen next to you for the reference pics ? 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 I actually forgot. There's another fictional version of the Eagle which might closer to what I've got. Dale Brown wrote a novel called Day of the Cheetah which is about a deep cover Russian agent stealing an advanced prototype USAF fighter called Dreamstar that uses thought control for flight. The plane sent up against it is a heavily modified F-15 Strike Eagle called Cheetah which is very similar to my build. A fun book and sequel to Flight of the Old Dog. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 4 minutes ago, PanzerWomble said: I'm guessing this is all modelling in one hand and watching the screen next to you for the reference pics ? Almost, a model company called HMA did a 1/144 kit of the plane and I've got that on my bench for reference. Back of the instructions. HMA even did a model of the F-16 that's in the film but all you see of that one is a shadow in the film. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerWomble Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Nice call , I'm going to have to watch the film now 😀 I've done dioramas before trying to match newsreel or stills ....it drove me nutty , so I tend to do "inspired by" rather than try to match blade of grass for blade of grass anymore🙄 I don't know what i was thinking some years .! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 20 Author Share Posted February 20 Time to work on the vectored thrust nozzles. I made a template and cut out four nozzle petals. These are the upper and lower ones. Then I started on making the round nacelles rectangular. In the meantime, I think I know where most of my tools have gone to: There are scribers, sanding pens, chisels, brushes, clips, and more in the pile. Oh boy, guess I can't say the carpet monster took them... 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HubertB Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Actually, the nozzles look like elongated squircles … Hubert 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 20 Author Share Posted February 20 2 hours ago, HubertB said: Actually, the nozzles look like elongated squircles … Hubert They do, which threw me for a curve initially. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Ok, this is way beyond cool! Syfi meets reality. I’ve often thought about doing a modern aircraft refitted with old Merlin’s, radials or just automotive V8 engines or vintage aircraft with modern jet engines and making it a cross between steampunk meets Max Max apoplectic world. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 2 hours ago, ScottsGT said: Ok, this is way beyond cool! Syfi meets reality. I’ve often thought about doing a modern aircraft refitted with old Merlin’s, radials or just automotive V8 engines or vintage aircraft with modern jet engines and making it a cross between steampunk meets Max Max apoplectic world. How's this? Or since you mentioned Merlins, Both were done by a Japanese artist heavily influenced by Space Battleship Yamato. The Corsair is on my to-do list. At some point. When I get the courage. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 I spent a bit of time on the new engine nozzles. Or the fairings more precisely. I'm not entirely happy/sold with the way it looks. They're definitely squared off but look clunky to me. Once the Apoxie Sculpt fully cures, I'll do a bit more shaping and see. I do have an alternate plan just in case. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belugawhaleman Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 Great idea for a build! Will be watching. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocRob Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Wow Carl, I have no idea about anime, but your freestyling conversion looks great. Nice scratch work and like PW said, everything fits design wise, hard to achieve, I guess. Cheers Rob 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Carl Never knew either about anime but your conversion is looking simply brilliant. I'm always amazed at how many projects you have going at one time - something I've never been able to do. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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