Help on the F15 Xerex 31 Colour scheme and identification

[Absurdbanipal]

Hi,

I'm on a new painting project on a 1/200 scale model.
I'm in trouble to find informations on a particular plane. The one of the nearly 'ace" Capt. Thomas Dietz who shot down 3 irakian's planes during desert shield in 1991. I found different versions of his plane but I have no certitudes about the true color scheme and insignaes of it.
Could somebody help me?

Here are pictures I found on it, nothing which reminds me Desert Shied Campaign:

294988
294989

Thank you.

ABS

[Diamondback]

The paint scheme is called Compass Ghost, colors are called Light and Dark Ghost Gray.
https://www.usaf-sig.org/index.php/references/reference/144-color-schemes/f-15-eagle-strike-eagle-mcdonnell-douglas/154-f-15-compass-ghost-grey-scheme

In France I assume Humbrol are your most available colors, you'll want #127 and #128. For Vallejo, FS36320 Dark Compass Ghost is either 830 or 905, and Light Compass Ghost is 989.

Use this chart while you can, it's gonna die when Adobe kills Flash at end of this month.
https://www.paint4models.com/paintchart/paintconversionchart.html#

[Absurdbanipal]

Thanks a lot for your help.

But I don't understand why I can't find anywhere some pics of this plane. May it was shot down or accidented?

[Diamondback]

Callsigns are only temporary--Xerex 31 refers to one specific sortie on that particular day, you'd need the tail number (two digits for the fiscal year--the "79" in your second pic--and then the last three digits of a sequential number of aircraft ordered that year, in that pic's case the "051").

Dietz was flying with the 525th TFS in 1991, that might give a start point, along with this.
https://museumofaviation.org/blog/eagles-in-the-storm-exhibit/

EDIT: So 79-078 is the correct aircraft, you'll need to start searching on that. The dark scheme today went on around Desert Storm, as seen on this pic at Lakenheath in '92. It also turns out that the dark scheme in the museum was a "retro" repaint, as around 2006 it was repainted into an overall lighter palette with similar blotch pattern.
http://ns2.holidays.net/store/ORIGINAL-AIRCRAFT-SLIDE-F-15C-79-078-BT-53FS-36FW-LAKENHEATH-1992_114406937576.html

https://www.airfighters.com/photosearch.php?reg=79-0078

[Absurdbanipal]

Thank you very much.
I didn't know Airfighters.com. A very usefull website.
You get my ethernal gratitude! :)

[Diamondback]

So I think you're actually looking at the Mod Eagle scheme, not Compass Ghost.
https://www.usaf-sig.org/index.php/references/reference/144-color-schemes/f-15-eagle-strike-eagle-mcdonnell-douglas/155-f-15-mod-eagle-scheme
FS36176 Ocean Gray (dark) Vallejo 273
FS36251 Aggressor Gray (light) Vallejo 274
https://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/f-15/f-15_profile02.shtml

[monse]

I don’t know if it can be of any help, as it is not Capt. Thomas Dietz’s plane.

F-15C-35-M
Unit: 71st TFS, 1st TFW, USAF
Serial: 017/FF (83-0017, c/n 0864/C277
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Operation Desert Storm, 1991.
Flown by Capt.Steven 'Tater' Tate, this aircraft shot down an Iraqi Mirage F.1 with an AIM-7M on 17 January 1991.
Mod Eagle FS36251 scheme.
Source: SAM - Scale Aircraft Modelling Magazine, Vol.25, No.8, October 2003; Guideline Publications

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww4/f/848/3/5#33

295599

[Diamondback]

I don’t know if it can be of any help, as it is not Capt. Thomas Dietz’s plane.

F-15C-35-M
Unit: 71st TFS, 1st TFW, USAF
Serial: 017/FF (83-0017, c/n 0864/C277
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Operation Desert Storm, 1991.
Flown by Capt.Steven 'Tater' Tate, this aircraft shot down an Iraqi Mirage F.1 with an AIM-7M on 17 January 1991.
Mod Eagle FS36251 scheme.
Source: SAM - Scale Aircraft Modelling Magazine, Vol.25, No.8, October 2003; Guideline Publications

295599

Colors are the same, USAF maintains a single standard scheme fleetwide for all aircraft of a certain type.

How to read a tailcode: the two big letters are the "home base" (the FF, Langley VA - "First Fighter"), AF83 is the fiscal year it was ordered for the Air Force, 0017 means 17th aircraft on the order books that year.

[Absurdbanipal]

Thanks for your help.

I paused this project for now and a painted this plane:

F15 C?, 85102, 33rd TFW(P), TABUK AB, South Aarbia Kindom,
I think it was David Rose the pilot with the codename "Chevron 17"

295802295803295804295805295806

I dont remember if i bought a F15C to AOM. Decals are home made (its was hell to do it!).

TY for your comments.

Cédric

[Diamondback]

Cedric, a minor quibble: Sparrow missiles are too heavy to mount on the wing-pylon rails, their launchers are along the bottom corners of the engine bay. AMRAAMs can be racked on the rails because they're not much heavier than a Sidewinder.

Other than that, and that the white areas on the underside should be the same metallic as the tailpipes, nice job!

[Absurdbanipal]

Well actualy I mounted the elements I received from AIM. Maybe I made a confusion with the ordonancy loads because I put it in a same bag for my differents aircrafts during the painting processus (OK not very smart :) ). Because, I'm not very skilled in aircraft missiles, it's possible I gave the wrong package to this plane (and for the others... :( ).

For the color I take the point. Thank you for your help and your encouragements.

Cédric