Airfix Harrier GR1 Box Arts now posted on Airfix website

[Plastic Bonsai]

I could be wrong but if the GR7/9 kit was anything to go by, the decal sheet in the main kit will be massive and fill the whole box, with stencils for everything, whereas the Starter set may only have the basic markings.....

Either way - I'll be needing a few.........................

Well I have a few Modeldecal sheets that need using up.

And after the GR3A they only have the T2/4/8 to do...

[Giorgio N]

Wasn't there a plan to put AV-8B exhausts on A's and then call them C's?

Trevor

Don't know about this one, but must say I'd like to have parts for those updated AV-8A that were redesignated AV-8C. These had strakes added to the gun pods, no camera in the nose and at least initially an air dam behind the nose gear well doors (later removed).

[Dave Fleming]

I don't know if the dam was removed, but it was fixed in the up position whenever just the strakes were fitted.

[GreenDragon]

I'll have to buy them coz I've got every 1/72nd injected first gen Harrier/Shar except for the Airfix Kestrel. Really should build some as the only one I have finished is the old Airfix GR.3!

Paul Harrison

[robvulcan]

The 1/48th kit is not new tooling though Rob! Its the old original GR3 kit from back in the eigthies- despite being old its still a good kit , very accurate dimensionally and certainly buildable - I've built a few over that period of time!!

If you need to know whats new tooling from Airfix, just take a look on this website .... there have been enough postings on here over the last few months about Airfix's new releases!!

Cheers for that see I got mixed up I heard ably the new tool gr1 and I thought a gr3 possibly. But in the shop couldn't remember the scale I'd seen on the site. Busy I'm afraid mate and its just nice to be social and ask on here as someone always knows more than I do here. And yes it is a good kit I remember building it when I was a kid and was one if my favourites. I may well give it another go. Cheers Bill

[John B]

On a semi-related note (I can't find the "pinned" Harrier thread)...

Is the ejection seat in the AV-8A/C the same as the seat in the Harrier GR1 and GR3? Originally, the plan was for the USMC AV-8As to be built by McDonnell Douglas, but they ended up just buying them from BAe instead.

Follow-up question - Is there a resin seat produced for the 1/48 AV-8A/C?

[Dave Fleming]

On a semi-related note (I can't find the "pinned" Harrier thread)...

Is the ejection seat in the AV-8A/C the same as the seat in the Harrier GR1 and GR3? Originally, the plan was for the USMC AV-8As to be built by McDonnell Douglas, but they ended up just buying them from BAe instead.

Follow-up question - Is there a resin seat produced for the 1/48 AV-8A/C?

(A) It's complicated! As originally delivered, they had MB mk 9s, but it appears that after the first 30 were delivered, the USMC re-fitted them with a Stencel seat in the US (and retrofitted the earlier aircraft). They may have been factory fitted on some of the last aircraft. The key is whther or not the headbox has ythe grab handles - the MB seats didn't the Stencel ones did.

As to why the aircraft had a UK seat fitted, which was immediately replaced in the US, apparently the MOD forbade British test pilots using the Stencel seat as the Institute of Aviation Medicine were concerned about certain safety aspects of the seat in use.

( I'm not aware of one specifically for the early seat,, but you may be able to amend an AV-8B seat

[avro683]

Interesting that the starter set is cheaper.

[Dave Fleming]

Interesting that the starter set is cheaper.

Much simpler decal sheet with only one option

[Work In Progress]

Might have fewer bits, as well. You never know with Airfix: as in the case of the series 2 Spitfire I in 1/72, the contents of which make an early I, a late I or a Va, whereas the starter set version only makes a late I.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Work In Progress

[John B]

(A) It's complicated! As originally delivered, they had MB mk 9s, but it appears that after the first 30 were delivered, the USMC re-fitted them with a Stencel seat in the US (and retrofitted the earlier aircraft). They may have been factory fitted on some of the last aircraft. The key is whther or not the headbox has ythe grab handles - the MB seats didn't the Stencel ones did.

As to why the aircraft had a UK seat fitted, which was immediately replaced in the US, apparently the MOD forbade British test pilots using the Stencel seat as the Institute of Aviation Medicine were concerned about certain safety aspects of the seat in use.

( I'm not aware of one specifically for the early seat,, but you may be able to amend an AV-8B seat

Thanks for the info. I didn't know about the seat, so I guess it wouldn't be incorrect to model one of the earliest AV-8As with the MB set. (Now I wish they'd scale up the 1/72 Harrier and Sea Harrier into new-tool 1/48 kits.)

[ChocksAway]

Don't know about this one, but must say I'd like to have parts for those updated AV-8A that were redesignated AV-8C. These had strakes added to the gun pods, no camera in the nose and at least initially an air dam behind the nose gear well doors (later removed).

Air dam later removed? Why? When?

[smuts]

I want one or two..........another hit on the bank balance

Andy.

[AnonymousAA72]

Might have fewer bits, as well. You never know with Airfix: as in the case of the series 2 Spitfire I in 1/72, the contents of which make an early I, a late I or a Va, whereas the starter set version only makes a late I.

But the GR7/9 sets both had the same amount of plastic in them...it was just the decals that differed.......still, time will tell...

