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AV-8B to GR. 5?


whiskey

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I have two Monogram 1/48 AV-8B’s in the stash and as I am preparing to work on one of them I was wondering if it’s possible to make the other into a GR. 5 as they look very similar. 

 

Now I know the nose radome is different (which I have no clue how to rectify), there’s one more set of pylons compared to the AV-8B, and the instrument panel is different (was thinking the Airwaves PE could help with that) thatall need to be changed.

 

Is there anything else that I missed? Is it even possible? I don’t have the budget to drop for another Hasegawa Harrier so I thought I’d ask.

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If memory serves me right, Heritage Aviation did two different conversions for the Monogram AV-8B, one for a GR5 and another for one of the two-seat trainers.  I don't know how easy they'll be to find today though.

 

I myself have a Monogram AV-8B that I wanted to turn into a GR9.  Luckily for me some kind soul on here cast me some resin duplicates of the bit's I need.  Worth asking.  Hope you find what you need.

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Thanks Hovis. I found a set and I think I’ll go ahead and get it. The only thing though is that’s a Gr. 7. I wonder if it it’ll even fit a Monogram kit though?

 

If I may ask, who was the kind soul?

 

Edited by whiskey
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20 hours ago, whiskey said:

Thanks Hovis. I found a set and I think I’ll go ahead and get it. The only thing though is that’s a Gr. 7. I wonder if it it’ll even fit a Monogram kit though?

 

If I may ask, who was the kind soul?

 

 

If you're not too pedantic about every little dial and knob, the GR.5 cockpit is vaguely similar to the GR.7/AV-8B+ except for the fact that the right-hand LCD was a less modern, circular map display. Also note that the RAF machines had the right LCD/map display with a slight lower offset than the left one, whereas the AV-8Bs were at the same height.

 

It would be trickier to modify an early AV-8B since it only had one LCD.

Edited by Phantome
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4 minutes ago, tempestfan said:

What about the seat? Didn’t the B use the Stencel?

Correct - you'll need to swap the seat for a Martin Baker Mk.12 which is available from Pavla or Aires.

 

Depending on what Monogram provide in their kit you may need to source a pair of under-fuselage gun pods as the RAF pods differed from those used by the AV-8B, if they have also provided under-fuselage strakes these should be the same style for both versions.

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Apart from the nose, seat, pylons and gun pods, other differences are the rear cone on the boom is a different shape, the GR5 had additional EW Gubbins on the ventral fin and wingtips and a flare dispenser on the lower fuselage.

 

The GR5 nose was the same length as the AV8B but had a wedge underneath for the cancelled Minature IR linsescan package. The GR7 nose was longer

Edited by Dave Fleming
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The Aries MB Mk.12 seat is a real gem, but would only work if the pilot was 4ft 10in high!

 

The Pavla seat is the right size but less good in head box shape, which is the bit everyone will see.

That said, it can be modified easily enough.

 

Hope that helps you decide where the cash goes...

 

Cheers

 

Nick

 

 

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To illustrate what I said above, page 2 of this pdf will show you what's wrong with the Aries seat...

http://www.harriersig.org.uk/models/HarrierGR9T12MB12HSeat48thv2.pdf

 

More on building Harriers can be found here:

http://www.harriersig.org.uk/models/index.htm

 

These Hasegawa/Revell GR9 build notes may help with some areas of the Monogram as a GR5 too:

http://www.harriersig.org.uk/models/GR9BuildFinishingNotes48thv2.pdf

 

Aeroguide 26 on the Harrier GR5 and GR7 includes a nice colour photo of the GR5's cockpit which confirms Hovis's comment above about the moving map display. The book can be found on Amazon, eBay at the odd model show in the second hand books area or is available to download online here:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/262315774/146489992-Aeroguide-26-British-Aerospace-Harrier-GR5-GR7-pdf

 

A member of the SIG has, iirc, produced a resin nose section which fits the Hasegawa/Revell kit. He may have some left, do you want me to ask him?

 

Hope that helps

 

Cheers

 

Nick

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Sorry to add to your useful thread - was going to ask much the same question so saved me some time.  The Harrier SIG website seems a little slow at the moment - anywhere else with a good list of visual differences between a Monogram AV-8B and a GR5 / GR7?  Obviously the nose, but other than that

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1 hour ago, bar side said:

Sorry to add to your useful thread - was going to ask much the same question so saved me some time.  The Harrier SIG website seems a little slow at the moment - anywhere else with a good list of visual differences between a Monogram AV-8B and a GR5 / GR7?  Obviously the nose, but other than that

 

See post #8 above. The external difference between the Gr5 and Gr7 was the extended nose with iR fairing on top and the deletion of the miniature IR bulge under the nose.

 

This might be useful

 

https://boxartden.com/reference/gallery/index.php/Modeling-References/Aeroguide/26-BAe-Harrier-GR

 

Edited by Dave Fleming
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  • 8 months later...

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