James G

It's generally a good kit. One issue around the stencil decals is that they are way too light in colour, so I alternately painted over them or replaced them with darker stencils from the Airfix kit.

Thanks, he's a bit over-scale for 1/72 but has nicely cast details!

Lovely build!

I've been remiss in posted updates to this. I've posted the RFI here. Last photo update shows the completed underside. I added some iridescent nail foil to the lenses on the DJRP and the TIALD head, it might not be completely accurate but looks nice I think. Hope you like the RFI!

Hi all, Please see below some pictures of my recently completed 1/72 Revell Harrier GR.7A. The kit generally went together well, I used an Eduard photo-etch set for cockpit details, exhaust nozzles and antennae, etc. I also used a resin seat, BOL rails and Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) from Air Graphic Models; a metal TIALD pod from the Flightpath Jaguar set and the laser-guided bombs were spares from my Revell Tornado GR1 (next build!). The other diorama accessories are also from Flightpath. The pilot is from the Italeri NATO pilots and Ground Crew set. I added some rivet detail to the airframe with a riveting wheel and scratchbuilt a few of the RAF-specific 'lumps and bumps' on the wing tips and rear fuselage - see build thread here for deets! Paints are AK Real Colours and for weathering I used Promodeller dark wash, Mig washes, oil paints and Tensochrom 'smoke' for the exhaust stains. The aircraft depicted is ZD404 'Lucy', depicted as she served at Kandahar air base, Afghanistan in 2007 as part of Operation Herrick (kit decals). Cheers, James

Evening all. I've completed decaling (mainly), the kit decals were nice to work with but the stencils are way too light in the shade of grey used (or my base paint is too dark - could be some combination of both!). I've ordered a spare sheet of decals from the Airfix GR7 kit which looks like it uses darker stencils. I'm hoping the matt coat lightens the paint up considerably. I might also lighten it up a bit more with a light grey filter (the bottle propping up the wing in the top pic!). The bottom pic shows the LGBs, TIALD pod and DJRP pod painted and decaled. Looking forward to getting onto weathering. The photo frame will be a 'micro' diorama base for the Harrier (I'm limited on display cabinet space). I'll paint it up to represent the dusty concrete of Kandahar Airfield, I have the Flightpath boarding ladder, some 'aircraft armed' signs, RBF tags and will scratch/adapt a couple of figures.

All the best to you and your family Bill.

Morning all. Brief update on the Harrier's paintwork, getting close to the end of this build stage. The AK paints for the main colours have gone down quite nicely. I tried something slightly different with the pre-shade this time; usual Mr Surfacer 1500 black coat, then I sprayed Tamiya white through an Uschi metal stencil. I then went back over some lines with Tamiya German grey (see photo below): I then painted the main AK colours (dark sea grey on top, dark camouflage grey underneath) as a thinned layer over the pre-shade. The pre-shade shows in a very subtle way, which is not really apparent in the photo below. I masked and painted a few lighter grey strips on the flaps (apparent in reference photos), and the 'erosion tape' on the leading edges which shows as a greenish-yellow colour on photos of ZD404 'Lucy'. Hope you like the pics, on to my favourite stages (decals and weathering) spoon!

Evening all. Brief update before painting commences on the Harrier. I had a re-think on the loadout that I wanted to depict on the model, to make it as realistic as possible for ZD404 'Lucy' as she took part in Operation Herrick in 2007. Thanks to all who responded to my request for loadout info on here, but especially to Nick Greenall of the Harrier SIG (@NG899) who provided lots of info and photos. So I am going with: a TIALD pod on the port fuselage station, Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) on the centre fuselage station, fuel tanks on the innermost pylons, 2 x Paveway LGBs on the second pylons, BOL rails (but no Sidewinders - rarely if ever carried on Op Herrick as only countermeasures were required) and lastly empty outer rails as I had seen a post on here that addition unguided bombs would not be carried due to the weight issue. On the modelling side this meant removing the gun pods I had added before to the underside of the model, and installing the fence (strake?) on the starboard side, plus scratchbuilding a pylon from plasticard (the white one near the nozzle at the bottom of photo 2 below). I added some links made from stiff guitar string to a couple of the pylons that will carry fuel tanks and the LGBs (it's a bit long, I will trim it). My DJRP is on order from Air Graphics Models! Hope you like the pics.

These are superb books, I have the Hornet and Harrier publications and they have everything the modeller needs!

Wow, thanks for all the info guys. @NG899 will drop you a PM, cheers.

Subsequent research suggests that Harriers deployed to Afghanistan would have used a Sniper pod instead of a TIALD pod, is that correct?

