Here are two of my entries for this GB.

Hasegawa 1/72



Revell 1/72



I will post some progress pics hopefully either during or at the end of the weekend.

Old skool Harriers.....don't see enough of 'em

Yeah, really love those early GR.1s... and there's so many subtle variations on the camo and markings.

A good choice! My second build - after the Lightning F3-will most likely be a Harrier GR1 of No 1 Sqn., a good bit of 1/48th GR3 bashing -
BUT cautionary note Andy - The Harrier force in 1969-70 were in a high gloss finish with Red/White/Blue markings; The initial scheme had a No 1 Sqn badge above the fin flash, this was replaced by a white code letter......

Did I ever point out to you the Dark Green/medium Sea Grey 20 Squadron one..........................?

That's 'ow 'arriers used to look with I were a lad

No, but I am intrigued!

Edit: Page 63 of "The Vertical Reality".

(thanks Dave)

Thanks Bill - looks like I wont be doing it as XV778 either - its first flight wasn't until Mar 1970, and didn't get delivered til Apr 1970. Looks like a hunt through the decal stash to see if I can find the necessary markings prior to XV757.

Ah!!! my ole favourite XV778 ..........RED "16"; Here she is as she would have looked (more-or-less) in June 1982.......
(Photo credit to Mr D. Fleming!!! I think?)

Open question - do you think there's mileage in an "early RAF Harrier" decal sheet, if so what schemes/aircraft?

Anything Harrier gets my vote Jonathan! Be nice to see a couple of the very early GR-1s in the gloss finish and at least one in the 'winter' white scheme.
Then all we'd need is a decent bang-up-to-date kit to stick them on to.

I'd like a winter Harrier

Absolutely - but as no one seems to want to pick the gaunlet up, I personally think a sheet covering early Harriers, Phantoms, Buccaneers and possibly Jaguars (1968 - 1972 ish) would have wider appeal. Shiny finished jets!

Always liked the Harrier OCU badge with the Grasshopper on it.

Hmm...Let me have a long, hard think about this one................................

Yeah Okay!!!

That said...and any jocularity to one side, many of the early GR1 schemes-certainly squadron markings, would be applicable to later GR3 and even GR5/7 schemes.

AFAIK the only early hi-viz markings were worn by no 1 Sqn (plus one photo of a IVSqn A/C), but any other GR1 schemes - particulalry accurate 233 OCU markings would be more than welcome!! And how much space would 3 & 20 Sqn bars take up on a decal sheet!!

Indeed, we could do with a 21st Century quality 1st gen Harrier in all 3 scales.....Trumpeter's forthcoming 1/32 Harriers are 2nd gen IIRC.

Perhaps they'll get around to it yet. He said, praying.

Where's the fun in that? What, No re-scribing, re-working, enlarging, reducing, scratchbuilding, learning new swearwords, losing scalel blades in thumb!
A new 1/48th Harrier'd put Milliput out of business overnight!!!

Not my pic Bill.

If you could include the Beleize tail art and shark mouth...........

... but you did take one (at a Scottish IPMS) didn't you? Or am I going totally doolally!!!

I might have to do a spreadhsheet thang of possible variations of colour schemes, markings and versions for the early RAF Harriers.

As for other shiny RAF stuff... mmmmm, shiny jets!

Dig out one of the old Harrier SIG newsletters and you'll find some bloke called Fleming already did one.

Must update it - managed to get a few more entries over the years (The 4 Sqn Winter ones) but some things remain elusive - 3 Squadron coloured tails on GR3s, and grey wing tips on GR1s for an Exercise in the 70s.




God, you're right I did - my thought was that that pic was too good for the little camera I was using then, but I'll check the Cds.



EDIT - Oh that's neat! I added my reply to Bill as a second 'Add reply' and it automatically added it to the one above!

If I had it/knew about it, I would!

