1:48 F-15DJ Eagle - interior 3D decals for Hasegawa kit

The two-seat Eagle in Japanese colors

The letter D marks the paired version with a second seat behind the pilot, and in the Japanese form it carries the additional J. The machines serve for training and some of them belong to a unit that plays the part of the adversary in air combat practice; that is where the striking multicolor camouflage schemes come from, the kind not seen on the other Eagles. The machine has a lengthened cockpit and the second station is equipped for the instructor. The decals are shaped for the Hasegawa kit.

Straps, buckles and other small things

The most conspicuous feature of an open cockpit is usually the seat belts. A shoulder strap is in reality around five centimeters wide, so on the model it comes out at a little over a millimeter - a thin ribbon on which every shaky stroke of the brush shows. A printed strap holds such a width along its whole length and carries the artwork of the seams and the hardware as well. The pliability of the film moreover allows the strap to be folded over the edge of the seat so that it looks loosely laid.

Advice on assembling a two-seat tub

With a lengthened cockpit it is necessary to reckon with the fact that the front and the rear part are often glued separately and only then joined. It pays to fit the elements before gluing, while both spaces are accessible from the sides. The transition between the two seats is usually the tightest place, which the tweezers reach last, so it belongs first in the order of work. Before gluing it is worth trying dry whether the lengthened tub will go into the fuselage with the equipment fitted - the thickness of the printed layer is slight, but on tight sides it adds up and can keep the halves from seating against each other.