Jabba Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 I am entering this GB with the new Airfix Harrier GR3, which I am hopefully going to make an aircraft from 4 Sqn with the Red/Black/Yellow fin arrangement from about 1989 as that was when I arrived at RAF Gutersloh. No I did not work on the Sqn (working on Pumas at PCSF), but I do like the scheme if I can find a set of decals. Most that I have seen cater for the GR7 version, so if anyone knows where I can get a set please let me know. Anyway some pictures. The kit. The instructions and kit decals. Plus the aftermarket tail. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 You'll be wanting this decal sheet then, 4 Sqdn GR3 Enjoy! Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Nice one, a popular kit indeed, enjoy the build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Great choice of scheme. Didn't our own Enzo Matrix have something to do with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted May 4, 2014 Author Share Posted May 4, 2014 You'll be wanting this decal sheet then, 4 Sqdn GR3 Enjoy! Mark. Thanks very much, although I may change the Ser No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 A couple of pictures showing my progress so far. I am quite pleased with how well the kit fits, almost slotting together. I may also change the colour scheme, as I was looking on Hannants web site for the decals that Mark suggested when I saw that they also have the "Matchcote" schemes available, but I am not quite sure at the moment. Also is it worth getting AM replacements for the engine exhausts or is better sticking with the kit ones, as they are not really seen on the finished model? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 Fuselage now together, plus the intakes and a few other bits and bobs have been added. The only thing that concerns me at the moment is the gap between the fuselage and the tailplanes, and the looseness of the tailplane as it just flops about. Anyway some pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 See what you mean on the tails, I think I didn't have that issue as I glued mine! Seems like you had similar fit issues to me too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted May 16, 2014 Author Share Posted May 16, 2014 See what you mean on the tails, I think I didn't have that issue as I glued mine! Seems like you had similar fit issues to me too.... I will fix the tailplane in place as that seems to be the only way to go. The real main fit problem the I had was the intakes as I had to clamp them really tightly to get them into the correct postion. All the other part fitment issues were probably my own making. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted May 19, 2014 Author Share Posted May 19, 2014 Just a small update to show what has been recently added. Almost getting close to painting. Does anyone have an option on the Pavla exhausts would it be wise to get a set of them or stick with the kit ones? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Coming along nicely Jabba, the AM tail looks great. I can see the Airfix family resemblance to the GR7 kit with the way everything attaches. I bought a set of Pavla exhausts for my GR7 just so I wouldn't have to deal with the seams in the kit ones - pure laziness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 (edited) Jabba, The kit exhausts in the GR1/GR3 kit are just fine. Since Airfix changed where they put the join compared with the GR7/9 ones, there are no difficult seams to clean up. Spend the money instead on a Master metal pitot, much better than the kit plastic one! Mark. Edited May 20, 2014 by Harry Lime 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Coming along nicely Jabba. Thanks for the pointer re the fit of the intakes. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Jabba, The kit exhausts in the GR1/GR3 kit are just fine. Since Airfix changed where they put the join compared with the GR7/9 ones, there are no difficult seams to clean up. Spend the money instead on a Master metal pitot, much better than the kit plastic one! Mark. Thanks for that I shall stick with the kit ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted May 29, 2014 Author Share Posted May 29, 2014 I have done a bit more to this model including adding all the weapon pylons, the gun pods and the front part of the canopy. I think that adding the outer wing pylons may have been a tad hasty as I forgot about the roundel decal that goes underneath them, I may have to put a small cut in the decal to allow it to fit properly. Also the fit of the gun pods to the fuselage was not the best and I filled these with Krystal Klear, as I did not have much room to use my normal filler and sand down. Anyway some pictures. Hopefully in the the next few days I shall start to paint this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sten Ekedahl Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Mark is absolutely right. The Master brass pitot tube is a great improvment to the kit, and also not very expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 That's looking good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 Some progress with the painting of the Dk Grey, and hoping to add the Dk Green soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 Dark Green now painted on. The reason the gunpods are not painted is because silly me forgot to sand them down before fitting and I still have to. I will hopefully paint the tail this week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Painting now all done and Klear applied, so now I shall start to apply the decals. I will be putting the recce pod on the centre pylon and fuel tanks on the inner wing pylons, but does anyone know what would be fitted to the outer wing pylons. The kit does provide rocket pods, but is there anything else that could be fitted? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Wow, did you hand paint the tail? Looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 Wow, did you hand paint the tail? Looks great! I painted the whole tail yellow, then photocopied the decal that is the lightning flash and painted the black and red around this. The tail is not quite finished as I do have to add the decal for the lightning flash and then do any recovery paint work that may be needed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Looking good! For a display jet I would think outer pylons empty, or you could add practice bomb carriers or even dummy bombs, blue painted concrete ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 great stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 Looking good! For a display jet I would think outer pylons empty, or you could add practice bomb carriers or even dummy bombs, blue painted concrete ones. This is not actually a display aircraft, but a normal line jet and I think that is 1 of 6 that were marked in this way. I remember whilst being based at Gutersloh (not on Harriers though) that several of these marked aircraft would be flying about. I do like the idea of CBLS though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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