Hobby Master HA4568 1/72 Air Power Series

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series HA4568 is a 1/72 scale diecast model of the third prototype F-15EX Eagle II serial number 20-0003. Assigned to the 40th Flight Test Squadron (40th fTS) 96th Test Wing (96th TW), United States Air Force (USAF), 2023.

40th FTS, USAF

The 40th Flight Test Squadron, located at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, is responsible for testing and evaluating various aircraft and drones, including the F-15 Eagle, Strike Eagle, and EX models. The squadron activated on December 22, 1939, as the 40th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor). It served in the Southwest Pacific Theatre during World War II and deployed to Korea during the Korean War. In March 1994, it received the designation of 40th Flight Test Squadron (FTS).

Boeing F-15EX Eagle II

The F-15EX Eagle II is an American tandem-seat, twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft capable of Mach 2.5 plus (2,655 km/h, 1,650 mph). The maiden flight took place on February 2, 2021, and the first delivery to the USAF occurred in March of that year. The USAF has ordered 104 airframes.

Improvements included being operated by either a single pilot or a pilot with a weapons systems officer, an increased payload, the AMBER (Advanced Missile and Bomb Ejector Rack) system to carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles, infrared search and track capabilities, advanced avionics, and radar. The strengthened airframe will increase service life to 20,000 hours.

The F-15EX uses two General Electric F110-GE-129 axial-flow after-burning turbofan engines. Armament consists of one cannon mounted in the starboard wing root, 23 hardpoints, carrying up to 13,400 kgs (29,500 lbs) of stores, including hypersonic missiles.

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