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US Marine Corp AV8A - Finished 12/9/19


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Been keeping busy in the Sharkmouth GB with an Italeri A10A with tusks and when I ordered the decals for that kit I found the CtA (Cut then Add) decals for AV8A, FRS, TAV8A and T4 version, which had Spanish, Thai, Indian and US schemes. I wanted to do the Thai Navy scheme but the harrier kit I have does not have the GR3 tail so I am going for the US scheme with zuni's and mk82's. The kit is one I had started a while back when building my in flight GR3 which was approx 50% built so this will should be a quick turn around.

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Edited by neil5208
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When I left this one previously one it was going to be a GR3 but the resin GR3 tail I ordered just doesn't look right, to thin and short so just used the kit's normal GR1 tail and nose as the AV8A's are the same. Here it is as of tonight, usual airfix harrier fit along the bottom seam and in front of the vertical tail already filled and sanded.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Got stuck with this one, managed to lose the kits seat but I had a resin one I was saving for the next GR3 which has been painted and fitted. Front screen is on so will start masking later this week.

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Hi Neil

 

Nice build so far and interested to see your progress as I have the AV-8A on the list. One minor point, which may not worry you, is that the AV-8A (and B for that matter) had a different seat the RAF Harriers. The RAF used the Martin baker seat you have used but the US Marines used the Stencil SEU-3/A seat. They do look quite different to me, but as I said it may not be something that you see as important, which is fine as it is your model. Just thought I would mention it in case it was.

 

Looking forward to your next update

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Finally got some colour on, 2 shades of grey! XF22 on the upper and XF20/XF2 on the underside. Some minor correction needed on the belly but nothing major. The camo scheme has feathered edges between the green and grey but the underside grey has a hard edge, a bit strange.

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Edited by neil5208
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Masked of the underside and sprayed the upper with XF22 last night, looks like this will be easier to mas than the RAF wrap around that I did on the last Harrier.

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Once that has hardened properly I can mask for the XF61

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Got this one masked up and sprayed the dark green XF61 last night and unmasked this morning, managed to get quite a tight feathered edge for the most part and the under side demarcation line has come out pretty  sharp cleanly. The green I used for the tail antennas was olive drab as indicated on the Cta decal sheet but I don't think its bright enough so will probably respray.

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Need to paint the weapon fit and undercarriage next.

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Got the clear coat on last night and started decals this morning, the Cta decal are very fine similar to Eduard decals. The Cta sheet has the stencils for each aircraft so you can build every option on the sheet.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got the pylons on and the panel line wash done, Zuni rocket pods are ready but bombs and undercarriage need painting. But I also received a Sword Harrier T2 so the Harrier production line is set to continue, probably the Royal Thai Navy version.

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Got the UHF antenna, small angle vane, airbrake, rear undercarriage leg and rear jet nozzles on

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In addition to the Sword T2 I have a GR1 which will be built as a Spanish mk50

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Edited by neil5208
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  • 3 weeks later...

Not much to report really, been to Germany to see the wife's family, new kitchen fitted and almost lost one of our dogs but the grumpy old sod is still here thankfully so modelling has been on hold and I have to go back to work on Monday to boot. Wheels and LAU10's are finally on as I was hoping to finish before Friday's club night but I can't spray the flat coat as I have run out of the pipettes I use for paint mixing so it will have to wait for next months meeting.

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Hi to all mates. Only a comment, our Harriers (the spanish ones) came from the US, not from british inventaries. We sold them to the thais, so they are the same. We had a biplace, that, in turn, was too sold to the thais, just as an idea for your harriers. 

Best regards

 

Borja

 

P.S.: the biplace was marked for a time with sharkmouth insignias, you can get them from "series españolas" firm. http://series-espanolas.com/es/9-se172-matador

Edited by Zubimusu
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It's not related to the AV-8S in spanish service, but in Yoryi's forum, one of the most important model forums in the hispanic world, a user left this pictures of the Principe de Asturias operating with AV-8B and AV-8B+ in 1996, just in case. https://maquetas.mforos.com/353333/13014547-fotos-del-r-11-principe-de-asturias-ano-1996/

Best regards

 

Borja 

 

P.S: in one of the pictures, you can see the Chakri Naurebet, the aircraft carrier that we build for Thailand

 

P.S.(II): you can see too, SH-3H and SH-3H/AEW Sea Kings, AB-212 and an american B-52

Edited by Zubimusu
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VERY cool looking build there Neil!  Not very often you see a USMC AV-8A! 

 

I remember doing one many, many years ago with the Hasegawa AV-8A kit (my first Hasegawa model kit, in fact!) and hand-painting the camouflage a nd using a set of MicroScale Decals that cost just $2.50 back then!  The Barriers were pretty new in the U.S. inventory and when I was a little older, I got to see how the Marines paid for them in blood with all the accidents they had while learning how to fly/deploy them.

 

An outstanding job on an important piece of British and Naval Aviation history. 

 

Well Done, Sir!

 

Glynn "WARDOG" Jacobs

 

 

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