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Airfix Sea Harriers FRS.1 and FA.2


NG899

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Assuming you mean the underwing ones, they cover the pylon attachment points. You don't tend to see them on RAF GR3s as they usually had the outer pylon fitted. There is a slimmer versio for the inner pylon as well.

It may be the FRS1 only, but I read somewhere (possibly Jamie Hunter's book) that the inner pylons weren't removable. This was due to the requirement for connectorless wiring direct to nuclear stores.

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  • 1 month later...

Assuming you mean the underwing ones, they cover the pylon attachment points. You don't tend to see them on RAF GR3s as they usually had the outer pylon fitted. There is a slimmer versio for the inner pylon as well.

They covered the pylon rear mountings and provided stowage for the pylon electrical cables. the front pylon mountings was a steel cone that pushed up through the wing and was secured with a big screw collet on the top, it was then covered by a small circular panel.

Selwyn

Edited by Selwyn
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Having read the comments about the decals on the FRS.1 in the early posts of this thread, it seems that Airfix have changed the decals. The serial for ZA191 is now correct and the checks on the tail follow the correct line. Well done, Airfix!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yes, the Harrier SIG produced some back in the mid-00s. As the current SIG Leader Dave Fleming is the best person to contact, maybe via PM, as I think he may still have some in stock. Hope that helps, Nick

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Well, I have searched all through this topic, Google searched till I am blue in the face, and looked through all my Harrier & Sea Harrier books. I can't find the answer to this question: did the Sea Harrier FRS.1 ever carry photo-recce pods operationally? If so, what type of pod, which unit, and does anybody have any pics of such an occurrence?

Larry

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Well, I have searched all through this topic, Google searched till I am blue in the face, and looked through all my Harrier & Sea Harrier books. I can't find the answer to this question: did the Sea Harrier FRS.1 ever carry photo-recce pods operationally? If so, what type of pod, which unit, and does anybody have any pics of such an occurrence?

Larry

I've never seen any evidence whatsoever to suggest either mark of the Shar did. I'm pretty sure if it had, then a pic or two would have surfaced by now. So I doubt it did, but you never know....
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Recce pods were never fitted operationally to SHAR1s. There may have been trials, but we didn't see them on 899, which, being the training squadron, would have trained the bomb'eads how to load them.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The FRS1 did recce ops in the Falklands war using nose mounted F95 cameras. This ops are mentioned in the Ward`s book (Sea Harrier over the Falklands) or (i can remember exactly in wich of them) in the Morgan's book (Hostile Skies) and some pics taked bu the Gr3's mentioned on the RAF Harrier Pook's book.

Regards

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  • 4 months later...

The FRS1 did recce ops in the Falklands war using nose mounted F95 cameras. This ops are mentioned in the Ward`s book (Sea Harrier over the Falklands) or (i can remember exactly in wich of them) in the Morgan's book (Hostile Skies) and some pics taked bu the Gr3's mentioned on the RAF Harrier Pook's book.

Regards

Thanks for that info.

The markings I have access to are the following aircraft:

XZ451, 006, 801 Sqn

XZ457, 14, 800 Sqn

ZA175, 004, 801 Sqn

ZA177, 77, 809 Sqn

ZA190, 009, 801 Sqn

ZA192, 92, 809 Sqn

ZA193, 93, 800 Sqn

Do you know if any of these aircraft were used in recce ops?

Cheers,

Larry

Edited by ReccePhreak
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Hi Larry,

From Dave Morgan's book - the 15th May mission mentioned on p138 looking at the damage done by the SAS on the aircraft at Pebble Island, Dave Morgan was flying XZ455/12; not sure on the aircraft Ted Ball was flying.

On p140 Simon Hargreaves and Dave Smith are mentioned doing recce over Falkland Sound looking for shippin in which they spotted the 'Rio Carcaranna'; Hargreaves was in XZ494/16 while Smith was in ZA191/18. All these were overall EDSG ex-899 NAS aircraft with side codes on the cockpit sides. Decals can be found in the Xtradecal Falklands SHARs/Harriers sheet, or you could use elements of the decals for XZ457, ZA192 and ZA193 for these.

