News
Dispatches from the engineering floor. Read our build logs, painting techniques, and update notes on modular developments.
We are branching out...
Flightmodelstore is already expanding into a new line of business: precision flight models built for professional use by air forces and navies. Our assembly models have always been engineered to operate like the real aircraft they replicate. That same fidelity is what makes them suited for a very different kind of customer. Where a hobbyist experiences realistic operating characteristics, a military training team can use the same accuracy to rehearse and validate full mission profiles — quickly, repeatedly, and at a fraction of the cost of live-asset training. A single model can walk a crew through an entire mission arc: pilots entering the cockpit, taxi and takeoff procedures, en-route operations, and execution of the mission itself, including precision strikes against hardened or high-value targets. Because the model operates like the aircraft it's built from, the scenario plays out with real operational fidelity rather than a simplified simulation — giving planners and crews a fast, accurate way to rehearse before it matters. This is the starting point for our new defense-focused line. We're building on the same engineering and assembly standards that define every Flightmodelstore kit, now adapted for the training and simulation needs of professional military customers. More details on this line, including available platforms and how defense organizations can get involved, will follow as the program develops.
F-16 Assembly Model Development Update
Hi everyone, As some of you following our social media may already know, work on the F-16 has officially started. Our goal is similar to what we set out to do with the F-15, but this time we really want to take things to the next level. We learned so much from designing the F-15, and that experience has given us the confidence to push further with this project — more movable features, more sophisticated screw connections, and an overall more refined design. We're already pretty far along. We've established almost all of the mechanisms and moving parts we want the jet to have, and first versions of those mechanisms have already been designed. We've also finalized the screw connections, and we're working to hide almost every screw head — the goal is that you won't be able to tell the model is held together with screws rather than glue. Right now we're deciding on the exact versions of the F-16 we'll be producing. We're leaning toward two versions — an F-16AM Block 15 and an F-16C Block 50/52 — though nothing is fully locked in yet. To support this, we're designing interchangeable components so that a single kit lets you choose which version to build. On the decal side, we're planning multiple decal set packages, so you'll be able to choose one specific to your country, and we may even offer some special-mission decal sets as well. It's still difficult to give a firm preorder date, since the testing phase can be unpredictable in length — but we'll keep you updated as things move forward. Thanks for reading!
The Website Is Taking Shape
We have been quietly building in the background. The website is now at a point where it is ready to welcome its first visitors — and for the first time, we are opening it up to a small group of people with early access. If you are reading this, you are one of them. This is not the full public launch. That is still coming. But the foundations are in place, the store is taking shape, and we are getting closer every week. Thanks for being here early.
Pilot and WSO Figures Added
The F-15E has two seats. It felt wrong to leave them empty. From early on we wanted to give people the option to have figures in the cockpit — a pilot in the front seat, a Weapon Systems Officer in the back. But adding figures came with a problem we were not willing to ignore: how do you keep them securely in the seat without a visible locking mechanism ruining the look of both the figure and the ejection seat? A clip, a peg, a screw — anything obvious would have broken the aesthetic entirely. These are some of the most detailed parts of the model. We were not going to compromise them. So we went back to the drawing board and worked on it until we found a solution that does the job completely invisibly. The connection between the pilot and the seat is secure, clean, and leaves no trace on either part. You would never know it was there. We are happy with it. It took longer than we wanted, but the result is exactly what we were looking for. On that note — the pilot and WSO figures will not be included as standard in every box. They will be available as an optional add-on when you purchase the model. If you want the cockpit occupied, you will be able to make that happen. If you prefer it empty, that is equally valid. Two figures. Two seats. One very clean solution. More to come before we launch.
The Full Ordnance Selection Has Been Finalised
The Full Ordnance Selection Has Been Finalised One of the things that makes the F-15E Strike Eagle what it is — is what it carries. The Strike Eagle was built to hit targets. Hard, precisely, and from a long way away. The sheer variety of weapons, pods, and systems it can carry is part of what makes it one of the most capable multi-role fighters ever built. And from the beginning, we wanted the model to reflect that. We have now finalised the full ordnance selection for the detachable and interchangeable weapons system. Every single one of these can be attached and removed from the model's 20 hardpoints. Here is what is included: Air-to-Air Missiles — AIM-7 Sparrow — AIM-9 Sidewinder — AIM-120 AMRAAM Air-to-Ground Munitions — MK-81 bomb — MK-82 bomb — MK-84 bomb — CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition — GBU-10 Paveway II — GBU-32 JDAM — GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) — AGM-65 Maverick — AGM-158 JASSM Pods and Systems — ALQ-131 Electronic Warfare Pod — AN/AAQ-13 LANTIRN Navigation Pod — Sniper ATP targeting pod Fuel — 600-gallon external drop tanks That is the full list. Sixteen ordnance types across air-to-air, air-to-ground, electronic warfare, targeting, and fuel. The loadout possibilities are significant — you can configure the model however you want, mission by mission. This is exactly the kind of detail we had in mind when we started. A model you do not just look at. One you actually set up. More updates coming before the end of the year.
