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Arctic Harrier - putting the “Cold” into Cold War! Italeri 1/72 Harrier GR.3 No. 1 Squadron, Norway, Winter 1986


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  • 1 month later...

Ooo eer is that the time? Have been on holiday for a few weeks, but blimey I need to get my finger out. Right then, I have been cracking on a bit. First thing was to get the wings glued on. First up though was to give a little more depth to the duct thingies. As you can see they are a little one dimensional.

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I cut out the apertures, made a duct shaft out of take-away tin foil, some mesh from a pipe screen.

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Here is the finished job which I think adds a little depth. The pipe screen mesh could be finer, and I think I will purchase some fancy tea bags from a posh supermarket, as they use fine mesh for their teabags. However, I will have to have a few sharp drinks to summon up the courage to buy “Manuka chai infused honey herbal lemon whole leaf pekoe hibiscus rosehip” tea bags or whatever they’re called!

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Oh and I finished off the navigation lights:

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I spent more time on little details. There is a small duct on the nose. This is represented on the kit as a mere outline which you can just make out in one of the piccies above. I made a rough template by pushing a piece of heated sprue through a scribing template like thus:

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They were cut out and sanded:

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And after much faffing around here it is in place with an aerial made from beer can foil:

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While I was at it I added a little hydraulic piping to the airbrake and a new retraction arm from Albion Alloy tubing. The nickel tube save the need for painting it chrome, and looks more realistic than the kit offering which I’ve included in the piccie, even if it will hardly be seen. I’ve also cut out an aperture for a landing light. The kit provides a blob of plastic, but I reckon a little sanded clear sprue will look better. The hole just below and to the left of the airbrake aperture is to receive a little aerial I’ve made from beer can foil. There are a few of these spikey bits on the aircraft, which Italeri do provide for, but the plastic is moulded too thick and out of scale, hence my replacements. I haven’t stuck it on yet cos I’ll only bust it off.

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I got the SNEB pods finished off and applied some primer to show up any flaws. Very few fortunately. Here they are ready for the pylons – the latter had to be adapted with a bit of plastic rod.

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I got some primer on the exhausts and the drop tanks. I decided against using the bombs in the end as virtually all Harriers I’ve seen of the period have the drop tanks, so I’ve consigned the bombs to the spare box.

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Righto here we go with the tailplane in place, wings glued on, filled, sanded and rescribed. I also modified the main wheels undercarriage by cutting it in half. It will be rejoined latter by way of a small steel rod. The kit would have you stick it on in one piece when you join the fuselage halves together, but this makes for cleaning up the seams more difficult, and it would get busted off.

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Here then is the top view:

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I had to scribe the hatch openings as these are surprising absent on the kit. I also drilled out the vent on the tail. Again the landing light on the spine is a plastic blob. I sanded this back and will replace with a bit of sanded clear sprue.

Next up is the canopy and a few spikey aerial bits and bobs. And then at last paint. In the meantime I am making jet wooshing noises…

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Superb detail work, got to be one of the best jobs I've seen on the Airfix kit so far! Thats an interesting technique for the duct on the nose, reminds me of making loads of Mirage III air scoops from sliced cotton buds, took ages!

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Thanks for the comments. It appears the navigation light piccie went walkabouts so here it is kindly reproduced with permission from the editor:

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I got cracking on a HUD from take-away tin foil and acetate. A little makeshift but convincing enough at this scale, dry-fitted in place.

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And with some NATO Black.

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Then I made a little bulkhead for the canopy as the kit doesn’t supply one, a pitot from a sewing needle sanded down in a dremel cos I busted the original, and the weather vane thingy from tube and beer can foil cos I busted the original. In fairness the kit version scaled down looked like a piece of scaffolding.

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Got the canopy masked and finally some paint to match the cockpit interior.

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Last jobs prior to masking was to sort out the little aerials. These were made from beer can foil. Again the kit versions scaled down resemble scaffolding planks, and while not perfect, I think these are much better.

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I got it masked up and a quick blast of Tamiya rattle can fine white primer. Although I seem to have got more on my hand:

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Must say the primer went on well. I then put down a coat of Humbrol matt white, and here is the final result:

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Lovely virgin white as pure as the driven snow! Pity as it won’t stay that way as they got scuffed up pretty bad.

Time for the attack of the blue worms prior to the grey:

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The job seemed to take forever, but I got there in the end. It still needs a couple of touch-ups though:

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At the same time I masked up the tail fin flashes and the green area for the serial number. The original aircraft had the grey and markings masked off, and then the white sprayed on top of the green. From what photos I’ve seen they weren’t always that precise, and I think the white being temporary wore off pretty quickly, so I weren’t that fussed about masking precision.

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Okay at long last after what feels like an eternity here’s where I’m at:

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Looking much better. So next up is a coat or so of klear then get the transfers on. While they’re drying I’ll finish off the other bits and bobs.

