Two seat Harrier

[Andwil]

Back from a couple of months away from home I am itching to get back to the bench and have chosen this as my next build:

 

 

I’m going to build it as the BAe demonstrator G-VTOL using the Vingtor decal sheet.

 

A look at the contents:

 

Parts are usual short-run fare, thick and fairly soft plastic, a little flash, large spruce gates and some massive ejector pins that will need to be ground off.  Detail is lightly moulded so some rescribing after filling and sanding of joints will likely be required.  You get a resin part for the air brake interior and a fret of PE details mostly for the cockpit.  I also have a master pitot.

 

I have given the parts a good wash and am now cleaning them up before commencing work in earnest.  Unfortunately real life commitments and ferrying my mother to and from medical appointments mean that progress on this build is likely to be slow but I will put up updates from time to time.

 

AW

 

Edited July 6, 2019 by Andwil
Pictures made visible!

[Andwil]

Limited time for modelling has meant that progress on this build has been slow, even by my standards.  A lot of this time has been spent on cleaning up parts and removing massive ejector pins and sprue gates, such as these beauties inside the intakes which prevent a good fit with the intake trunking:

 

 

I have been able to do some work on the cockpit, adding the pre-coloured etch to the consoles and IPs:

 

 

Just noticed that the radar screen on the front IP (on the right) is crooked, so I'll have to try and rectify that.

 

Seats also made up (warts and all):

 

 

Still some work to do here, I don't really get on that well with etch, tiny parts that want to stick everywhere except where they're meant to and ham hands make for a frustrating time.  I can see some bits have popped up already, grrrr.  In my defence, these don't look as bad in real life as they do magnified on the screen.

 

AW

 

[neil5208]

I'll follow this one. I have the new CTA early harrier decal sheet which has Indian and Thai 2 seat options.

[Andwil]

Work has continued slowly on this build.  After much fettling the cockpit tubs were glued in and the fuselage joined up.

 

Next unread topic

 

The tubs were far too wide for the fuselage and required a lot of sanding, during the course of which the PE popped off of the side consoles and had to be stuck back in.  Plasiticard tabs were added in the fuselage to assist with joinoing the two halves and the join was made incrementally from the nose working back.  Although a couple of dry fits showed a good fit, once the clamps and tape were off some gaps and a nasty step were revealed.  Filler was added and a thin shim too close up a gap immediately behind the cockpit.

 

 

Much sanding and SIHRSC ( or in my case 15cmHRSC) action followed to rectify the step.  Work then commenced on the intakes.  Well this was a bother as it was very difficult to get the intake trunking parts to fit, largely I think due to the thickness of the plastic but also due to some ham fisted assembly.  This part to make up the nose UC bay and front fan of the Pegasus are I think of key importance to the fit of the intakes and future builders of this kit are urged to take great pains with alignment as all the joints are but joints with no guidance or locating pins:

 

 

After closing the fuselage, the following procedure requiring 6 hands is undertaken:

 

 

 

Note that Sword seem to have reversed the intake trunk part numbers.  Ant way after much frustration and Anglo-Saxon the intakes were added:

 

 

Gluey thumb prints to be sanded and polished off.

 

The APU exhaust was opened up and some depth added with plasticard:

 

 

Looking forward to finishing the fuselage which has become a bit of a chore.

 

AW

[Andwil]

I've had a go at opening up the supplementary air intakes, cutting out the open sections and adding the opened doors with plastic card.  CA and flour used to smooth the cuts.  Still looks a bit rough so more smoothing and sanding to follow.  Air intakes behind the cockpit also added.

 

 

AW

[Andwil]

Wings on.  Fit was pretty poor so shims added to the worst gaps and filler applied:

 

 

The leading edge will require cleaning up to get rid of the huge spruce gates.

 

Also started to clean up some of the other parts such as the exhaust nozzles that had distinct mould lines and large sunken dimples:

 

 

AW

[stevehnz]

Hmmmm, I've got one of these in stock, at least I think it is, probably the same plastic but mine has the naval marking options. Looking at the grief this is giving you, it might stay in stock for quite a while.   

Steve.

[P.1127]

Following with interest. Despite the issues that you've highlighted the shape looks great to me and the engineering of the kit also looks good. 

 

I'm intrigued by the idea of closing up the fuselage in stages. I guess you use a fairly thin styrene glue to wick into the gaps? This sounds much better than slapping on the Humbrol cement "at the double", throwing the two halves together and hoping... i.e. my current method.

 

Thanks for sharing, 

 

P.

[Robert]

I know it is a bit late but Freightdog Models do intakes for the Sword kit https://www.freightdogmodels.co.uk/freightdog-1-72-harrier-t-2-4-seamless-dropped-door-intakes.html

 

Regards

Robert

[Andwil]

Worst of the gaps filled and sanded down.  I think this turn out ok.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, stevehnz said:

Hmmmm, I've got one of these in stock, at least I think it is, probably the same plastic but mine has the naval marking options. Looking at the grief this is giving you, it might stay in stock for quite a while.   

Steve.

It certainly is more work than a mainstream kit, the plastic is quite thick with some warping and the fit isn’t the best but I’m learning a lot as I go and trying a few new techniques.  I am beginning to see that it may turn out better than I thought when I started.  While it won’t be up to the standard of some of the wonderful builds on BM it will be good enough for my cabinet!

 

Funny thing is, I’ve got three more in the stash, destined to be a T4 in standard camouflage finish (surely the ugliest of all the Harrier family), a Navy bird in the fabulous gloss black scheme and the VACC machine in raspberry ripple.  I’m hoping these will go together quicker having built this one.