Edited June 18, 2013 by Bill Clark

[John]

Might have fewer bits, as well. You never know with Airfix: as in the case of the series 2 Spitfire I in 1/72, the contents of which make an early I, a late I or a Va, whereas the starter set version only makes a late I.

The Series 1 Mk1 only has parts for the basic BoB Mk1 though.

John

[Seahawk]

(Now I wish they'd scale up the 1/72 Harrier and Sea Harrier into new-tool 1/48 kits.)

I don't think you do. The old 1/48 Sea Harrier was at least accurate in outline, the 1/72 Sea Harriers are not. It looks as if Airifx are going to do much better with the new 1/72 Harrier GR.1 and GR.3 so you might have a point there.

[Gustavo Bunger]

£10.99 for the normal boxing and £9.99 for the starter set?

Good value for money either way!

Indeed !

[Marcus.Q1000859]

Good info on the seats and aerials, cheers!

[Giorgio N]

Air dam later removed? Why? When?

Might be wrong and it was just locked. I'll have to dig through the many references I collected some time ago for a project involving the modification of an Airfix old tool GR.3 with a nose cloned in resin from an esci kit

The project was then shelved when I realised how different the airfix kit was from the real thing. When I found 2 esci kits in a shop I bought both and the project will go ahead with one of these, however in the meantime all the information has left my memory

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Can I have mine now, please?

[the MDman]

I hope they do this in 1/48

I second that.

I am waiting for ages for a replacement for the ancient Tamiya Harrier.

[ChocksAway]

Giorgio N - as and when, no rush, just curious as not seen a reference to that before.

NEW 1/48 scale Harriers - ooh, yes please, but I guess there's no compelling reason for manufacturers to do one currently - and unfortunately. There may be demand amongst us Harrier nuts, but how wide it would spread is hard to tell. Though I have to say if my experience of people visiting G-VTOL is anything to go by, the Harrier is a long way from forgotten. If I had a £ for every comment along the lines of "why did they get rid of them", I'd be looking at tax avoidance! Sadly though, that might not mean fellow modellers want to make one. 1/32 seems to be the new 1/48 for a number of us.

Back to wing filling on the venerable Airfix FA.2 - 1/48th of course.

[Murph]

Don't know about this one, but must say I'd like to have parts for those updated AV-8A that were redesignated AV-8C. These had strakes added to the gun pods, no camera in the nose and at least initially an air dam behind the nose gear well doors (later removed).

I don't know if the dam was removed, but it was fixed in the up position whenever just the strakes were fitted.

On a semi-related note (I can't find the "pinned" Harrier thread)...

Is the ejection seat in the AV-8A/C the same as the seat in the Harrier GR1 and GR3? Originally, the plan was for the USMC AV-8As to be built by McDonnell Douglas, but they ended up just buying them from BAe instead.

Follow-up question - Is there a resin seat produced for the 1/48 AV-8A/C?

This info comes from the Wolfpak decal sheets that covered Marine AV-8A Harriers (can't remember the sheet numbers); they typically have an indepth discussion on the required mods for the aircraft covered:

The U.S.M.C. upgraded forty seven aircraft to the AV-8C standard between 1979 and 1984. This included structural modifications to increase the airframe life, removal of the camera in the port nose, adding a Litton AN/ALR-45F Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and AN/ALE-39 chaff/flare dispenser, a capability to carry Triple Ejector Racks (TERs), an Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS), new secure radios, and Lift Improvement Devices (LIDs) developed for the AV-8B to aid in vertical takeoffs. The air dam that was part of the LIDs was very short lived though, as they never worked right, having a bad habit of failing to retract. The A model’s air dam was a “scabbed on” plate (not built-in, with a well to retract into like the AV-8B installation), so it presented its leading edge into the airflow at all times, which caused issues with the actuator that held it shut in addition to stressing its hinges. They didn't mention if the air dam was removed entirely or just left "closed", but I would guess with the way it was mounted, and the issues they had, it was removed entirely. The AV-8A used two different ejection seats in its career: the Martin Baker Mk.9A and the Stencel SEU-3/A, which the Marines equipped with an additional “figure 8” overhead ejection handle. The Marine Harriers also eventually used a different main instrument panel than the British versions (without the projected map display). The first fifty nine were delivered with the British developed FE541 nav/attack system installed, but this was eventually deleted in these machines and replaced on them (and later deliveries) by the simpler Smiths I/WAC (Interface/Weapon Aiming Computer) system which was all that was deemed necessary for the short range missions envisioned by the Marines. Also, much of the AV-8A fleet was eventually fitted with formation lights before being upgraded to C models. Here are some pictures of an AV-8A cockpit I took at the Naval Air Museum LINK The overhead ejection handle has been removed from the seat, but you can see where it would mount.

Regards,

Murph

Edited June 21, 2013 by Murph

[Giorgio N]

Murph, thanks for posting that info !

On the dam, it came to my mind that someone had posted here that it had been removed and that the slots in which it was hinged remained visible under the belly. I've tried to find that post but have had no luck until now.

[Murph]

Murph, thanks for posting that info !

On the dam, it came to my mind that someone had posted here that it had been removed and that the slots in which it was hinged remained visible under the belly. I've tried to find that post but have had no luck until now.

You're welcome, and that would make sense about the air dam. There was a poster at ARC that worked on the AV-8As, and I got a lot of info from him quite a few years ago, which I have subsequently forgotten.

Regards,

Murph