Getting started on this kit (E39) which has been on my shelf for a while. It is a solid kit for an early Strike Eagle, which I plan to finish as a Seymour-Johnson Gulf War jet. Here are some progress photos of the cockpit, fuselage, and wings (ailerons cut and drooped). I also left off the CFT “scoops” and scratched doors as found on jets with the original PW-220 engines.
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All of the bomb racks have been added to the CFTs and the CBU-87s (Eduard) are painted and ready for decals. Wings going on next!
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After attaching the wings, I jumped ahead to the pylons, AIM-9 launch rails, and drop tanks. Lots of mold parting lines and seams to be worked!
I also painted and assembled a set of Reskit wheels, a nice upgrade over the kit parts:
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Coming along nice. Even though we have nicer kits if the Eagle but Hasegawa still can hold it’s weight with extra little care.
I should be masking the windscreen and canopy, but instead I went down the rabbit hole of decals on the Eduard CBUs! These are little stand-alone models within the build. Another shot of Micro-Sol and these will be ready for a clear coat.
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With the cockpit/nose assembly and wing pylons attached, it’s starting to look like an F-15. Starting to prime with XF-24 looks too dark to my eye, so I will lighten it up with some neutral gray and see how that looks. I also finished the kit seats with some tape belts (need some yellow on the side handles). They are missing the headrest “horns” and middle pull handles, but for a canopy closed build these will be fine.
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After installing the seats and masking the canopies, I closed up the fuselage - finally!
The paint shop has also been busy getting fuel tanks, Sidewinders, and engine nozzles ready. The nozzles need some overspray fixed, but I love the detail!
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Superb work so far !!
Vallejo steel turned out great on the unpainted metal areas around the exhausts… except that I masked off one extra panel 
A quick respray of Gunship Gray coming right up!
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Quick spray session and the natural metal is all good now! I am also getting started with decals, using some kit decals along with a Two Bobs sheet for the earlier lettering for 89-0471.
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Decals starting out nicely… I know that’s the wrong style of eagle for a Desert Storm jet, but I’m using what I have!
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Following a few family and work trips, decals are complete and the paint shop is back open! Initial clearcoat of Tamiya flat/satin is drying…
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I think it’s looking superb so far !!!
You have done a great work !
Great work. I like the engine nozzles.
Is it 1/72 or 1/48?
Appreciate your comments @Nito74 and @phantom_phanatic. It’s the 1/72 Hasegawa kit from a few years back. I have all the ordnance on now, trying to keep the AIM-9 in position while the glue dries
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Finished this build this evening! This is a solid Desert Storm era kit, with minor fit issues where the intakes meet the lower fuselage. I reshaped the blobby pitot parts the best I could, so don’t zoom in too close. The Eduard CBU-87s and Def Model exhausts were worthwhile upgrades.
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Great looking Eagle 
Appreciate it @bwilt 