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Excellent looking build there Tom,I'm picking up some great tips too,but you've piqued my curiosity.........what's this book we're not allowed to mention??? Bill Shakespeare's Scottish play maybe???........"is this a Delta Dagger which I see before me"?........nope,it's a Harrier,should've gone to Specsavers!

Andrew

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Very good indeed. You mentioned that the real aircraft was sprayed white, I am not so sure as I used to work with someone (When on 51 Sqn) who used to work on Harriers and he said that they used to sent out some lineys with a 4" paint brush telling them which colour to paint out, and to aviod the major markings. That is why you got a ragged edge around said markings.

Edited by Jabba
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Thanks the kind words folks.

Excellent looking build there Tom,I'm picking up some great tips too,but you've piqued my curiosity.........what's this book we're not allowed to mention??? Bill Shakespeare's Scottish play maybe???........"is this a Delta Dagger which I see before me"?........nope,it's a Harrier,should've gone to Specsavers!

Andrew

It's referred to in the second comment in the rules section here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235000616-welcome-and-rules/ I'd re-quote it but I'd get a man's vegetables telling off from the mods and GB hosts :winkgrin:

Very good indeed. You mentioned that the real aircraft was sprayed white, I am not so sure as I used to work with someone (When on 51 Sqn) who used to work on Harriers and he said that they used to sent out some lineys with a 4" paint brush telling them which colour to paint out, and to aviod the major markings. That is why you got a ragged edge around said markings.

You know I did hear that they were painted too, and I 'aint gonna argue with someone in the trade. Of course, not only do I welcome your information, it also cuts me more slack for for dropping a clanger and messing anything up :thumbsup:

Managed to get all the decals on. Will leave them to try out overnight before a coat of varnish, a wash and weathering.

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I got the transfers decals on. I had my misgivings at first as there appeared to be little spots of mould all over the sheet. My fears were misplaced and they went on a treat. Laid down well and absolutely no trouble at all. Even though it took forever to get all then stencils on, it was actually quite enjoyable and therapeutic. Wouldn’t want to do 1/48 Phantom though after seeing some of the aftermarket stencil sheets.

Any how they really bring the kit to life. I’ve made a wash from grey, blue and brown oils and this is where I’m at:

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I started on the exhausts:

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I gave an undercoat of Alclad gloss black, the Humbrol metalcote. I give them a buff with a cotton bud. Then I dab a cotton bud in bronze, metallic blue, and silver. And give em a rub. I only gave the front exhaust a rub in silver though cos I don’t think they get hot….or summat I heard somewhere…

Anyway this is what I mean.

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And I end up with this. My technique for heat effects:

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Will continue with the wash, then a coat of semi matt varnish and a bit of weathering. Also finishing off the other bits and bobs. Close run in but should do it.

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The cushions are milliput and probably a tad over scale, (think it’s only fitting the pilot should have a little luxury out there on the Arctic fringes though) with bits of wire and rod. Dry fitted for now. I will add take-away foil harnesses later. Apologies for the blurry and repetitious piccies. More interesting stuff to follow.

Stencel to Martin-Baker Mk 9 seat conversion. I'm impressed, never seen that before!

Edited by JosephLalor
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Right more done. After the Alclad semi-matt I got started on the pastels. Basically colder hues such as the blue, light green and white, hither and thither as you can see:

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I then rub these in with a brush, and then wipe in the direction of the airflow with a flat brush and cotton bud. You keep going until you get the effect you want, and if the worst comes to the worst you can wipe off with a damp tissue and begin again. You need to finish off with a final coat of varnish to seal in the effects. I want a worn look cos these did scuff up, although the varnish does mute the effect:

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Picture doesn’t bring it out much but the intention is to get a muted tonal range with the odd rough bit. OK it’s the thought that counts.

I got the pods finished off. Alclad gloss black undercoat then a coat of Alclad Airframe Aluminium. Thought I was being a bit clever, but what I ended up with was ridiculously blinged up SNEB pods:

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I muted these down with a few coats of semi-matt varnish and here they are alongside the drop tanks.

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Again the artificial light doesn’t quite bring out the tones. Anyway that’s where I’m at. Saturday should see final assembly of bits and bobs.

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Done all but the shouting! A few touch-ups here and there pending, but finally completed. Final run-in was to get all the sub-assembly stuff ready:

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Then realised I had to get the formation lights sorted. So a piece of clear sprue with a tab is cut and sanded like thus:

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Polished:

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It’s then cut and partially drilled with a 0.3mm drill.

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A little dab of silver in the hole, then it is painted with Tamiya clear red.

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Ditto for the underside by the airbrake.

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Everything stuck together.

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A few of tasters topside:

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I’ll do a few better ones tomorrow and sort out the gallery shots too. As I said above a few touch-ups await, but for now I’m off up the pub to celebrate … :drink:

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Delightful and first-rate model of an outstanding aircraft. Incidentally, the first complete 1 Squadron Harriers deployment to trial deployment plans took 31 Hercules and one Belfast sorties of personnel, equipment and vehicles; including fire rescue vehicles. It was from Wittering to Milltown in Scotland.

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