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Harrier T.8 cockpit reference


Joeltc

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G’day all. I have a question for the Harrier experts out there. As the tittle says I am currently working on the kinetic T Harrier kit and I intend to make a T.8 in the black scheme. My question is wether this aircraft had a digital cockpit from the beginning or was it something that was added later on. The kit instructions only specify an analog cockpit but it being a kinetic kit you can’t always trust the instructions. I’ve alread closed the fuselage halves so if I have to add the digital cockpit parts I am going to have to do some surgery on the kit. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

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Yeah, saw that, wasn't sure it was an MFD or just a representation of the radar screen. I only worked on T-4's, the 8's were after my time in the mob.

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Thanks for your help. I was originally going to build a T.4. So I painted the cockpit from reference photos of that. I only decided to change it to a T.8 because I followed the instructions and painted the air intake white. But then after gluing the fuselage together I realised that white was wrong for a comoflaged T.4. So now in light of what the cockpit is supposed to be I think I’ll go back to plan A and make it a T.4. Just one more question though. What would be a good colour to repaint the air intake on a camouflaged T.4? It looks like a olive green or metallic grey of some sort?

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7 hours ago, Joeltc said:

What would be a good colour to repaint the air intake on a camouflaged T.4? It looks like a olive green or metallic grey of some sort?

Good question, just about to start mine and was going to reach for the white too until i read this. Looking at photos after the dark green demarcation line it looks like a dull NMF but i wonder if its the same all the way back to the fan blades?

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Hi there,

 

The manufacturers' painting diagrams for T-Harrier intake interiors detail the colours are as follows: 

 

T4s in Dk Green/Dk Sea Grey camouflage > the exterior colour at the rim goes all the way back to the fan blade, so on the starboard side it's Dk Green and on the port Dk Sea Grey inside the intakes and the auxiliary blow-in door openings... all the way back to the big turnyaroundthingy. (The same intake colours applied to DG/DSG GR3s and T2/4s GR1/3s in the original DG/DSG/LAG scheme; though in the latter the LAG lip on the lower part of the intake opening varied, some times being a hard edge along the rim of the intake at other overlapping slightly into it - examine photos in various reference books/mags/online.)

 

T4Ns in overall Dk Sea Grey > the intakes were Light Aircraft Grey overall inside (not white!), with the DSG/LAG demarcation just inside the lip and with the DSG dropping into the auxiliary intake door openings about 1-inch (25mm) - see photos of open doors in many reference books/mags/online. (The same intake colour applied to DSG Sea Harrier FRS1s.)

 

T8s in Black > the intakes were white, with the same lip and auxiliary intake door opening demarcations as the T4N. (The same intake colour applied to MSG SHAR FA2s.)

 

@Muzz, the photos you link to show two ex RNSFDO (Royal Navy School of Flight Deck Operartions) aircraft on the Predannack dump; which themselves were ex-RAF. As these were used to train the Navy's deck-handlers for Ark, Lusti and Invinc, and the Sea Harrier FA2s operating on those three carriers had white intakes; the intakes of the SFDO's GR3s and T4s were also been painted white to help familiarise the crews with what they would actually see when fitting intake blanks, etc. In RAF service they were as described above, for both the single and twin seaters - DSG and DG.

 

T8 cockpits - The image from Nalls Aviation is correct for the front cockpit. The rear cockpit had a dialled cockpit, similar to a T4N but with nothing on the right console from where the instrument panel joined it. The left console had the usual throttle, nozzle control unit, the undercarriage selectors and lights.

 

When the kit was being researched I struggled to find the information needed and only got the photos I now have and then needed too late to change the production process. I do not have copyright for those photos and have been asked not to publish them, so please do not ask me to. You could contact Nalls Aviation directly for rear cockpit images... (Who did not provide the photos I have!)

 

I hope that helps for now.

 

Cheers

 

Nick

 

 

 

 

Edited by NG899
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Thats the sort of input I was hoping for Nick. Thanks mate! I've been busying myself with other parts of the build in the hope that someone will post what I was looking for. Also was it the same colour behind the blow in doors on the outside of the intakes too?

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Hi Joeltc,

 

To answer your question, yes, the holes behind the blow-in doors matched the intake interior colours; with the caveat mentioned about the outerside top surface can cost colour dropping into the edge of the holes about 1-inch (25mm). Have a look for photos on the net of Harrier intakes.

 

Note there are a few things to correct on the wings...

1. The underside of the outboard dog-tooth should not b stepped down but follow the rest of the underside leading edge and be like the top side above it. To fix simply fill with plasticard shim and filler then sand to shape.

2. The big step inline with the inboard dog-tooth under the leading edge also needs filling and sanding surfaces the wing undersurface is a consistent span-wise flat surface and doesn’t get thinner towards the underwing fairing’s join with the fuselage.

3. Note the MDC on both  snoopy hoods stops too high on the starboard side; an issue Kinetic are aware of. To fix - either paint all the MDC lines a very pale grey or extend the line by engraving so on that the starboard side is identical to the port side on both hoods. If that’s too hard you’ll have to leave as it is.

4. Watch the wingtip joins which need some rework...

 

For details of the work and for other build tips check out another thread on the Kinetic T-Harrier in the Modern area of BM. Note the comment about NOT dropping both ailerons as I see two professional kit reviewers have done in error, spoiling otherwise good builds. Oops!

 

Cheers

 

Nick

Edited by NG899
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