Julien Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 If you ever need any more pictures just ask me. Julien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted November 25, 2018 Author Share Posted November 25, 2018 Just now, Julien said: If you ever need any more pictures just ask me. Julien Cheers Julian - I asked a favour of the Bentwaters Cold War Museum at the start of this & they very kindly measured up a unit & sent me a bunch of great reference photos. I haven’t asked if I can share them, but I will do. The only thing I don’t have is any pics of the unit with the platform raised Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 43 minutes ago, bar side said: Cheers Julian - I asked a favour of the Bentwaters Cold War Museum at the start of this & they very kindly measured up a unit & sent me a bunch of great reference photos. I haven’t asked if I can share them, but I will do. The only thing I don’t have is any pics of the unit with the platform raised That OK I am a volunteer there. Will see if I have any raised pics. The last time I can remember raising them was on the night shoot tho. I cant see any probs you sharing them as long as you mention the museum. I am aiming to take some pictures of the HAS for a project inside and out. Interestingly I have seen two different backs to the HAS on base, and the Bentwaters one differ from the ones at Lakenheath I got to visit. Julien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted November 26, 2018 Author Share Posted November 26, 2018 Well @Julien if you see Graham pass on my thanks for the measurements & photos. It’s a great place & would love to get a look around the HAS one day. There seem to be at least 2 main back walls. Some are concrete & others seem to have a metal cladding on it. The RAF HAS back wall often had a winch next to the exhaust doors but inside shorts aren’t easy to get hold of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted November 26, 2018 Share Posted November 26, 2018 1 minute ago, bar side said: Well @Julien if you see Graham pass on my thanks for the measurements & photos. It’s a great place & would love to get a look around the HAS one day. There seem to be at least 2 main back walls. Some are concrete & others seem to have a metal cladding on it. The RAF HAS back wall often had a winch next to the exhaust doors but inside shorts aren’t easy to get hold of. As I will see Graham tomorrow I will pass it on. These are NATO standard HAS and yes they have a winch inside. The metal cladding ive never seen this at Bentwaters but did see it at Lakenheath. These HAS were designed for when the F-111s were there; the back seems to have an exhaust defuser? Julien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted November 26, 2018 Author Share Posted November 26, 2018 It’s a different shape defused to the RAF ones. This one is on the Wattisham site, but I would guess it is Conningsby the vent seems to be octagonal unlike the rectangular ones you have. I have read someone suggest the Wattisham HASes were designed for TSR2 but seemed to work ok with the Phantoms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted November 27, 2018 Author Share Posted November 27, 2018 So a pic of the floodlight unit with the rest of the US ground equipment And with the RAF kit too. The Landry and Bedford both have working lights And with the the lights on behind the Hog 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 1, 2018 Author Share Posted December 1, 2018 Time for an update on the Harrier @Kirk will be getting impatient. First bits getting a base coat. Have the pains now for 2 tone green finish And this is the decal pack - loads of options for future Harriers too Looks like it will be a 3 Sqn Kinloss bird 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted December 1, 2018 Share Posted December 1, 2018 Impatient? Moi? Monogram have done that dodgy thing of sneaking a US Stencel seat into a UK Harrier kit and pretending we won't notice its not Martin-Baker's finest Mk.12. You can probably get away with it with some judicious painting (pretty much: satin black seat pan, ladder and parachute box, that Tamiya green above for the back & seat pad, golden brown-ish (wasn't that a Stranglers song?) coloured webbing (including the prominent parachute riser webs on the face of the headrest pad) with green shoulder pads, a peek of golden yellow for the PSP (box of goodies under the seat pad), and some barely-noticeable pale blue skinny straps for the leg withdrawal lines that dangle over the control column from where they emerge on the seat roughly behind the pilot's knees.). I promise not to say anything. There's something very wonderful about a 2-tone green Harrier so I'm already enjoying this bit of your build very much. Kirk PS/ Is there any reason why 3 Sqn in particular? If you go with 41Sqn (??? - the actual genuine Harrier experts will confirm) you're free to stick on all sorts of experimental kit like the abandoned 25mm Aden guns (just stick a long barrel on the chopped off ends of the UK gun pods) etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 2, 2018 Author Share Posted December 2, 2018 Yes the kit seat is wrong, but Monogram moulded the seat base & half the back in to the base of the cockpit. I have put the sides on to see what it looks like. It would take some serious surgery to cut it out & fit a nice Martin Baker resin seat in. So I will see what can be done to Anglisise it. As to 3 Sqn, that is what the decal set offers, along with 1 Sqn. No 41 Sqn in the pack I am afraid 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 2, 2018 Author Share Posted December 2, 2018 So Martin Baker mk12 seats in 1/48 are not expensive. They almost cost more to post than to buy. They look something like this: Now it would take a lot of chopping about - worth it for something I will hardly see? Hmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted December 2, 2018 Share Posted December 2, 2018 A Mk.12 is a thing of beauty though. Almost good enough to contemplate modelling outside the aircraft. Say, being craned in after servicing or on its servicing stand? I wonder if I have a picture of such an event? Istr that the canopy is removed for this job. Can't remember if it sits in a crate or just gets a cover... Will have to have a rummage in the "library" tomorrow. Incidentally, I think that @Vitaliy is poised to deliver a master class on how to build the cockpit on his Harrier thread. Might be worth a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 2, 2018 Author Share Posted December 2, 2018 Saw Vitaliy’s thread earlier. Lots of details & references on there. Had an idea of how to scratch the flare dispensers and the dorsal fin bits. A proper mk12 seat would look good.