Big yes here for a an update.

progress photo on the Hunter - nearly done



I am having no joy with finding the right marking for the Harrier in the stash so I shall build her with the markings in the box, and remove her from the GB.

The Modeldecals BPW White Letters and numbers have arrived from TwoBobs, so I shall be choosing a scheme from the MD099 sheet for my Eastern Express Wessex.

After masking and spraying Alclad Steel for the exhaust ring, I attached the all the undercarrige, drop tanks, seat and canopy. Added a dab of Tamiya Clear Blue and Clear Red to the wing tips and shes done.

First one completed in the GB - nice job Andy.

Very nice she is too Andy

Another fine looking Hunter - and I like the underside, you've got it just the right shade of grey IMO. It may have been aluminium, but in photos it looks quite grey.

Spot on Andy!! Lovely!! You can't have enough Hunters....................

Fantastic job Andy, another superb model done with ruthless efficiency!

Well done Andy, lovely looking Hunter

Fantastic work Andy
Thats a beauty

Hi Andy,

Great Hunter!! and excellent pics too; thanks very much for posting the pictures here. It looks similar to something I'd like to do, only finished.....

Cheers,

Andrew.

Sweet Andy.

Great photos of a very nice model.

cheers

Grant

Top stuff Andy, all I can say is...Bring on the Harrier!

2nded

Third-ed-ed-edded......

Hi Mr. Mullen..... Well that looks bl**dy great..... Now have a beer and get started on the Harrier, c'mon, no slacking now !

Ian

Right, next up, the Wessex Scheme has been selected,



and main assembly completed, grey-blue and yellow scheme painted and Kleared ready for decalling



managed to knock the 4 main cabin windows into the fuselage during assembly, so I shall be trying PVA to fill them. This has worked for smaller windows not so sure on this size. Failing that maybe clear decal film.

Evenin' Andy
I'd go with decal film for the repair, windows that big, the white-glue will end up 'pooling' in the four corners..... go-on ask me how I know

Ian

Regarding XV778 as she was in the Falklands, is the red 16 solid as per normal 1 Sqn HARs or outline? Is the yellow 16 on both outriggers? I take it the crew names were removed for operational purposes?

yes......(finished 2002 as per Nick Greenall's notes ) I used Modeldecal codes and overpainted them in Red and yellow -my initial attempts at printing my own were'nt successful - though i still have that decal sheet somewhere.......

Thanks Bill, I emailed Nick and he confrimed same, apparently the "6" is a stencil style but they are solid colours.

Thats ok, must get "Red 16 " back off of Nick.....anyway any news on "early SHINY Harrier decal's?"

My GR1 is progressing (slowly, but progressing nonetheless!!!)

Cheers

Bill

Now my car has been fixed I can turn my attention back to all things plastic.

Heres a somewhat late update on the results of last weekends decalling.
I used the main marking for the Modeldecal sheet #99, the codes from other Modeldecal stencil sheets, and the exhuast and window warnings from the kit sheet.
The roundels came from a sheet supplied free on one of the 2004 Finescale Modeller magazines.
Should have this build completed by the end of the weekend.

Looks like your usual sharp stuff Andy

Right, I have tried both the PVA Glue and clear decal film on the windows and neither looked right, so I have remove all traces and left them open for now.

So, for now she is complete

shame about the windows but she looks pretty good to me

Wow, that's the old Frog kit? Fantastic stuff, really impressed with that.

Yeah the clear decal kept drying milky, and I couldn't get the PVA glue to fill the holes.
Still there is about another 10 schemes left on the Modeldecal sheet, so I may have another go sometime in the future.


From what I have gathered from the web I believe it to be the Frog kit.

On to the last of my entries which will be the Harrier.

I couldn't get hold of any of the correct serial numbers for the XV757 scheme, so I shall be attempting to create them this weekend.

I just have to apply a Klear coat and I can start adding the decals.

What is it with Britmodeller members and superbly built Wessex's ? (wessi?)

That is just blinkin' gorgeous!!