Belize Harrier - Finished

[Andwil]

With my Wessex reaching the decalling stage I have started on a second build, Airfix’s Harrier GR3.  Box and spruces:

 

 

 

Some extra goodies:

 

 

I won’t be using the kit decals as I want to build a Belize based Harrier.

 

 

 

I will be building the top one, XZ967, D “Donatello” of 1473 Flight Belize 1993.

 

I have made a start, giving everything a good wash and priming some of the smaller parts ready for painting.

 

More to follow.

 

AW

Edited September 23, 2020 by Andwil

[JOCKNEY]

Great to see another Harrier in the GB and this one will be a bit special first of all because of all those extra goodies and second that amazing decal sheet will surely a lifetime of harrier choices !

Best of luck with this one 

cheers Pat 

[Andwil]

Started by painting some of the components.  I usually leave parts like undercarriage etc till last so as a break from habit I’m doing them first this time.

 

 

AW

[Aardvark]

On 8/10/2020 at 10:57 AM, Andwil said:

I want to build a Belize based Harrier.

😍😍

I'll gladly have a look.

 

 

B.R.

Serge

 

[John Masters]

Looking forward to this.

[Andwil]

On 8/17/2020 at 6:36 PM, Aardvark said:

😍😍

I'll gladly have a look.

 

 

B.R.

Serge

 

 

12 hours ago, John Masters said:

Looking forward to this.

Welcome aboard, I hope I can do it justice.

 

While I was decalling my Wessex I took the opportunity to add a few to some of the Harrier parts.

 

pylons:

 

 

outrigger gear:

 

 

and bang seat:

 

 

As @John Masters found with his build, the Airfix decals are quite thick and needed a bit of Mr Mark Softer to conform around curved surfaces and details.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW

[desert falcon]

Looking good so far!

[Andwil]

Cockpit tub:

 

 

The challenge now is to get this into the kit fuselage.  A dry fit shows that it will fit quite nicely, but the instrument panel (the kit one must used) is going to need some serious surgery if it is to fit in the right place.  A look at the leaflet that came with the resin reveals that CMK is associated with Special Hobby, which is a warning of fun times ahead!

 

AW

[Andwil]

Wrangled the instrument panel into place and added the control column:

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW

[Andwil]

Intake trunking and fan added:

 

 

 

Cockpit glued in place with CA and extra canopy glue added to hold it all in place.

 

 

I’ll let this cure overnight, then close up the fuselage.  The nose wheel well will get a wash to bring out the detail.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW

[Andwil]

Because I used the CMK resin cockpit tub I lost the detail for the front wall of the nose wheel well, which Airfix provide on the reverse of the cockpit bulkhead.  So I cut the bottom off the kit part and thinned it to fit and glued to the back of the resin part.

 

 

and closed up the fuselage, a bit of clamping was required:

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW

[Jabba]

A very good idea with the nose U/C bay bulkhead. Seems to be going together well, although a slight tussle with getting the fuselage to meet.

[Andwil]

With the fuselage firmly together the rest of the airframe went together without a hitch.  A few small gaps to attend to but nothing major.  The nose and tail cone joints are a bit iffy, but the Freight Dog resin tail fin fitted perfectly:

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW

[Andwil]

Haven’t been getting a lot of bench time at the moment, but I have now got the canopy masked and attached and the Harrier is ready for primer.

 

As I want to pose the canopy open I have only attached it lightly with some canopy glue so I can carefully prise it off after painting.

 

AW

[Andwil]

Primer on:

 

 

AW

[Andwil]

Dark Sea Grey sprayed today.  It’s only a little darker than the primer.

 

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW

[Andwil]

Masked up ready for the dark green:

 

 

AW

[Andwil]

Green sprayed, two light coats:

 

 

Masks off.  As this was the first time I had used the blue tack sausage method I was a little concerned about how it would turn out.  I needn’t have worried, no bleeding, just one spot of build up on the starboard stabiliser that will need to be sanded.

 

 

 

 

While I am happy with the finish, I think some of the green areas are too narrow and will probably have to be redone.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW

[JOCKNEY]

Looks really sharp AW

Good job you told us the top coat was on otherwise we would have thought you were taking a cheeky shortcut ! 😉

cheers Pat 

[Andwil]

I have been quietly working away and achieving very little with this build since my last update.  I resprayed the green to make these areas a bit wider and have painted the tail antennae.  She is now glossed and ready for decals.  I also unmasked the canopy and have carefully removed the rear section that will be posed in the open position.

 

 

 

The Bren Gun PE boarding ladder made up and painted:

 

 

Although this looks quite nice, I am not sure that aI will use it as there is no way of attaching it to the Harrier without glueing it on and I don’t really want to do this.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW

[Col.]

Tidy work so far AW

[Andwil]

Spent an hour and three quarters today applying stencils, and am only half way through!  No photos because, frankly, there’s not much to see.

 

AW

[Jabba]

The paint scheme and the ladder look good, pity if you cannot use it.

[Andwil]

Port side and top side decals are finished, underside has only its stencils at the moment.  Next job will be the starboard side and main underside markings.  Decals have so far behaved themselves, the only difficulty, as usual with Harriers in my experience, has been getting the side roundel to conform to the intake.  
 

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW

 

[HoolioPaulio]

Looking very nice indeed sir.