2 minutes ago, P.1127 said:

Following with interest. Despite the issues that you've highlighted the shape looks great to me and the engineering of the kit also looks good. 

 

I'm intrigued by the idea of closing up the fuselage in stages. I guess you use a fairly thin styrene glue to wick into the gaps? This sounds much better than slapping on the Humbrol cement "at the double", throwing the two halves together and hoping... i.e. my current method.

 

Thanks for sharing, 

 

P.

Thanks P.1127, I used Tamiya Green Cap and worked along from front to back.  I found it was the best way to keep the halves aligned as there are no locating pins.  I put in some plastic card tabs to assist.  Still got a small step though, which I have been sanding out.

 

AW

[Andwil]

5 minutes ago, Robert said:

I know it is a bit late but Freightdog Models do intakes for the Sword kit https://www.freightdogmodels.co.uk/freightdog-1-72-harrier-t-2-4-seamless-dropped-door-intakes.html

 

Regards

Robert

Thanks Robert, I will look into those for my other Sword two seaters.

 

AW

[Andrés S.]

Hi

I have Sword Harrier T. Mk.2 / 2A with the intention of doing it at some point as TAV-8S.
I always thought it was a very good looking kit but I am seeing that it will give me more awkward work than desired.

I have the air inlets mentioned by Robert of Freightdog Models. I have tested lace and it is very good.

Good job for now.

[Planebuilder62]

Keep going AW, it looks a bit of a dog to build.

Regards Toby

[Andwil]

On 8/10/2019 at 7:07 PM, Andrés S. said:

 

Good job for now.

Thank you Andres

On 8/11/2019 at 3:43 PM, Planebuilder62 said:

Keep going AW, it looks a bit of a dog to build.

 

Thanks Toby, it’s coming together now, I think the worst is behind me now.

 

Yesterday I got the tail feathers on.  The fin was attached to the runner in three places, in cleaning up the attachment points and sanding the base of the fin level to make a good joint I inadvertently removed the locating pegs thinking it would be a butt joint like most others on this kit.  Then I noticed the small holes on top of the fuselage 🤦‍♂️.  So I drilled into the fin and added some plastic rod - problem solved and probably a stronger attachment resulted.

 

 

The tail planes actually fit quite well, no fettling required.

 

 

Only a small gap on the starboard side of the fin required filler.

 

 

Looking like a Harrier now.

 

 

AW

 

 

[Patrick Martin]

Gee how was the fit under the wings on yours?

 

PM

[Andwil]

2 hours ago, Patrick Martin said:

Gee how was the fit under the wings on yours?

 

PM

Not too bad.  The top was pretty awful though.  I fitted the top first to the fuselage and then added the bottoms of the wings.  The upper wing was warped on one side and needed some straightening in very hot water and some clamping when I fitted the underside.

 

AW

[Andwil]

So the problems continue with this build.  Today I decided to finish the cockpits with a view to getting the canopies on prior to final polishing and primer. Seats, control sticks IPs and the back seaters coaming went in with a minimum of fuss:

 

 

 

 

Then this happened:

 

 

There is no way that coaming  is going to fit.  It is too long, too wide and too shallow.  Looks like I will have to either cut it down drastically or make a replacement part.

 

AW

[Mark4700]

Watching with interest as I’ve just started this kit.  I’m doing the one on the box art. 

[Andwil]

I had a think about how to address the problem of the front IP coaming and had a brainwave.  I had a look through my spares box and found a drop tank of approx the right shape and cut the nose off a half piece.  This was filed to shape and thinned and then glued in front of the IP.  The piece was then further filed to the correct height and profile.  A thin strip of plastic card filled the remaining gap and blended in with Mr Dissolved Putty.  I’ll let this harden overnight before sanding.

 

 

 

May not be perfect but much better than the Sword part.

 

AW

 

[neil5208]

continue to follow just got hold of one yesterday

[Robert]

Funnily that is where l got stuck on my two seater. Thanks for the solution.

 

Regards

Robert

[Andwil]

A little more progress made with my Harrier.  Finished the scratched instrument coaming and added the PE HUDs with  little pieces of clear plastic added.

 

 

 

Canopies masked and attached.

 

 

The fit of the windscreen is awful and will require a lot of work to blend in.

 

 

I think I may have the reason for all the problems at the front of the cockpit.  Look at the area arrowed in the instructions.  This is clearly drawn as being open.  In reality it is filled in, which makes me wonder whether this is meant to be cut away?

 

 

Something I will try when I build one of my other Sword Harriers (which may not be for some time!)

 

AW

 

[Terry1954]

An excellent thread to learn about building this one. I picked one of these up for a tenner the other week whilst I was at Bovington. It wasn't a regular model event, but the Tank Museum modellers had a stand, and a friend of mine had just acquired one from a passing mate of his ......... and this mate just happened to have another one in his bag (two more actually), so it was one of those furtive moments where a quick deal was struck.

 

Looks like this one will not be a straight OOB, but you are doing a champion job there.

 

Terry

[Steve Coombs]

Just a quick Q here - Did G-VTOL use Stencel or Martin-Baker Ejection seats?

[stever219]

1 hour ago, Steve Coombs said:

Just a quick Q here - Did G-VTOL use Stencel or Martin-Baker Ejection seats?

Martin Bakers: Hawker Siddeley/BAe wouldn't want to introduce an additional supplier and logistics issues into their supply chain if they could avoid it.