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F-15 Speed Brake Underside

By David W. Aungst
images by Chris Boehlein

About a year ago, I was browsing the pages on the HyperScale forum and chanced upon a request from Chris, a guy in the MO ANG, that wanted to find pictures from the 1991 Phan-Con. This was a convention of the F-4 Phantom II Society (which I am a member) that took place in St Louis (which I attended). I decided to offer my assistence to him.

I made contact with Chris and told him I was there at the Phan-Con, taking about twelve rolls of film during the event. He ask to borrow my negatives from the event so he could make re-prints of my pictures. I agreed and started to pack up the negatives. After a minor anxiety attack when I realized I was about to mail twelve films of negatives to a complete stranger, I sent the negatives. They were used and promptly returned with no issues at all.

Then Chris asked if there was anything they could do to repay my kindness. Not knowing what job he held in the MO ANG, I mentioned that I have never been able to find good documentation on the speed brake of the F-15 (which the MO ANG flies). Most sources state it has no well for the speed brake to retract into, yet every single model of the F-15 ever produced has a molded in well on the upper fuselage. First, Chris confirmed there really is no well on the speed brake, then he informed me he was a crew chief on an F-15 and could send me some pictures to prove the point. I was elated, as I have coverage of most every other part of the F-15 anatomy except for the speed brake.

The pictures backed up what Chris told me -- there is no well. There is a small one quarter inch lip which runs around the outline of the speed brake on the fuselage, but this hardly amounts to a well. In 1/48^th scale, this would be mostly undetectable. Indeed, in these pictures, it is difficult to see this lip. There is also a ledge at the leading edge of the speed brake area that the speed brake retracts behind. This ledge deminishes in height to match the small lip that surrounds the majority of the speed brake area.

I confirmed with Chris that it would be OK to scan and share these images on-line. What follows are scans of the images that Chris sent me. I now have no reason not to raise the speed brake on an F-15 model and detail it with all the correct details. This probably means I will never finish an F-15, be what the heck. By sharing these images, I can likewise share the curse of having too much information with the modeling masses ... ;o)

The pictures were shot inside a maintenance hanger, so the lighting is not the best. The flash on Chris' camera was too weak in some shots and overpowered others. I did some adjusting when I scanned the imges so they are enhanced to show the subject. From what I can tell, there are at least three different aircraft in the pictures, and one is an F-15B two-seater.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Left Side Overview
The red item on the actuator arm is a control lock used to hold the brake open when the aircraft is unpowered. If a model of an F-15 has no pilot in the cockpit, this control lock needs to be installed on the speed brake in order to be accurate.

Right Side Overview

Actuator Attachment on Speed Brake
Note the recessed attachment on the speed brake and the two bumpers that rest on the aircraft fuselage when the speed brake retracts.

Actuator Attachment on Speed Brake
Note the detail differences between this image and the previous one. This is a different aircraft from the one in the previous image.

Fuselage Overview
Note the color variations where the fuselage under the speed brake is darker than the rest of the areas around it.

Fuselage Overview
There is some sort of red sealant on the hose fittings at the rear of the speed brake area.

Rear Fuselage Area
Note that this is a differnt aircraft from the previous images. The colors are more uniform and the red sealant on the hose fittings at the rear of the area are not as pronounced.

Actuator Attachment
on Fuselage
Note the recessed area is gray to match the rest of the airframe.

Actuator Attachment
on Fuselage

Actuator Attachment
on Fuselage

Actuator Attachment
on Fuselage

Left Hinge -- Outboard

Right Hinge -- Outboard

Right Hinge -- Inboard

Hinge Overview -- Topside

Hinge Overview -- Underside

Hinge Overview -- Underside

Hinge Overview -- Underside

Images Copyright © 2003 by Chris Boehlein.
Design and Text Copyright © 2003 by David W. Aungst
Page Created 8 December, 2003
Last Updated 8 December, 2003

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