F273 Hawker Siddeley Harrier G.R. Mk.1 - Finished

[Johnson]

Hi All,

 

I thought I'd jump in with this kit. Its been lurking in the loft since I abandoned it some time during the 1970s. Not sure why, probably got fed up with the fit and the amount of work it needed. I occasionally looked in the box and thought 'I must finish that one day'. The subject, one of the most fantastic planes we ever built in the UK, seems appropriate, being one that really Flies Right Off the Ground! 

 

 

And having got my head around what the FROG Squad GB is about (took a while, I'm still finding my way around BM) this seemed the perfect opportunity to complete it.

 

 

As can be seen, its been started. I'm guessing around 25% complete when considering the remaining work needed. I rubbed off the raised panel lines and smothered it in 'Green Stuff'!! I guess at this point I decided that I had easier kits to build! Most of the parts seem to be there. The drop tanks have dropped off somewhere, hopefully in another box, and there's a long cylinder thing, some sort of  underwing 'stores'? But I can't see what it is from the fairly basic instructions. The decals have yellowed, I'm hoping some may be useable, but I do have a period Modeldecal set, No.11, which includes decals for 4 and 20 Sqn Harriers. No idea how accurate the kit is, but it looks OK and that's not the point - Its a FROG!

 

Looking forward to getting on with it, the deadline will give me a great incentive to do so, and not just leave it for tomorrow!

 

Charlie

 

Edited June 24, 2019 by Johnson
typo

[JOCKNEY]

Great stuff Charlie

Welcome to the Frog Squad GB, nothing I like more than a kit rescue, especially a Frog one !

If you have anything missing pop a request on the wanted section of BM. You might need 100 posts to do that, but if not people on this GB seem to have a way of rallying round and helping each other out.

cheers Pat

[Richard Humm]

That kit is the Hasegawa one in a FROG box, and the transfers are for the two aircraft that took part in the Daily Mail Transatlantic Air Race fifty years ago last month. Both of the real aircraft survive, XV741 at Brooklands and XV744 at Tangmere.

[Johnson]

6 hours ago, Richard Humm said:

That kit is the Hasegawa one in a FROG box

They do get around, I hope it’a still eligible!

 

Great that they both survived.

 

Cheers

Edited June 24, 2019 by Johnson

[JOCKNEY]

Hi Charlie

 

Please see the link below, the Hasegawa and Frog kit are the same one.

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/frog-f273-hawker-siddeley-harrier-grmk1--162486

 

Now I think this poor Harrier has waited long enough, even green stuff should have gone hard by now, time to finish it !

 

cheers Pat

[Rabbit Leader]

I'm glad you've joined us Charlie. We do need a Harrier build so please continue along with this long serving Shelf of Doomer, she deserves to be finished. 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Johnson]

Hi Dave, and Pat!

 

Thanks for your replies and encouragement!

 

I caught up with the FROG Squad GB chat forum - I can see the controversy that the FROG/Hasegawa kits caused! 

 

I re-started the GR.1 last night. 46 years (it can't be that long surely???!) has certainly hardened the Green Stuff, had to get the angle grinder out. And the glue's dried properly too, they say you should leave it a day or two before sanding joints.

 

No sign of the drop tanks, I guess they must be in a German forest somewhere.

 

I'll put some pics on later.

 

Charlie

[JOCKNEY]

Charlie 

Do you know what the drop tanks look like size etc. I recently was given someone spares box, so might be able to help.

Cheers Pat 

[Johnson]

Pat,

 

I took their size from the plan below, should be 46.5mm long by 7.2mm @ 1/72.

 

 

Incredibly, in my magazine stash, I found Scale Models November 1973 - Special Harrier Issue. In the  middle, great set of plans drawn by A A P Lloyd. 😀

Scale of the plans? 1/64. 🙄 Why 1/64? Fits the double page I suppose and difficult to make photocopies for your mates (were photocopiers around in 1973?). I should have coughed up the 60p for the 1/72 set from M.A.P. Plans!

 

That's really kind, thanks. (Don't worry if you haven't got 'em, I should be able to scratch something).

 

Cheers,

 

Charlie

 

 

[Richard Humm]

I have a feeling that the 1/64 scale version of the plans were included in that issue because the Revell 1/32 scale kit had just been issued (so you could just double the measurements). They had originally been published in the August 1969 Aeromodeller in 1/72 scale.

