1/72 Airfix Harrier GR.1 "The First & The Last"

[NealParkes]

Hi guys,

So I have entered a GB ran on Facebook by British Aviation In Scale, the GB is called Brit 72, really simple anything that is either British in origin or that has worn British markings.

I have decided to build a Harrier as it is quintessentially British and it will start of my little collection of a model of every mark of Harrier that has flown in British service.

I though that you guys may be interested to see how I get on with it.

So as always here is the tradition tour of the box and its contents.

Nice box art with both kits contained in the box:
20170923-27.jpg by Neal, on Flickr


Older style Airfix instructions, total of 45 steps to the build:

20170924-28.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-29.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-30.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-31.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-32.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-33.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-34.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-35.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

The kits give you a lovely camouflage scheme of DG/DSG over LAG, very classy looking in my opinion. Would love to see a Typhoon in this scheme!

20170924-36.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-37.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

The sprue with Airfix's softer plastic, makes it easy to work with but marks easily in my experience:

20170924-38.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-39.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-40.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-41.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

20170924-42.jpg by Neal, on Flickr

So that is the owners tour over and done with!

I've already got a bit done on this one and I'll get that posted up here tomorrow hopefully.

Neal

Edited October 17, 2017 by NealParkes
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[Courageous]

Got my seat at the front.

[PhantomBigStu]

watching along, both good subjects. If you want to build either in operational markings I'd be happy to provide spares from the normal editions of both. 

[NealParkes]

8 hours ago, PhantomBigStu said:

watching along, both good subjects. If you want to build either in operational markings I'd be happy to provide spares from the normal editions of both. 

Thank you for the offer but I really like the idea of the "First & Last" Harriers. 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2017 by NealParkes
Spelling

[NealParkes]

Right then lets get this build started:

IMG_1234 2 by Neal, on Flickr

First parts of the sprues:

IMG_1235 by Neal, on Flickr

And first bit of filling and sanding of the joys of ejector pin marks!!:

IMG_1236 by Neal, on Flickr

And inside the air intake too! Come on airfix you could do a bit better:

IMG_1240 by Neal, on Flickr

I then broke out the airbrush and painted the cockpit and its sub assemblies, then got a oil based wash on the parts. This is where I have got to.

The fan blade painted with Tamiya Aluminium:

IMG_1266 by Neal, on Flickr

The air intakes mocked up checking fro ejector pin marks:

IMG_1265 by Neal, on Flickr

The driver, painted with Vallejo Model Colour and Citadel, washed with Citadel Shades:

IMG_1286 by Neal, on Flickr

The cockpit, wheel well and air intakes, painted with Mr Hobby LAG & DSG, washed with oil pin wash:

IMG_1264 by Neal, on Flickr

IMG_1262 by Neal, on Flickr

IMG_1261 by Neal, on Flickr

IMG_1283 by Neal, on Flickr

IMG_1281 by Neal, on Flickr

The bang seat, painted with Mr Hobby DSG and Vallejo Model Colour:

IMG_1280 by Neal, on Flickr

The airbrake well, painted with Mr Hobby LAG and then oil washed:

IMG_1284 by Neal, on Flickr

And the inside of the airbrake painted as above:

IMG_1290 by Neal, on Flickr

That brings you up to date, next I will dry fit the fuselage and get it buttoned up.

[NealParkes]

So a long overdue update on this one.

I buttoned up the fuselage:

Untitled by Neal, on Flickr

Untitled by Neal, on Flickr

The seams needed some work afterwards, probably cause more by me than the kit. So i filled them with superglue mixed with talc and then sanded them smooth.

I then got the air intakes and the wing on:

IMG_0765 by Neal, on Flickr

IMG_0763 by Neal, on Flickr

The wing root gap under the wing was filled with thinned down perfect plastic putty and then sanded.

The vertical stab did not fit well at first so had to cut away some plastic to get a nice fit:

IMG_0766 by Neal, on Flickr

And here she is pretty much ready for primer:

Untitled by Neal, on Flickr

Untitled by Neal, on Flickr

I'm going to need to check the seams once primer is on, it looks a bit dodgy but feels nice and smooth.