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 Not sure you need flare dispensers for a GR5(?). I think the most scary thing they could do was drop CBLS on you or shout "rat-a-tat-a-tat" whilst holding down the gun button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 3, 2018 Author Share Posted December 3, 2018 Harrier with moulded in US style seat And now without Pavla mk12 ordered & a bit of gap filling to do. Don’t want to do too much though until I test fit the new seat Interesting on the flares @Kirk - someone said on another thread that they did have the same fit as the GR7s but I haven’t seen any photo evidence. Any idea if the dorsal antenna are a la GR7/9? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 7, 2018 Author Share Posted December 7, 2018 Nice little Martin Baker seat arrived today kit tub with the back replaced on the left, nice new seat in the middle, kit cut out moulded in sat on the right. Let’s face it, the new seat is an imprvement 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted December 8, 2018 Share Posted December 8, 2018 Nice repair to the bulkhead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 8, 2018 Author Share Posted December 8, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, Kirk said: Nice repair to the bulkhead! Think the seat will hide the worst of it! Didn’t put the floor in as I didn’t know quite how tall the seat would be. The resin seat base may well become the new floor. quick update - test fit looks ok Edited December 8, 2018 by bar side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 16, 2018 Author Share Posted December 16, 2018 Another eBay job arrived yesterday couple of bits to sort & the kit I believe has some challenges, so put this one on the back burner for now. Not going to do the splinter camo though - interceptor grey I am afraid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 16, 2018 Author Share Posted December 16, 2018 Bit of paint on the cockpit & seat slow progress this time of year - lack of daylight hours & drying of pain in the sub zero garage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 The Viggen has a full set of canards thanks to the generous help of @Jinxman Lookng forward to getting gong gong on the Viggen, but need to move on with the Harrier first. Hopefully get some time in the next couple of weeks. Christmas at home this year 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 I've a feeling that the kit instrument panel may be a bit off for a GR5. If that bothers you, shout and I'll see if I have a spare knocking around (unlikely but worth a stash rummage) - or else post a pic and I can point out what may be deserving of attention. UK ones had a big moving map display where the US version had the engine display panel. Given you can barely see it under the coaming it may not be worth getting het up about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 20, 2018 Author Share Posted December 20, 2018 (edited) This is the AV-8 panel - got to say the seat painting looks rough blown up to this size! Something more ore like this @Kirk? Edited December 20, 2018 by bar side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Exactly that ^. Notice that on the UK version there are only 5 standby instruments (can't remember what the 6th US one is - HSI?) which creates the notch in the right hand side into which the (big) moving map display sits. The engine display panel (EDP) above the moving map is actually present on the AV-8B as is the fuel panel below it; they're basically squashed up together as represented on your kit. While I've got my specs on, the bottom section of the seat is actually black, and the base of the ejection loop red. The yellow is limited to the personal survival pack (PSP) box which mostly sits inside the black (anodised) seat pan. Pretty much as you've painted, the yellow bit sits under the pilot's thighs covered by the green seat pad, the front edge of which is just a thin double layer nylon flap which is bolted to the PSP. I think the yellow is actually in the gel coat of the fibreglass PSP. They were painted over in green on later seats, so when you do your GR9 () , paint it yellow then over paint in green and scratch it off a bit on the leading edge where the pilots' legs/boots come into contact. Straps should be that gold/copper/brown colour that seemed quite common on all MB seats of this era. Particularly noticeable on the parachute risers on the head box. If you've got more time than you know what to do with, the head pad is a slightly different texture to the rest of the parachute box - maybe semi-gloss black? The shoulder strap end fittings that plug into the (black) quick release buckle are gunmetal grey (and, Pavla, should be plugged into receptacles on the lateral sides of the parachute box when not in use). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted December 20, 2018 Author Share Posted December 20, 2018 Bit more work on the seat - some colour on the straps and a red ejection loop. Quick coat of black on the panel, ready to scrape back the buttons & dials. May try to stick on a moving map display & add a notch to the side The dodgy back of the tub patch won’t be seen with the seat in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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