Drop me a PM with a direct e-mail in it if you want me to send you some photos.

Cheers,

Nick

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dark Sea Grey would be too light, even in 1:72nd scale. If Xtracrylix Extra Dark Sea Grey is anything like their enamel (Xtracolor) version, it's rather too green in hue for my liking when compared to real-life examples. As a result, I've always used Humbrol 123 and added a bit of white to it for scale effect. For the newly painted undersides, I'd again use 123 but just add a bit more white. I hope that helps, good luck with the SHAR!

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  • 4 months later...

Hi, I was directed to this site by a friend of mine; this place is a gold mine! I have both of the Airfix SHARs; bought them as soon as they were available here in the States. I compared the directions of the kits to NG899's corrections. Apparently, Airfix had already made the changes by the time they started shipping them here. The only change not done was that Airfix still mentions Dk Sea Grey for the cockpit and ejection seat. His recommendation for a bit of white mixed in with the DSG is noted. Xtracolor's line of paints does include Dark Admiralty Grey; their line of paints are available here in the USA, so will order it(Roll Models, Inc. sells it). Aifix had also corrected the decal sheet as noted in an earlier posting in this link. I did find his notes on both FRS. 1, and FA. 2 to be of great use as he also mentions other things that can make these even more accurate. Last, the Topshots book on the Sea Harrier FA. 2 is a great reference for the modeler, lots of very useful photos. Thanks! My apologies; I have to edit this post just a bit. I had forgotten that the color/colour sheets still list Dark Sea Grey for the FA. 2 nose radome; not Extra Dark Sea Grey. Otherwise, the colors/colours are as NG899 mentions. His suggestions for correcting the parts themselves will be incorporated when I finally do the build. I do have a question to ask of everyone there. I have the Pavla resin cockpit sets for both marks; any comments on them(accuracy, fit, etc.?) as to their worth? Also, I bought their air intake and exhaust set for both kits; does it apply to the FA. 2 kit as well? Or, should Pavla have made a second set for the FA. 2? And, again, how good is their fit, etc.? They do avoid having a seam down the middle of the vanes. Thanks!

Edited by JPuente54
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I'm hoping this isn't the first time someone has asked this.

I'm slaving away over an Airfix SHAR FRS1, yes it'll be a Falklands aircraft and yes, it'll be XZ457/14. I'd like to do the jet as it would have appeared during the war as opposed to coming home. I'm assuming that at that time the Dagger/Skyhawk stencils would not have been there, but my real question are the intake plugs. Grey as well? Are they strapped down in some way? Any sort of handles? Have to admit I just haven't seen what the jet might have looked like on a regular operational day (if there ever is such a thing as a 'regular' operational day). I know there are a few period images out there but most books seem to run the same half dozen or so photos.

​Thanks and ... look forward to getting the finished product up for 'review'

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Ace,

During the Falklands War period the intake blanks weren't the inflatable bags used in later years but solid metal plates edged with a black rubber seal. Drop me a PM with your direct e-mail address in it and I'll send you some photos over.

Hope this isn't too late!

Cheers

Nick

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Actually Nick, the intake blanks we used in the FRS-1s were wooden, with the rubber seal around them, plus two handles on the front face. They could be right swines to get them to stay in place.

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NG899
Not too late at all. I'll shoot you a PM. I'm in the home stretch.

Not sure if this is an even stranger question. Ok ... the Airfix kit has markings for XZ457, and an Indian jet. For some reason I got to wondering if both jets served on the Hermes/Viraat in some fashion?

Thanks Shar2 I'm about ready to show off a bit and think I nailed down those inlet covers.

Edited by Guy Aceto
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Is Pavla's 1/48 MB Mk.10H resin seat the only available option for the Airfix Sea Harrier FRS.1?

I can't really justify the expense of the Neomega cockpit set, since the bagged kit only cost me $7.00.

Too bad both Hannants & Aviation Megastore are both out of stock on the Pavla seat. And I can't do ebay, since I do not (and will NOT) have a paypal account. Nobody in the USA sells it. :weep:

Larry

Edited by ReccePhreak
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