SAAF Harvard - Heller 1/72

[Pinback]

Hi

Scale Aircraft Modelling went through a stage of offering free decal sheets in the early eighties and I have been meaning to use this one for ...er...over 35 years. Still better late than never.

 

 

The Heller kit is showing its age but this was still a fun build.

Capital Model Supplies had the kit advertised at 99p in the above magazine. I paid AUS $10 (about £6)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2018 by Pinback
Typo

[thorfinn]

That's a proper little beauty! Well done.

[jean]

Beautiful little kit and great build.

Amazingly, the decals still appear to handle well, which is a relief I suspect!

 

Well done.

JR

[Pinback]

2 hours ago, jean said:

the decals still appear to handle well

Thanks JR  - the decals were fine. I popped on some Microscale decal film as a precaution but suspect that even that was unnecessary.

[WildeSau75]

Nice build - just got the Academy kit - hope mine will turn out as nice as yours.

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Very nice Harvard 👍 ... Thanks for showing your build. It reminded  me i have a set of markings in 1/48th for a Saaf Harvard, i need to find and build one.

[spruecutter]

Very nice work. It shows how blasts from the past can be turned out in the right pair of hands.

[stevehnz]

I like that, I have a few of those sheets but alas not the Harvard one, I reckon I'd have been tempted by that one too, I'm fond of the yellow training bands scheme & you've done a cracking job on it.

Steve.

[Eric Mc]

That is nice.

 

Is that the only 1/72 Harvard with the heavier framed canopy?

[kapam]

Looks great!

I don't have a Harvard in my kit stash but your build is an inspiration to change that status.

Edited March 5, 2018 by kapam

[Pinback]

21 hours ago, Eric Mc said:

That is nice.

 

Is that the only 1/72 Harvard with the heavier framed canopy?

Thanks Eric

 

The Heller kit does not have a heavy frame- Its just careful masking. I went a bit crosseyed doing it

 

The only other main mod was the radio mast.

[Eric Mc]

Aha.

 

That's what I thought. If I want to build a WW2 era Harvard, is there any 1/72 kit that offers the earlier canopy?

[Pinback]

1 minute ago, Eric Mc said:

If I want to build a WW2 era Harvard, is there any 1/72 kit that offers the earlier canopy?

I am pretty sure that the Airfix kit had a heavy canopy -but not sure what era it was -  hope that helps

[Max Headroom]

2 minutes ago, Pinback said:

I am pretty sure that the Airfix kit had a heavy canopy -but not sure what era it was -  hope that helps

It does but from memory the canopy lines aren’t very well defined.

 

BTW that’s a lovely Harvard. I’ve also got the same sheet to use ‘sometime’.

 

Trevor

[Eric Mc]

Yes - the original 1960s era Airfix Harvard was of a WW2 machine - but I was hoping that maybe a more modern WW2 Harvard kit existed. I know that later Airfix Harvard was the Heller one reboxed and I presume so is the Revell version. The only other 1/72 Harvard I'm aware of is the Academy one - which is a post war variant too.

[Pinback]

1 hour ago, Max Headroom said:

I’ve also got the same sheet to use ‘sometime’

Maybe this will inspire you  - The Southern Knights formation team always make me smile when they put on a display

 

[ivand]

4 hours ago, Eric Mc said:

Yes - the original 1960s era Airfix Harvard was of a WW2 machine - but I was hoping that maybe a more modern WW2 Harvard kit existed. I know that later Airfix Harvard was the Heller one reboxed and I presume so is the Revell version. The only other 1/72 Harvard I'm aware of is the Academy one - which is a post war variant too.

The Academy one could be described as a rescribed version of the Heller example, as was the case with several of their products at the time. There is also the easy build Hobbyboss Texan, but that's a T-6G too.

 

Mind you, the original Airfix one, which I think could be described as a Harvard IIb, was only ever offered with post-war markings, AFAIK. Oh, you also have the Hawk T-6/SNJ, which is even older and simpler and comes with the benefit of molded-on national insignia if I'm not mistaken!

[ivand]

Forgot to mention the most important bit: that's a very nice "Saath Efriken" Harvard!