Piero

Hi Jon, as I said in my post, the AIRframe decal sheet is "gorgeous"... really, I can see all the big effort you and the other fellow have put on make this sheet available for us. I can only thanks for that. But the Dark Sea Grey shade of the stencils is too violet / purple for me. I know about the Pantone swatch/RGB/CMYK/Greyscale and so on problem for this colour... and I would like just a more "neutral dark grey" approach. About the size of the nose mission markings, the GR.7 kit from Hasegawa in 1/48th scale is almost correct... so the Trumpeter kit in 1/32nd no. I know you have to "replicate" a downsize of the real one markings... what I would like to said is the decals can't be put just from the sheet to the kit, but needs to be cut with a scissor and each single part must be placed "at the best"... so the problem is in the kit. Last point about the Medium Sea Grey stencils... I explained badly, I'm going to edit my previous post. Keep up with your good works, we still need decal sheets from you with such kind of kits ;-) CIAO! Piero

Another couple of weeks has passed and finally I managed to put the decals on the model. The Model Alliance / AIRframe “Harrier Retirement Special “decal sheet looks gorgeous, very complete. But I have to say the sheet has two problems, one very annoying… all the stencils that should be in Dark Sea Grey are printed on a violet /purple / blue hue. Once the stencils were put on the model over the Dark Camouflage Grey color I had to overspray them with a light mist of Dark Camouflage Grey color to turn off violet /purple hue. Other than this, some decals are a bit “oversized”, especially the mission markings on the muzzle. The yellow “rescue rettung” arrows stencils, to be placed under the cockpit, are not correct for the ZD433 machine, so I have to got a couple form the Zotz decal sheet “Harriers over Albion”. Ok, let me show some pics of the model at the moment. Some of the loads were finished too: SNIPER pod, EP2+ LGB, fuel tanks, BOL launchers. Other are still working on: RAIDS pod, AIM-9 drill, AGM-65 drill and launcher. CIAO! Piero

... IIRC this picture come from Harrier GR.7 based at Gioia del Colle for operation over Kosovo (Operation Engadine?) in 1999. Look also at the date printed on the picture... 2002... Operation Telic was in 2003. CIAO! Piero

Hello, just a small update this week, I've worked on the external load. I've modified the SNIPER targeting pod from Wolfpack Design. Upgrade were made adding the "communication box" on top of the rear part e and 3 small antennas under the airscoop intake. I've scratch builded the adapter between the ventral pylon and the pod itself. I want load this GR.9A with training rounds, so I've modified a resin/metal LGB CPU-123/b from Flightpath to be upgraded as and E-Paveway II model. At the same time I started a couple of external fuel tanks from an old Hasegawa's A-4s. An AGM-65 Maverick inert drill will follow soon. CIAO! Piero

Hello my frined, thank you very much for the comments on my Harriers! The GR.7 "Snow Falcon" one was left parcked last week, just because I can only paint one model at time... Ok, now the ZD433 is in the final stage of painting. Almost a week (only the evening…) was necessary to mask time to time the various panels and then spraying the different shades of grey. At the same time various details such as antennas ECM / RWR, “yellowish” tape on the wing leading edge and so on have already been painted. Now its time to seal the paint with a good layer of gloss varnish to prepare the model for washing and decaling. CIAO! Piero

Here I am again with another update. I’m sorry but I have not taken pictures of the early stages of the painting ... but so are always the same: a Neutral Grey as primer was sprayed on the entire models, than Flat Black for preshading along the panels, some Flat White on spot of light and then go with camouflage colors. The ZD433 “Dity Harry” has various patches of Dark Sea Grey, Dark Camouflage Grey and Medium Sea Grey all over the airframe. Now I’ve to put a lot of patches of Medium Sea Grey and pure Dark Sea Grey here and there… The ZG500 has the standard mod-95 with Dark Sea Grey over Dark Camouflage Grey. A Flat White wraparound camouflage pattern will follows in a couple of days. All colors used are acrylics from Gunze’s range. CIAO! Piero

Hello my friends, thank you for your kindly words on my models!!! Even if it passes the time between an update and another, I am here with an important progress. This final phase of construction and detail involved the addition of those small parts such as the fences on the wing leading edge, the rows of vortex generators on the wing itself (11 per wing!), the air scoops, the GPS antenna, the connection between the fuselage and the wing/LERX, the base for the extended IFRP and so on... At the end I've refined the panel lines and put on some rivets where more evident as in the rear section of the fuselage. Here the GR.7 with the 100% LERX: Here the GR.9A with the 65% LERX: Now my two Harrier GR.7/9A are ready for painting stage!!! CIAO! Piero

Hi Martin, you have a PM. CIAO! Piero

You have a PM on this... ;-)

Hi Steve, yes is missing in the kit and in the Aires's resin cockpit too... as for the map's clamp on the right side of the cockpit coaming. CIAO! Piero

... The wings are almost ready to be glued to the fuselage. Also here the work is not missed, having redone the antennae ECM/RWR and especially the leading edge profile at the “kink”. In these two photos you can appreciate the difference between the 65% LERX (includes in the kit) and the 100% LERX (made from scratch). CIAO! Piero