Finally I've made a start on the stores and the nozzles, they all need a bit of sanding:

Untitled by Neal, on Flickr

So that is where I am up to at present.

[At Sea]

Excellent, I'll be watching this as I have a 1/72 SHAR in the stash which I'm keeping back as a Mojo build.

 

Good work so far!

[NealParkes]

I may be wrong but I though that the Airfix SHAR and RAF Harriers were different toolings. I also have the SHAR FRS.1 & FA.2 in the stash. Buddy build at some point maybe?

 

[stever219]

2 hours ago, NealParkes said:

I may be wrong but I though that the Airfix SHAR and RAF Harriers were different toolings. I also have the SHAR FRS.1 & FA.2 in the stash. Buddy build at some point maybe?

 

They are, very.  There is no parts commonality between the two kits, and there are plenty of airframe and equipment differences between the full-scale jets.  The Airfix SHARs are not the finest examples of Airfixs' tooling, but the GR. 1 and '3, with the exception of the latter's fin, are far better.

Edited November 19, 2017 by stever219
The usual typos

[NealParkes]

Hello boys and girls.

 

Progress is steady on the build, I need to get my finger out as it is supposed to be done before the 15th of December! Anyway here is the latest work on it.

 

I masked up the canopy and put a wash on the pilot:

 

IMG_0779 by Neal, on Flickr

 

Unfortunately (for him) the pilot was to tall, the problem of taller younger generations vs the shorter older pilots. So I scheduled him for some surgery:

 

IMG_0780 by Neal, on Flickr

 

After the orthopaedic surgery he settled in nicely to his office:

 

IMG_0782 by Neal, on Flickr

 

Also got the 30mm Aden pods in place:

 

IMG_0783 by Neal, on Flickr

 

And then popped the front part of the canopy into place:

 

IMG_0784 by Neal, on Flickr

 

And started getting all the little bits and bobs ready for primer, first of sanded the seams and then placed them on cocktail sticks on in pegs ready for the primer:

 

IMG_0785 by Neal, on Flickr

 

Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Next I will get the main canopy tacked in position and then give the kit a coat of primer, but that will be for the next update.

 

Neal

[NealParkes]

Hey guys,

So I managed to get the Harrier built just in time for the end of the Brit 72 group build on Facebook. I must admit it was a challenge as I had other thing on the go recently and not much time for modelling. But never less it is done.

I did primer the kit and the smaller parts a while ago using Ak black Microfiller and Primer, I do like the look of the Harrier in matt Black:

IMG_0817 by Neal, on Flickr

IMG_0816 by Neal, on Flickr

IMG_0815 by Neal, on Flickr

I then sprayed the undersides of the fuselage with Mr Hobby Light Aircraft Grey:

IMG_0818 by Neal, on Flickr

And that is pretty much where I had left the build until Thursday the 14th, now the GB finished at the end of the day on the Friday the 15th, the pressure was on as they say. I masked the undersides and sprayed the first of the top camouflage colours with Mr Hobby Dark Sea Grey:

IMG_0828 by Neal, on Flickr

On the Friday with 4 hours to go I picked up from where I was above, I then free hand sprayed the second of the two colours Mr Hobby Dark Green, I was pretty happy the way it turned out as I normally mask my camo schemes but did not have time to do so:

IMG_0829 by Neal, on Flickr

I was pretty glad that I as spraying the Mr Hobby paints as they are nice and glossy it saved me spraying a clear coat before putting some decals on, I skipped all the stencils to save time (I'll pop them on later):

IMG_0830 by Neal, on Flickr

I managed to get the main decals on, the undercarriage on, a couple of pylons and remove the canopy mask just in the nick of time, at 23:59:59 here she was:

IMG_0831 by Neal, on Flickr

IMG_0832 by Neal, on Flickr

Now she is not perfect and I will get back to her and finish her properly, but I'm happy enough to call this one done just be the skin of its teeth for the end of the GB.

Once I get her stencilled up and bombed up I take some final reveal photos and put them in the gallery.

Thanks for looking.

Neal

[F111Fan]

For a supposed "dash to the finish" that's looking excellent! Great work with the seams and the paint work, she looks stunning!