[Johnson]

Pat,

I have a solution; long range P-51 drop tanks (I never throw anything away, as a result I can't find anything... another story).

Anyway, I have 2 sets, they are the right diameter, a bit of chopping/joining, should be OK!

Thanks anyway!

Charlie

[Johnson]

19 minutes ago, Richard Humm said:

I have a feeling that the 1/64 scale version of the plans were included in that issue because the Revell 1/32 scale kit had just been issued (so you could just double the measurements). They had originally been published in the August 1969 Aeromodeller in 1/72 scale.

Good call! The issue of Scale Models featured the Revell 1/32 Harrier.

Cheers.

[Johnson]

Progress.

 

An evening spent removing most of the rock hard Green Stuff (Green Putty now - I think it was 'Stuff' when it came out?)

 

I used to use the existing raised panel lines as guides when scribing, but not with this kit for some reason, too long ago to remember why.

 

Anyway, having got a reasonably decent surface, I needed to mark out in pencil where the new recessed lines are going to be.

 

 

A few more to add (mustn't get carried away, I've got to finish this one) then, out with the scalpel...

 

Charlie

 

[stevej60]

Looking good Charlie liking the fact you're re-scribing the panel's on her,I bought a couple of newer Airfix kits at the recent show up here and the guy had an

Airfix GR1 in the original boxing which looked like it had just left the factory for£3,wish I'd bought the damn thing just for the nostalgia!

[Johnson]

Hi folks,

 

A  bit more progress...

 

 

The scribing's done. Nearly ready for the paint. But, a dilemma - Gun Pods or Strakes??? They would best be glued on before the painting starts.

 

Can't have both! I'm tempted by the gun pods, 30mm Aden cannons I think. But the front bits are missing, part 22 in the instructions. I think there's a whole sprue gone missing, which is probably where the drop tanks are as well. If I go for the guns I'll have to scratch something up, the plans give me a rough idea what they look like and I can find pics on the web.

 

So for what I'm thinking is;

 

Under the fuselage - gun pods and recce pod (or bomb) in the middle.

 

Under the wings - drop tanks on inner pylons, Matra 155 rockets on the outer.

 

Is that a realistic load? Or am I being a bit ambitious?

 

Thanks,

 

Charlie

Edited July 9, 2019 by Johnson
picture link didn't work

[Johnson]

For the Harrier GR1 markings I was going to use the old Microscale decals I bought at the same time as the kit. The GR1 would have portrayed XV789 'G' of 4 Sqn.

 

But it dawned on me when reading the thread by @Paul821 on his F163 Vickers Vimy Mk IV, and this year being the 100th anniversary of Alcock and Brown's famous flight, that I really was being daft, and that I was missing an great opportunity. This is a FROG GB and the FROG decals in the Harrier kit are for the planes that took part in the 1969 Daily Mail Transatlantic Air Race celebrating the 50th anniversary of Alcock and Brown's flight. @Richard Humm pointed out above, but I was determined to use those MS decals! And of course this year it's the 50th anniversary of the Daily Mail race. There's really no choice - The Harrier GR1 has to be XV741 or XV744.

 

I'm thinking it will be XV744:

 

 

But there are problems.

 

Firstly the kit decals have yellowed with age.

 

 

I have no experience of how this will look once applied. Probably not too bad on the Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green, possibly worse underneath against the Light Aircraft Grey. They've been in the sun for a couple of days, but it doesn't seem to have made much difference. I'll put a 'want' for better looking decals in the FROG GB decals forum - unless anyone who reads this happens to have some? Come what may, if there's nothing better, they'll have to go on.

 

Secondly, it has to be a gloss finished plane. I don't do gloss. Most of my builds are WW2 which end up matt. Can anyone recommend a gloss finish to go over Xtracolor? Any tips? I use an airbrush.

 

Thanks.

[Jinxman]

With you on the idea for the Harrier - just reading Harrier Boys and the escapade is detailed nicely in the book.

 

For gloss I would use Alclad Aqua coat gloss if you are airbrushing - have a cotton bud handy soaked in alcohol if you can, as it dries quite quickly, and you may need to wipe the needle clean. Don't leave it in the airbrush - clean the whole thing as quickly as you can.

 

I've had some Airfix Biggin Hill decals in the sun now for two months - the yellowing is pretty much gone now, but I didn't expect it to take that long.

