The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's design in 1967 to meet the service's need for a dedicated air superiority fighter. The Eagle first flew in July 1972, and entered service in 1976. It is among the most successful modern fighters, with over 100 victories and no losses in aerial combat, with the majority of the kills by the Israeli Air Force.

The Eagle has been exported to Israel, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. The F-15 was originally envisioned as a pure air-superiority aircraft. Its design included a secondary ground-attack capability that was largely unused. The aircraft design proved flexible enough that an all-weather strike derivative, the F-15E Strike Eagle, an improved and enhanced version which was later developed, entered service in 1989 and has been exported to several nations. As of 2017, the aircraft is being produced in different variants.

While some of the F-15C/Ds have been replaced by the F-22 Raptor, there is no slated replacement for the F-15E in its primary "deep strike" mission profile. The Strike Eagle is a more recent variant of the F-15, and has a sturdier airframe rated for twice the lifetime of earlier variants. The F-15Es are expected to remain in service past 2025. The USAF has pursued the Next-Generation Bomber, a medium bomber concept which could take over the Strike Eagle's "deep strike" profile. The F-35A Lightning II is projected to eventually replace many other attack aircraft such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II, and may also take over much of the F-15E's role; however, the F-15E has better combat range under payload.

Pictured here is a stunning 1:72 scale diecast replica of a USAF Boeing F-15C Eagle multi-role fighter that was attached to the 493rd Fighter Squadron "Grim Reapers", then deployed to RAF Lakenheath, England, during March 2022. It is clad in a commemorative scheme signifying the 25th anniversary of its transition from the F-111 to the F-15C Eagle. Back Order!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 7-inches
Length: 10-1/2-inches

Release Date: June 2023

Historical Account: "Eagle Day" - The unit began working up as a McDonnell Douglas F-15C/D Eagle squadron, receiving their first two jets, F-15C 86-0164 and F-15D 86-0182, on November 15th, 1993, from Bitburg Air Base, Germany. The change from the F-111F to the Eagle marked the first time that the squadron had flown a specifically air-to-air weapon system, after flying for more than 50 years with an air-to-ground mission. The squadron received the last production block of new F-15 Eagles. The 493rd Fighter Squadron was reactivated on January 1st, 1994. The Grim Reapers received the rest of their 18 assigned Eagles from Langley AFB and Eglin AFB, with the last one (86-0160) arriving on July 22nd, 1994.