One for the Harrier experts out there... would Harrier GR7s have carried Paveway-II LGBs but no TIALD pod? I have added 2 x 30mm gun pods under my 1/72 Gr7.A but wanted to add 2 x Paveway-IIs - is the inclusion of a TIALD pod mandatory if I wanted to be accurate? I have a cast metal TIALD pod from the Flightpath set, presume this would be suitable for ZD404 as deployed to Afghanistan in 2007? Also if anyone could tell me what colour scheme the LGBs would have worn at this time that would be great. Ta, James

Evening all. Some minor updates on the Harrier build. I've been working a lot on detailing all the weapons pylons with the locking pins represented by punched discs of Tamiya 'pla-paper'. I filled the pylon's incorrect panel lines with VMS flexi black CA glue (my new favourite filler), and re-scribed using the detail images in the instructions (see below). The area forward of the HUD has had some more scratch details added and painted black. On the underside shot of the tail you might be able to just see the scratchbuilt additions to the ventral fin: the VHF/UHF antenna and the Zeus low band receiver (not sure which is which!). A general underside shot some of the PE additions and the painted turbofan nozzles. The last shot shows all the ordnance which will be hung off the wings, and the few other parts such as the undercarriage for painting (the Eduard PE plus a bit more scratchbuilding has made these look more interesting). Sorry as usual for poor photos but hopefully you can see what I am talking about! On to painting next.

Yeah, I've moved away from 1/32 (for now) due to storage reasons, exclusively 1/72 these days!

Very nice build Al! And a happy Xmas and new year to you too.

Morning all. It's starting to look like a Harrier....I've got all the major bits on, and starting to think about the undercarriage and stores next. I've clean up and rescribed/re-riveted most of the joints, and improved the LERX (already quite nicely detailed) with some parts fashioned from Tamiya 'pla-paper' (very thin cardstock). I have drilled and filed out the openings for all the small air scoops on the LERX and at the base of the vertical stabiliser. I repositioned some the antennae on the wingtips to better reflect an RAF machine as these were incorrect in the kit, and added some small details to the wingtip positioning nozzles. The fit of the refuelling probe was terrible hence all the white filler visible in the photos! I also added some more detailing to the Dual Mode Tracker (DMT) on the tip of the nose and the FLIR fairing above. I had a small mishap where I dropped the model and some bits pinged off, including the central cockpit console beneath the HUD, but drawing inspiration from the Chinese proverb about crisis & opportunity I fashioned a new one, and I think it looks the part! The Eduard HUD went on last night, I painted over the circular lens part with a chrome paint pen and then glued some iridescent nail foil over the top, it looks good when the light catches it and it is reflected on the acetate screens above. I will add some wiring to the cockpit coaming then calling the cockpit done....hopefully the paint stage is not too far away.

I'll do my best... think I will mask off some panels and paint them a lighter colour, plus weathering should add some interest hopefully.

Thanks Colin, hope to see you there one day!

It's pretty small! I intend to bring it to some shows in future

Thanks, there's a little bit of photo etch from the Eduard at on there too, e.g. the ejection seat pull

Evening all. I've progressed the cockpit and got the fuselage halves together. I added all the number decals to the fan blades, only to discover they don't cover them all the way round. Luckily the small decal identification numbers filled in the rest! I used some promodeller dark wash on the pre-painted Eduard cockpit side walls, side consoles and instrument panel, and that seemed the bring out the detail quite nicely. The details on the Air Graphics MB12H resin seat came up quite well with a drybrush. The kit-supplied seat is too slim in profile, and I think it is supposed to represent the SJU-4/A fitted to the USMC Harriers. Also just visible behind the seat is a little bit of scratchbuilt detail representing the cabin pressurisation valve and the ground power panel (I'm not a Harrier expert, I just own the Duke Hawkins book!). Other than that I've filled and sanded various seams, and worked a bit on the turbofan nozzles which I thinned out from the inside using my Proxxon Micromot, I think they appear more realistic for having done this. Sorry, as usual my pics are not great, but give an idea. Very much enjoying this build!

Congrats Steve, awards very well deserved for these superb builds, it was great seeing them 'IRL' at Telford.

Never mind, I may well bring it to future SMW's with the US Navy SIG! Thanks Al! All the best.

I'm delighted to say that 'Hornet's Nest' won Gold in Class 81 at SMW 2023 last weekend. I was honestly not expecting this, the other class entrants were of incredible quality (and indeed all the rest of the competition). Hope the Britmodellers that have followed the build and who went to Telford enjoyed seeing it 'in real life'.