The First Decal Set Has Been Selected
We have been quiet for a few months. That does not mean we have been idle. Alongside prototyping, we have been working on something that might seem small but took longer than expected to get right — the decals. Specifically, which aircraft we would represent, and how we would represent it. Today we can announce that the first decal set for the Flight Model Store F-15E Strike Eagle will depict: AF 89-0487 — the 10,000 Hours F-15E Strike Eagle. This is a real aircraft. A specific jet with a real history — one that reached the rare milestone of 10,000 flight hours, a testament to both the durability of the airframe and the crews that flew and maintained it. It is the kind of detail that separates a model that means something from one that is just a shape on a shelf. We chose this aircraft deliberately. We wanted the first decal set to represent something with a story behind it. AF 89-0487 has that. On the decals themselves — we decided early on that we were not going to go the traditional waterslide route. Waterslide decals are fiddly, unforgiving, and not beginner friendly. Instead we went with UV printed decal stickers, which are sharper, more durable, and significantly easier to apply. You do not need a pencil. You do not need to soak anything in water. You just apply them. More details on the full model coming soon.
Prototyping Has Begun
The mechanisms are locked in. Now comes the hard part. We are currently in the middle of prototyping and testing every single one of them. Print, test, adjust, go again — that is what this phase looks like. Some mechanisms are working well. Some are giving us trouble. That is exactly what this phase is for — finding out what works and what needs another round before we get it right. We will keep you updated as we progress.
The Mechanisms Are Locked In
Six months in, and we have a major update. After months of designing, debating, and going back and forth in CAD, we have finalised the full list of mechanisms for the F-15E. We know exactly what this model is going to do. Here is what we locked in: Cockpit Ejectable ejection seats — both seats can be physically ejected from the cockpit Opening and locking cockpit canopy — opens fully and locks in place Fuselage Deployable sliding airbrake system — extends and retracts just like the real thing Deployable arrestor hook — extends and locks down Landing Gear Retractable nose landing gear — folds away cleanly into the fuselage Opening landing gear bay doors — forward and main bay doors open as the gear deploys Dual-axis rotating retracting main landing gears — the most complex mechanism on the model, mirroring the actual F-15E geometry Rotating landing gear wheels — spin freely when the model rolls Flight Controls Operable trailing-edge flaps — both inner and outer flaps move independently Operable ailerons — fully movable Operable horizontal stabilators — move together as they would on the real aircraft Ordnance Detachable and interchangeable ordnance system — 20 hardpoints in total. Weapons, fuel tanks, and pods can all be removed and swapped That is the full list. Twelve mechanisms. Every single one of them is going into this model. Next up: we start building them.
The F-15E Strike Eagle Has Been Selected as Our First Model
After a lot of internal debate, we have made our decision. The first Flight Model Store assembly model will be the F-15E Strike Eagle. It was not a simple choice. There are a lot of incredible aircraft out there, and narrowing it down to one — knowing that this first model would set the standard for everything that comes after it — was something we took seriously. So why the F-15E? A few reasons. First, it is one of the most iconic fighter jets ever built. The F-15 has been in service since the 1970s and is still flying today. It is instantly recognisable, it has an incredible track record, and it carries a kind of presence that very few aircraft can match. When you put an F-15E on a shelf, people know what it is. Second, the Strike Eagle variant specifically gave us exactly what we were looking for mechanically. The loadout. The twin engines. The geometry of the airframe. It gave us the opportunity to include the kind of features we wanted — retractable landing gear, movable surfaces, a detachable weapons system — in a way that made sense and looked right. Third, honestly — we love it. And we think you do too. This is the aircraft we are building first. Everything we design, engineer, and manufacture from this point forward will be in service of making the best possible F-15E assembly model kit that has ever existed. We are just getting started.