Here we are with another decisive "update" of my two RAF Harrier. I actually fitted the fuselage with all the pieces that feature versions GR.7 and GR.9A. Under the GR.7 I’ve attached an empty Aden cannon’s container on the starboard side and a pylon for a TIALD laser pod under the port side. Note that I had to change the front retractable dam of the LID system I’ve modified the Aden cannon’s container because it lacks some details and is also too long. Instead under the GR.9A I’ve attached a strake on the starboard side and a pylon for a SNIPER laser pod under the port side. I’ve fitted to both the fuselages the reinforcing plates, from the Eduard’s PE set and from styrene strips. At the same time I detailed the various antennas ECM/RWR and also the RCVs. I painted the white parts that make up the main engine air intakes, which will then masked with yellow Tamiya tape. The same main air intakes were detailed in the area of the opened auxiliary air doors. At this point I’ve glued the front section of the fuselage with the main stub. Some dry-fit is crucial to have the correct alignment between the parties and to allow a clean job when will be installed the main air intakes. ...

Hi Shaun, I'd no problem with the nozzles in fully aft horizontal position on my AV-8B... maybe try to sand a little bit the inside of the nozzle's fairing covers. CIAO! Piero

Thanks my frinds!!! Here how I fixed the clear lens covering the ARBS sensor. Do you like it?... Ok, the clear part came form the kit itself!!! Take a look at parts R9 and R10: they are not used in this kit, maybe are needs with the AV-8Bs version, for some weapon/pod's sensor. All you need its a little bit of file the tip of the nose... I'm talking about the resin nose... I don't know if its work also on the plastic kit's nose... maybe. CIAO! Piero

Many thanks!!! Yeah, the wheel bay is painted white but in the pic looks darker... so its ok! CIAO! Piero

... meanwhile, taking advantage of the holidays, I was able to fitting the new resin nose cone on the forward fuselage. I’ve needed a bit of filler and some plastic strips but was due more to my inability to properly cut the plastic piece than the fitting of the resin part. Some panel lines were re-scribed too. The ARBS’s sensor was painted silver and detailed with a 3mm dish painted with blue color. The kit’s clear part that cover the ARBS system is a pain… too tick, too big. I’ve tried to thin and fit to the nose, but the result was horrible… So I remove the part and I’ve found out an easy solution yesterday evening. I’ll show you tomorrow. CIAO! Piero P.S: Someone could be interested in a new GR.5’s nose cone?... But the decal will be a problem…. Mmmmmh.

Hello my friends and Happy New Year!!! Thanks to everyone for the compliments. Thanks to the work done by my dear friend, we were able to make some copies of the pieces. I’ll contact via email those of you who requested them in recent months. Because still do not know with certainty how many sets will be available later this week, I’m sorry if there will be some of you that I will not able to satisfied, but the work is handmade. ...

Hello my friends, thank you very much for the compliments on the parts I made. The resin nose and the MB Mk.12 seat sould be available in a very limited numbers, will see how many in the very next days.... I'll let you know. CIAO! Piero

... I'll wait for the right decal in 1/32nd... I love this Harrier!!! I made one years ago using the Monogram's AV-8B kit as start. CIAO! Piero

Hi Richard, that MB Mk.12H seat looks GREAT! I like it... hope to see more pics of your Harrier!!! CIAO! Piero

Thank you my friends!!! Actually I have 2 RAF Harriers in progress as can be see by the couple of wings acting as backdrop in the last pictures. First will be a GR.7, with 100% LERX in the "Snow Falcon 2004" artic camouflage. Second will be a GR.9A with 65% LERX... the 45A with a greys "patch" camouflage. I'm trying to go on in parallel on both to solve errors/issue at the same time. Will see... and I'll let you know if and how many seat & nose will be able to resin cast. CIAO! Piero

Here the first couple of resin copies of my Mk.12H ejection seat. CIAO! Piero

Hello, I spent last weeks to make a better looking GR.7/9's nose cone. Here the result, now its time to cast some resin copies. CIAO! Piero

Hello, thank you for your compliment on the previous works, I'm trying to bring to light most of the bad points of this kit and make available any necessary corrections that I can best make. I continued working on the models again this weekend, by shifting my attention to the front section of the fuselage of the kit scribing the panel lines. Looking at the profile of the nose cone I noticed that too seems to go up, so I compared the piece with scale drawings taken from SAM volume. So I decided to cut the nose cone from the front fuselage section, which will help me for further detail works as the ARBS components and the front jet control valve. Unfortunately, the hump for the FLIR system is too thin, high and curved, so I added a couple of thin layers of plasticard on both sides of the hump. I also made the openings for the ladder steps on the right side of the front fuselage section. The Aires’s resin front wheel bay is inserted without major problems. CIAO! Piero

Hello, the Aires's resin cockpit tubs are painted and ready to be placed inside the front fuselage sections. I removed most of the seat rails on the rear bulkhead. Front instrument panels were painted and fitted with etched parts too... pics will come tomorrow. CIAO! Piero