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When looking for Tamiya F-15 upgrades – look for GT Resin

Among the extensive product list of GT Resin upgrades, there is always something interesting to come across. In this case, these are the “Misc upgrades” and the “Missile rails upgrades” that were provided by GT Resin to improve the already amazing F-15 Strike Eagle. Take a look:

What`s unique?

  • The Misc Upgrades are for all of the Tamiya Eagle kits in 1/32nd scale and they are flawless. They include: replacement vents for the variable intake ramps, replacement vents for the upper and lower main fuselage, replacement antennas for maybe all the possible F-15 configurations, and many other small or big upgraded parts that complement the set. The unique advantages of the vents is in the thickness of the grits. They are so thin and yet so strong that can easily be sharpen, and still keep a great structural stability. They look like photo etch parts. Each vent has a very thin almost transparent lower covering, which is part of the vent itself, and is way easier for sanding. By doing so, you transform the already good looking vents into true masterpieces that become literally transparent and even more similar to the vents in the real plane, because you can see the interior components of the plane through the grits of the vents. While for the antennas – they are not that much better than the antennas in the Tamiya kit, but they are just a little bit more precise and true. And they are a lot – something that you cannot find in the kit!
  • The LAU-128/552 Missile Rails w/adaptors really help turn your Strike Eagle into a gorgeous Bunker Buster! The adaptors are way different than the adaptors from the Tamiya kit, because they are probably from a different type. The LAUncher rails are what really turns your attention from the smaller and yet beautiful adapters. The rails are miniatures of the real missile launchers of F-15E Strike Eagle. At first glance, they look just slightly more detailed than the rail launchers in the Tamiya kit, but after a close side-by-side comparison, you can notice that they are slightly bigger as well. In other words – these replacement parts are with corrected dimensions and abound in details.

What`s fundamental?

All of the provided resin upgrades are from hi-quality resin that is not too hard, nor too brittle. It is easy to cut with a standard modeler`s knife and the sanding is easy too. This is due to long narrow and almost invisible stripes from 3D printing, which allow you to cut easily alongside the stripes. Just a gentle scratching with something sharp is enough to get the same result as with dozens of minutes of sanding with sandpapers from different grits. Another great advantage of provided resin sets from GT Resin is the color of the resin itself. According to most of the photographic materials in the GT Resin page in LSP – the resin parts are white or light grey. Surprisingly, these sets with upgraded resin parts are made out of flat black resin. In both cases – the “black or white” color gives you the advantage to orientate easily where are the edges of the contours of the details, where are the tiny little rivets and knobs, and the panel lines are easily distinguishable, the thickness of the antennas is easily noticeable…

Overall, the contrasting color of the parts is always a benefit and there is nothing better than black or white resin parts. Get more insight into the features of these resin parts in a Video Review! The packaging is another great hint for all of the provided sets. All the parts from one set are packed in their own plastic bag. There is no way to keep starring at the details and wonder what is what if you look at it for the first time. Not to mention the protection advantages of the plastic bags, which prevent the delicate resin details only from scratches, but that`s enough as for the basic packaging. And of course – the indispensable support and guidelines from GT Resin are awesome. There is plenty of info and extensive description for all of the resin products of GT Resin Products. And they offer replacement resin parts for a myriad of other 1/32 plane models. So, you should already know what to look for when looking to upgrade your Tamiya F-15.

Author: Milan Mitev