Piero

Hello, some progress on my big Harrier. I started the washing phase. CIAO! Piero

Hi Shaun, thank you! Yes, I filled all these thousands of rivets using Squadron and Airfix plastic putty... follwed by a good long session of sanding and scribing... I would like to put a SHAR aside of the GR.3 when finished, but just thinking about this filling-rivets job... no, thanks! CIAO! Piero

Hi Bill, thanks you! Yes, I used an Olfa compass cutter, it works from 1cm diamter up to 15cm(?). CIAO! Piero

Hello, I painted the RAF roundels on my Harrier. First I sprayed a layer of matt white acting as a base for the colours, mostly for the red one. Than I spayed matt red for the inner circle followed by matt blue for the outer one. Tamiya's yellow tape did a great masking job! Looks good to me CIAO! Piero

Hi, thanks you! The clear plastic windscreen part was first deeped into the Future/Klear liquid wax, this avoid fog/fume when using CA cement as I do. I splitted the main PE frame in multiple parts, this helps in handling and glueing phase. Most of the PE parts were bended and curved over the plastic part. To shape the bulged wiper cover I used the round handle of a brush rolled over the PE part. All the pieces were glued using drops of CA cement (Attack-Loctite). CIAO! Piero

... RAF Dark Green camouflage pattern was arbrushed too. A good clear gloss cote will follows. CIAO! Piero

Good morning, another step forward in the painting phase. RAF Dark Sea Grey is almost done. RAF fin flash and yellow combat number were painted too. RAF Dark Green will follow this weekend. CIAO! Piero

Hi, thanks to all!!! Here a little update with a black pre-shading added to all the panel lines. CIAO! Piero

Hi, from yesterday night I have a "Big Yellow Harrier" on my workbench... A black pre-shading will follow soon. Also I started to spray the camouflage pattern on tailplane surfaces, using Gunze's acrylic paints H331/H75 for RAF Dark Sea Grey and H330/H73 for Dark Green RAF. CIAO! Piero

Hi, I started painting phase of pylons and weapon load. First of all a layer of primer with black pre-shading: Some silver paint on the tip of the fuel tanks covered with maskol: Now its time to spray RAF Dark Green: Some post-shading and fading was added: That's all for now. CIAO! Piero

That's really good... one of the best A-10 model I ever seen. CIAO! Piero

Hello, here we go with some update on my big Harrier from the last sunny weekend. First, I'd to scratchbuild a CBLS to be attached under the belly pylon, based on the HE 1000lb kit's bomb and some plasticard. SNEB rocket pod with some plasticard detail and rescribed panel lines. Tailplane and vertical fin with details from plasticard and Flightphat's PE. Finally, a couple of FODs for the jet intakes. Plasticard sheet for the basic shape covered with Tamiya's Epoxy Putty to simulate inflated rubber. CIAO! Piero

Hi Oliver, thanks, the Flightpath detail set has alot of parts. It depends by you and your modelling skill how much if this stuff can be used on the model. I think a couple of the much useful parts are the windscreen and canopy frame and the exhaust metal shields. A pair of white metal AIM-9L missiles and a resin BL755 cluster bomb are includes. There are also some diorama stuff as an access ladder, contain bin, FODs... CIAO! Piero

Hi Kirk, I found a good picture of the bisected bleed air duct outlet at pag.66 of AirDoc RAF Harrier Germany part.1 volume. CIAO! Piero

Hi, a little but critical progress for this model. The cover of the instrument panel is based on the plastic part of the kit witl some details added on from plasticard sheet and copper wire. The windscreen detailed with PE parts from the Flightpath detail set. Other details as the canopy seal will be added next few days. CIAO! Piero

I agree with the airbrake vane resin update... due there is no plastic airbrake vane in the Airfix box! CIAO! Piero

... maybe a little bit over scaled compared to the real one, but I liked as they looks! CIAO! Piero

Hi, many thanks to all of you for the compliments on this in progress. Now all the vortex generators are placed over the wings... ... and I blanked off the gaps around the nozzles. Here some of the references I'm using to build her. As I said before, she will not be finished as XZ996 but she will be XZ993. I've found some interesting information in the "Aircraft Illustrated Special - Harrier" book by D. J. Calvert: the XZ996 jet was marked as "04" aorund mid-1984, as showed in the "Aeroguide" volume, then as "11" around mid-1986, both wearing 1(F) Squadron marking. If I'll go with panting and masking the individual number... my choice will be for the "11"..;-) CIAO! Piero

Hi, many thanks for your comment on my model and the precious information you provide! As far as I know, the GR.3 (XZ996 yellow 04), as showed in the Aeroguide issue, has a pre-phase 6 configuration (no blade aerial in the spine). She was fitted with the I-band transponder bulge and the chaff&flare box lanuchers, but she didn't went to the Atlantic South's war. CIAO! Piero

Hi Nils, I know, I know... in the beginnig it was suppose to be finished in "winter camo", but in the end I decide for a standard mid '80s machine in 1(F) Squadron markings. CIAO! Piero

Hi Nick, thanks, she will be finished in standard 1(F) Squadron markings, "04" yellow as showed in the old Aeroguide volume. A couple of question. - Ventral airbrake vane inside colour: I assumed it was Dark Green as for the camouflage, but many pics shows alot of dirt and zinc chromate primer. - Outrigger wheel bay: I assumed it was Light Aircraft Grey as for the landing gear, but many pics shows some dirt and zinc chromate primer. Any help on this? CIAO! Piero

Hi Kirk, yes, just done last evening. CIAO! Piero

Hi Bill, thanks my friend. Yes, basically it's the plastic seat of the kit, detailed with some of the metal and PE parts from the Flightpath detail set. All the harness are made with paper tape. CIAO! Piero

Hi Bill, not really an "in progress" of the seat, but I hope this can help you. CIAO! Piero

Hello, I'm back here to show you some progress on my Harrier in 1/24th scale. Still missing a row of vortex geenerators on the right wing, some air scoop on che nose and the canopy. Then I'll be able to start some painting job. CIAO! Piero