nexus11 Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) For the annual competition in the German "Flugzeugforum", I tried to build one of the 9 Kestrel FGA.1 from various Airfix parts. This is the Harrier predecessor, which flew in the TES (Tripartite Evaluation Squadron). In 1961, the United Kingdom, the United States and West Germany jointly agreed to purchase nine aircraft developed from the P.1127 to evaluate the potential of V/STOL aircraft. These aircraft were designated the Kestrel FGA.1 It was purely a test aircraft, but was slightly more advanced than its continental competitors such as the Mirage "Balzac" or VFW VAK191. The Tripartite Evaluation Squadron consisted of ten pilots; four each from Great Britain and the USA, and two from West Germany (Colonel Gerhard Barkhorn and Lieutenant V. Suhr). The Kestrel made its maiden flight on 7 March 1964. A total of 960 missions were performed, including 1,366 takeoffs and landings by the end of the test in November 1965. One aircraft was lost in an accident, six were subsequently transferred to the United States, received the U.S. designation XV-6A Kestrel and were tested there by the Air Force and Navy. The two Kestrels remaining in the United Kingdom went to RAE Bedford for further tests and experiments, and then to museums. The experience gained was so positive throughout that the Harrier Force was launched. The first three GR.1s also looked quite similar to the Kestrels, but were later modified. But of course there is no kit of them (except a long out of stock and a bit clumsy resin block from a manufacturer unknown to me, Aardvark Aviation), but there are plenty of Harrier kits of later versions and one of an early P.1127, the first plane with Pegasus engine. This P.1127 kit is from 1963, but was reissued by Airfix in 2000. Nice retro box, bad contents. The GR.1, the first operational Harrier, was re-released by Airfix in 2013, and this seemed to be a Harrier kit that could have been a lot of fun... If I hadn't cut them both up to make a Kestrel that doesn't have much to do with either the Harrier or the P.1127. Actually, I was building a prototype of an original test model here, Airfix only supplied the skeletons. The whole construction misery is documented here in English and here in German. Don't misunderstand me here, I'm not posting this to advertise the voting. That's only possible anyway if one has been an active member of FlugzeugForum for a longer time. I just think that the Kestrel was a very important part of British aviation history after all, and I think that it actually deserves its own model. And that my realization here is bound to please some people, or maybe motivate them to do it better. Edited January 13, 2020 by nexus11 39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus11 Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus11 Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus11 Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 And in comparison with a SHAR: Find the differences... there are plenty of them 😉 Thank you for your courteous interest... 33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus11 Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 And yes, the front wheel is in the wrong position in the pictures. But just there, I made them in great hurry to publish the pictures in time to meet the competition's regulations… In my shelf everything is as it is supposed to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 That is a very nice end result. I do wonder what might have happened had Germany decided to purchase/build Harriers. I'm sure there could have been some great markings on those aircraft, which would have made for some lovely models. Pete 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Monday Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 I followed the build on this and the result is very nice indeed. BM. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudge Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 That is very nice. Would love a Kestrel in my collection. There was a resin kit available once, but that is an interesting option. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vingtor Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 Great to see this model - with wheels down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus11 Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) 12 hours ago, Vingtor said: Great to see this model - with wheels down. Yessss… that was my humble goal from the beginning. But aren't You the gentleman with the decals that do not exist? https://www.flugzeugforum.de/threads/wb-2019-bb-hawker-siddeley-kestrel-fga-1-airfix-1-72.91881/post-2658065 your decals were recommended to me, but they weren't available anywhere. But why publish decals if there is no model for them. Which is a pity, because especially the TES roundels are very unusual. And pretty, in a way. Maybe we can bring the Kestrel back in focus together… Edited January 12, 2020 by nexus11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMCS Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 Lovley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 I followed Nexus' build, and what a great result. Good photos too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Very cool, love it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Womby Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Well done. Nice to see this middle step between the P1127 and Harrier. David 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus11 Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 If anyone here is an active member of the german "Flugzeugforum", I would be happy about a vote... 😉 https://www.flugzeugforum.de/threads/umfrage-und-abstimmung-teil-3-1-72.94246/ 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus11 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 And finally (luckily) it made the first place in the competition in 1/72. A little bit proud of it… https://www.flugzeugforum.de/threads/die-gewinner-2019.94605/post-2711325 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Amazing result on that old kit ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Beautiful job. You have turned a very old and challenging kit into a superb replica of the Kestrel. Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Congratulations Nexus, well deserved win. AW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radar Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Excellent job Nexus. Well done for persevering with the project until the end. I have done a few of these heavy conversion builds myself that can take over a year to complete (in fact my Viper jet Shackleton Mr. 3 took around 5 years to finally finish and the week I finished it Revell announced they were doing that exact version in a kit!). I agree with you that the Kestrel would make an excellent kit and fill a gap, preferably in 1/48 though. Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 That is very nice. I'd like to build one of the Kestrels operated by NASA. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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