1/72 Hasegawa Mitsubishi F-15J

by Jean-Charles GODDET

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JASDF 2003 TAC Meet 303TFS White Dragon (Haku Ryuu)

This model is an Hasegawa 1/72 F15J Eagle from the box. It shows the special scheme for 303 Tactical Fighter Squadron from the Japan Self Defence Force at the 2003 Tactical Meeting. Decals come from PLATZ item number JD-30. The lower camouflage is FS36375 Light Ghost Grey Gunze H308 and the upper camouflage is FS36320 Dark Ghost Grey Gunze H307. The decals are easy to install, the film is strong and very adhesive. The dragon is in two parts but the connection in the middle isn't very accurate I was obliged to paint in white the link, but the result is nice. I did my best to paint it with classical brush and I faded the border between the two greys and I added a light black weathering to show rivets and structure/flaps lines on upper and bottom surfaces. I saw on the web pictures of the real plane, except the dragoon the camouflage scheme is faded by sun and bad weather and the nose is light grey so I didn't follow the documentation scheme on this point.

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The front and main gears with all internal doors are painted in white Gunze H1. Engines are in burnt steel Gunze H76 and lower under parts in front of exhaust are painted in metallic silver. To make the model more real I decided to show the canopy open like after a public show and like the pictures that I find I added centerline tank and double sidewinder pylons under wings but without missiles. This plane has Bureau number 72-8963 but I have a picture with two dragon painted planes in flight but I cannot see the numbers.

I like the result this plane has an eye-catcher scheme : white dragon on the back, red hinomarus, beast mouth on the nose, and imagine fire ejection from exhaust engines, the real Dragon is not far!!

Jean-Charles GODDET

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Photos and text © by Jean-Charles GODDET