[PeterB]

Two things,

 

Firstly if you put the decs in a plastic bag and tape it to a window for a few days, sunlight usually gets rid of most of the yellowing, Of course it depends on the degree of yellowing and how sunny it is - I have known it take a couple of weeks and by the sound of it you have already tried it but keep them in sunlight a bit longer - it might work. If not they should not show too badly on a dark surface - the undersides in Light a/c Grey could be more of a problem as you said. Unfortunately I do not have any Harrier decs in my stash of Frog ones.

 

Secondly, I use Xtracrylic varnishes and for this I would either use their satin, or more likely mix a bit of matt into gloss - a high gloss might not look quite right but then this one would presumably have been "bulled up" for the publicity shots so up to you.

Edited July 9, 2019 by PeterB

[Johnson]

 

Thanks @Jinxman and @PeterB. Good tips.

 

1 hour ago, Jinxman said:

For gloss I would use Alclad Aqua coat gloss if you are airbrushing - have a cotton bud handy soaked in alcohol if you can, as it dries quite quickly, and you may need to wipe the needle clean. Don't leave it in the airbrush - clean the whole thing as quickly as you can.

 

1 hour ago, PeterB said:

Xtracrylic varnishes and for this I would either use their satin, or more likely mix a bit of matt into gloss - a high gloss might not look quite right but then this one would presumably have been "bulled up" for the publicity shot

 

Satin would probably be best. With the model as it now is (gun pods added etc) I cannot replicate the Harrier as it was in the race, and anyway it lacks the extended wingtips and refueling probe. It will be finished (hopefully) as the FROG colour chart on the box.

 

The final coat on a model is the make or break moment, not one to get wrong!

 

Cheers!

[MigModeller]

The Harrier that flew the Daily Mail Transatlantic Air Race  had its serial on the forward fuselare in white so decals correct.  I'd add the to my Frog Harrier if decal sheet up for offer?

 

I'll point out that most of the ordenance fuel tanks are all mishapen.  So I'll be raiding my Hawker Hunter spares.

Edited July 10, 2019 by MigModeller

[Johnson]

22 minutes ago, MigModeller said:

I'll point out that most of the ordenance fuel tanks are all mishapen.

Mine disappeared about 40 years ago ☹️. So having to scratch some up.

 

23 minutes ago, MigModeller said:

I'd add the to my Frog Harrier if up for offer?

Sorry @MigModeller, you've lost me. (I may be being slow here - past my bedtime!)

 

I'd add them to my Harrier? The white XV741 decals? Are yours missing? Sure, if you want them! I'm making XV744. Send me a PM.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Johnson]

Hi folks,

 

It's the weekend, so a bit of time to continue salvaging (savaging?) the Harrier.

 

Painting, usually my make or break stage, this is looking more like break...

 

I couldn't decide whether to add the pylons first and then paint, or leave them off till later. Now I know, leave them off and stick them on later. Talk about over-complicated masking. I think I've used half a roll of Tamiya tape.

 

 

Next, Dark Sea Grey on the top and fuselage. I wouldn't have believed masking a Harrier could be so complicated!

[Johnson]

Hi Folks,

 

Too hot to be working outside. Managed to sneak away and get some real work done. I wouldn't have believed that painting a Harrier could be so complicated. I should stick to Spitfires. I generally use Extracolor enamels, I've used acrylics but find I have more control with enamels.

 

The Dark Sea Grey went on OK.

 

 

More masking .

Time spent - 90% masking, 10% painting!

 

The Mummy! Not very pretty.

 

Still, nice when it works.

 

 

Glad to get some paint on. Not entirely sure about the upper/lower demarcation line. Looks OK from some angles (like from above ). Not all perfect by any means. I think a bit too much bleed from the grey to the green in some areas. But must get on!

 

Next up, maybe I'll try those 46 year old slightly yellowed decals and some of the other bits and bobs.

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

[Rabbit Leader]

I must say that angle shows no faults with your paintwork whatsoever. It’s actually looks very sharp and neat so hopefully whatever is less than perfect to your eye can get corrected pretty easily. Its been sitting dormant for too long to not get this right. 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Johnson]

Thanks Dave, I am a bit of a perfectionist and am rarely entirely happy with a model. I think that this will be OK once it has some decals and a satin coat. Whatever the result, as you say, better than sitting unfinished in box in the loft. Cheers.