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Harrier AV-8C - 158706 / XE-27 of VX-5 "Vampires", US Navy Air Test & Evaluation Squadron, September 1981 After a brief interlude away from Harriers (see here if interested), I've returned to complete the latest model in my Harrier Project - that of a Harrier AV-C flown by the US Navy Air Test and Evaluation Squadron, VX-5 "Vampires", operating out of NAWS China Lake, California. I've seen a couple of photos of this aircraft and thought it would be nice to build, showing as it does the aircraft in the low visibility colours worn by the AV-8Cs (and the AV-8As late in their service life) and a Harrier flying with a US Navy unit rather than the US Marines. It's also sporting an asymmetric dummy AGM-122 "Sidearm" missile (a converted AIM-9C), presumably as part of one of the first air test trials referred to here. I didn't have a Monogram Harrier AV-8A kit, and I wouldn't use the Tamiya version, so I used an Airfix Harrier GR3 and set about converting it back - or is it forward or sideways? - to the Harrier AV-8C. For you modelling experts out there it's easy: just saw off the LRMTS nose; remove the RWR from the front of the tail fin and reduce the height of the tail; throw away the rear tail cone (or use as base for new one); and chuck out the kit seat (which you probably would anyway). Add a GR.1 / AV-8A nose minus the camera fairing as it was removed (I had one in resin from previously), find a Stencel seat (I used a Harrier AV-8B one - tut tut, but close enough), add the RWR mods to the tail cone and wing tips, find / create the large blade aerial, pitot tube and, if adding gun pods as I did, create some plasticard strakes to go on them. No air dam was required as these are not open when the aircraft is at dispersal. Depending on your penchant for detail, various cockpit and instrument panel mods are required. I used some Heritage Aviation dropped auxiliary door intakes and nozzles. The rest of the build is pretty much the usual mods I do to the Airfix kit - as ever, I used Nick Greenall's Harrier SIG guides as a base for my efforts - and this detail has been covered elsewhere before. She's brush painted of course, using Life colour's acrylics: "Dark Green" (FS34079) and "Dark Grey" (FS36118) for the upper surface camouflage and "Light Gull Grey" (FS36440) for the undersides. I doubt these are the real colours, but as you will see, I was trying to mimic the weathering on the aircraft, so an approximation was good enough for me (Purists and Harrier rivet counters can tut loudly here). I left off the final coat of paint (these normally require 4 / 3 / 4 coats respectively for me) so creating a patchy / weathered appearance, though sadly some bits just might look like dodgy painting. My fellow members at West Middlesex Scale Model Club will no doubt say that was not deliberate, just usual for my brush work and I should stop making excuses. The aircraft carries a single dummy AIM-9 as per the photos I have. Not having full views from all sides, there's been some interpretation! I used the new Humbrol Clear in preparation for the decals. I found this best applied sparingly with a wide flat brush - the Humbrol video shows it done with a small round brush, but I found it simply pooled on the aircraft and it was really difficult to get flat. This is especially true anyway if you over-load the brush, whatever the size and shape. Aside from a few stencils from the spares box, I made all the low visibility insignia, unit markings and serials myself. I still haven't mastered this home decal making, but these were better than my last efforts (problem = getting ink to sit / spread evenly). Weathering from Tamiya powders, Zig brushables, pencils and old smudged up cotton buds with various colours on! The MDC was done with a gel silver pen on the inside, the template mask taped to the outside. Not bad, could be better. I rounded off with a spray of Humbrol matt varnish to seal the weathering and then Vallejo matt varnish brushed on to get a good flat finish. Does it resemble the real thing? In spirit if not in practice ... Enough waffle (sorry), here she is ... Comments welcome, as ever. More photos of this model, and the rest of my Harrier collection, can be found here for those who find themselves struggling with insomnia.