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.