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1971 - B.A.E. AV-8A Harrier USMC gets a shiny new toy !


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Hello everyone... I took a couple of day's off due to some bug i caught. Im still not 100% but good enough to due the next session on my work. I was able to spray the Dark Green in this case Tamiya. 

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Some small touch ups along the upper lower demarcation but overall I'm real happy with it. Thoughts, questions, or comments please feel free to do so. 

 

Dennis

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1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I'm real happy with it.

So you should be Dennis and frankly so should anyone! Although you’re not feeling 100% right, looking at this build should at least put a smile on your dial! Great progress. 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

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Well folks tapes off the canopy and i sanded, buffed, and polished it. I then painted whst i need to and cleared it. It fixed most of it but some of the glue got inside and crazed one section. Nothing much to be done with that.

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Its hard to see them but i added the ejection pull handle loops. 

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In the lower front pane ⬆️ is where the permanent damage is located. After i did that i did the touch-ups on the upper/lower demarcation line and finished painting the two tone blue detachment "B" identifier. 

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Just need to add the little white squadron logo on the blue and that will be done. Questions, thoughts, or comments ? 

 

Dennis

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Hello Everyone... Sadly after attempting to decal the Harrier for an hour. It is with head hung in shame that I've had a model beat me. So I must bow out of the build. After an hour i had only succesfully placed 6 decals with a considerable number dissolving on contact with the microset. I cant continue as most of the key markings are kaput. Thanks to Dave @Rabbit Leader for hosting the build. Maybe someday when i have the money and can track down the Caracal sheet for AV-8A's i will make an attempt to finish this off. 

 

Dennis

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Don’t give up just yet Dennis, why not place a ‘wants’ post, the chance of someone having built he RAF version and having the USMC ones spare must be pretty high I would think? 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

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6 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Don’t give up just yet Dennis, why not place a ‘wants’ post, the chance of someone having built he RAF version and having the USMC ones spare must be pretty high I would think? 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

Hello Dave thank you for the encouragement. Though that is an option, id probably have a similar issue happen. I need to butcher the decals to much to get the serials and codes i need. Where as the Caracal sheet has pre-made codes and #'s for a plane from this squadron. If i get lucky and get my settlement in time i can resume the build but for now will pause it. However if i could do a generic Harrier with no Squadron or code markings i could probably get away with finishing it. However that is up to you as it has no affiliation to 1971 other than the types entrance into service ? 

 

Dennis

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4 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

... However that is up to you as it has no affiliation to 1971 other than the types entrance into service ? 

All good Dennis. A generic USMC Harrier would still be linked to 1971 (year of entry into service) so I’ll leave that decision up to you. Either wait for the Caracal sheet or go another way. You’ve come too far to stall this one mate! 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

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Ok after calming down and relaxing for a bit i took a second crack at the decals. Ive got what i can get on on, even though most of them broke. Though to be honest I think this may be the last harrier i ever do ? The AV-8B i did last year was a nightmare and this one has bit me as well. Twice bitten is not something I enjoy. Which means i may never build a Blacksheep Harrier. Enough with my babbling here are a few pics. 

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Questions, comments, or thoughts ? 

 

Dennis

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That looks great Dennis. It’s easy to get into a bit of a tizz when modelling goes slightly awry. We all do it, however sleeping on some issues normally changes one’s outlook on things. I’m glad you’ve had a second look at it and will see her through to the finish line. 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

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Hello Everyone... Well I'm going to be totally honest here. The Harrier is done, barring some touch-up painting. But its ugly and its sad and i really don't know if i even want to put it in the gallery. I wont be doing an RFI for it, as I'm just totally disappointed in the finish of the kit. Everything went really good up to an including paint. Then it all turned left and went blooey. So I will touch up the paint tonight and photograph it. I will call it 100% done at that point.

      Im going to say Thanks to Dave @Rabbit Leader pep talk and for the idea of and running a great build. Considering hes involved to some degree with the Frog build still he is doing a great job. Questions, comments, and or thoughts ?  

 

Dennis

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Thanks for the kind words Dennis, and I’m sorry to hear that your Harrier has not turned out the way you wanted. I would be lying if I said that all my builds end up the way I imagine them to look when the idea first enters ones head. More often than not there are many comprises that creep in and (if you actually finish) these slip ups just have to be put down to the art of learning.

 

This hobby has a way of providing you with happiness when things go well, right down to shear hatred when they go the other way. If it helps, try comparing your models to the one you previously built rather than some of the modelling maestros on here. It takes a lot of guts to show your efforts online and it took me ages to convince myself to post my first RFI. With time and experience things always improve. 

 

You have plenty of energy and good will Dennis, all of which will get you a long way in this hobby. Chin up, keep at it and happy modelling. 

 

Cheers.. Dave (who by the way, is well short of being one of the modelling maestros mentioned). 

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It looks good to me..no doubt it's a USMC Harrier. 😁

 

We can be our own worst critics at times, and we all build kits with bits that could be better on them. I would take a few gallery shots, and if you don't like 'em, don't post 'em!

 

Onto the next build I say...

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Hello everybody... well here is my Harrier, it was going to represent an AV-8A of VMA-513 "Flying Nightmares". It still does in most respects but the serial #'s and Squadron number decals didn't want to stay intact.

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I had to make the spine antenna as it isnt in the kit. I think i got it close to the general size and shape it needs to be ? 

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Second was the raised area around the camera port on the lower port nose. The kit is smooth there and only provides a decal. I used the decal after blending in a thin sheet of plastic to achieve the raised area. 

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Yes i know the nose wheel needs to be touched up with white. ⬆️

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Im not very satisfied with it but thats me. Yes i know we can be our own worst critics. I think i have discovered my "Eleanor" aircraft. As this is the 2nd Hasegawa harrier that has given me nightmares. Sadly I know there is still one more of these in my future, for my VMF/VMA-214 Blacksheep collection. I will add these photo's to the gallery and quietly go have a cry in the corner trying to forget about this one.  Please feel free to comment, question, or pass on jokes, thoughts, and good stories. 

 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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Dennis, the only reason to have a little cry is because your GB comments here have now concluded, so you are free to grace your modelling presence elsewhere.  Now in all honesty this Harrier has turned out quite well and I think you’ve fallen for modelling’s equivalent of Van Gogh’s syndrome! Yes we are our own worst critics however give it time and you’ll forget about all the issues you’ve had with this kit. It looks great in the Gallery and I hope you keep it there. 

 

Cheers, well modelled and thanks for taking part.. Dave 

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Hi Dennis,

 

I built one of these back in 1972 or 3.  Glad to see that it still builds up into a beautiful model!

 

Ed

 

Edit: Oops -- wrong forum, please delete, s I don't know how to...

 

Edited by TheRealMrEd
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