Eduard Sea Harrier FRS.1 Updates (for Kinetic 1:48)

[Mike]

Sea Harrier FRS.1 Updates (for Kinetic)
1:48 Eduard

Following their new tooling of the Sea Harrier FA.2 in 1:48, Kinetic gave us a new FSR.1, which was the initial variant that did so well in the Falklands War. If you have seen the FA.2 sets here, you've pretty much seen these sets already, apart from the cockpit set where the instrumentation is subtly different due to the older equipment fit on the FRS.1. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between.


Interior (49769)
This two-fret set includes a pre-painted and self-adhesive sheet, a bare brass fret and a small piece of clear acetate for the HUD glazing. The ejection seat is the to receive attention, with a comprehensive addition of the complex harness and cushion arrangement, plus the pull-handle, drogue chute pack in the headbox, and some stencils for the side of said headbox. The instrument panel is relieved of its moulded in detail, has a new PE and acetate HUD installed, and is skinned with a lamination of parts to give a highly-detailed panel. The same is true of the side consoles, and their upright portions are skinned with more detail panels, while the rudder pedals are given new detailed fronts. The cockpit sidewalls are upgraded with a detailed sill and ancillary boxes, while the rear bulkhead on the canopy receives a skin after. The outer sill is fitted out with a sliding track for the canopy, and the aft turtle-deck behind the seat has additional parts added. Finally, a rear-view mirror is mounted centrally on the leading edge of the sliding canopy.

Exterior (48887)
This bare brass set adds detail to both wheel bays in the shape of skins & small parts that aren't included in the kit, plus replacement oleo-scissor links to the main wheel, door actuator on the nose gear, and a replacement door for the nose gear bay as well as the main. The air-brake part is detailed inside with a number of small panels that fit between the ribbing, with a pair of flare panels just behind it. The rearmost "hot" nozzle has a protective plate behind it, and the large aft section is removed from the kit part, to be replaced by a PE part that has a latticework section folded behind it to give it depth, then deformed with a ball-pen, and curved to match the profile of the original. It's not massively well described in the instructions. The last few small vents and access panels are dotted around the tail and gear bays, plus a set of skins for the four weapons pylons, after which the APU inlet & exhaust panels (one open, one covered in a grille) are added, and the chunky styrene vortex generators from the upper wing are removed. A template is supplied for the fixing of the little PE replacements, but you'll need to be careful with the glue so you don't inadvertently glue the template down. There are eleven each side, and each one will need bending along a pre-etched line to form an L-shape.

canopy Masks (EX508)
Eduard's kabuki-style pre-cut masking system takes all the hassle out of masking a canopy, and this set has two C-shaped parts for the large sliding portion, and three panes for the windscreen, with the centre section having two options with a cut-out part for the moulded-in windscreen wiper. As a bonus you get four masks for the outrigger wheels, which are moulded into their legs, so will be tricky to paint otherwise. You will need to add a little extra masking fluid or tape offcuts, as usual.

Review sample courtesy of

[Shar2]

They do look very nice, especially the exterior set, but the seatbelts are not the right colours, they should be a darker brown and blue and the interior colours of the consoles and instrument panels were more grey and less blue.

[Mike]

Looks like a wash of paint on the belts then I've re-coloured PE before now (instrument panel on a 262), and it's surprisingly easy, and you don't have to be massively accurate to get the desired effect

[xffw45343tg]

Just as a matter of interest Dave, why were those bits of the harness bright blue on the Sea Harrier? Most other seats of the era seem at pains to make everything non-reflective grey/green/black. I can't imagine that it's a fashion statement.

Oh - and those PE vortex generators look like they'll be a real improvement on the normal chunky moulded items!

Don't understand why the don't model the HUD lens as a hole though. Everett Aero have had a real HUD on ebay for a while (I think he may have a few) and the lens looks a sort of clear blue colour what with it's coatings etc and the mirror underneath. I suppose those in the market for this set have the skills to recreate that in paint.

[Shar2]

I wasn't ever told Kirk. I think it may have to do with having different coloured belts to differentiate between those that kept the pilot in the seat and those that would keep him in the chute.