Small Scale Military Headquarters

Anyone have a Franklin Mint F-15E Strike Eagle in 1/48th scale? Just looking for opinions on the model.

P39TIME:

I have the Franklin Mint F-15E Strike Eagle "Dragon Betty" (also the P-38 "Marge", F-117 and B-17G "Carolina Moon").

My review of the F-15E is its biggest asset is the size---it is twice as big as my Dragon 1/72 F-15E Strike Eagle "Mad Duck". However, it has no pilots or retracting landing gear. The detail is only so/so. The nose is not pointed like it's supposed to be. The glide bomb pod on the right wing is incorrect---the pod was used only on the demonstrator and was not used on operational F-15Es---the "Dragon Betty" is listed as having seen combat in Iraq. It lacks the antennas, etc. found on my 1/72 F-15E and the silver engine area is painted white on the Franklin Mint version.The only reason I bought the Franklin Mint "Dragon Betty" is because I collect North Carolina-connected models (the"Dragon Betty" is based at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC) and I got it for around $40 delivered. Dragon also makes a 1/72 "Dragon Betty"

Like most Franklin Mint models, I would suggest you buy them only if you find them at a good sale price--to me, they're not worth the msrp.

Dragon, have you ever seen the Franklin Mint MIG-29 model? A friend of mine has one, and it looks nice. I think their F-18 model is my favorite.

SABREFAN:

I haven't seen any of the Franklin Mint models in person except the ones I own. If Blue Box, Hobby Master or Corgi made the F-15E, F-117 and B-17, I would have bought those instead of Franklin Mint because they have more detail and accuracy. I'm still looking for a discontinued Franklin Mint AV-8B Harrier from MCAS Cherry Point, NC---because no one else makes it.

I bought the B-17G "Carolina Moon" because of the "Carolina" and I got it for about $60 delivered ($175 msrp)--but I like my Corgi 1/72 B-17 "Memphis Belle" a lot better.