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Revell Harrier GR.1- I'm a glutton for punishment!


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Having recently finished the Mig-29, I was looking for something different and a little bigger. After a lot of deliberation I settled on the Trumpeter 1:35 Mi-17 and promptly ordered one before Easter...By Friday all I'd heard was that the order would be shipped when it was complete, which I took to mean they didn't actually have it in stock! 

The weekend was looking dire weather wise so I was going to go stir crazy with nothing to work on🤨

A lot of model shops shut at 1300 on Saturdays in Germany, but there's a shop in our nearest city(Trier) so having persuaded the missus we needed a couple of hours out we headed over. They're basically a toy shop but do have a reasonable modelling and railway section. I was only really looking for something to keep me busy for a few days and their stock mainly consists of Revell mainstream kits and some Tamiya 1:35 tanks etc. As I'm on a budget due to no guaranteed summer work and very little winter work, 150€ for some of the big kits was a bit much, and even 50-60€ seemed a bit steep for a fill-in project. I then noticed a huge box with a Harrier on it for 30€...A quick look on Scalemates told me it was a very old kit (1972!!) so it was going to be a challenge, but it was cheap😜 You'd think I'd have learnt my lesson with the MiG, but no...🙃

Anyway I bought it, looked in the box and a few swear words passed my lips as I saw how much detail there wasn't...I then started doing some research and thought I might be able to do something with it, after all it was cheap...

Harrier.jpg

 

 

Edited by 621Andy
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First job was the very basic seat... As far as I can see it was a Martin Baker MK9 though you wouldn't guess from the basic lump in the kit! There seem to be different versions of the seat so I ended up doing a mish-mash using an assortment of scrap bits of plastic, putty and some chopped up bits left over from other kits: Prop shafts, weapons, and assorted bits and bobs, plus some electrical wire...

Here's the progress; a picture is worth a thousand words, especially when it's me rambling!

 

Lots of flash on the headrest-

hb4.jpg

 

I didn't do a 'before' pic, but this is fairly early on-

hb5.jpg

 

hb6.jpg

 

hb7.jpg

 

 

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Seat cushions from putty...

hb9.jpg

Not my best work, but most of it would be hidden anyway!

 

Multiple layers of masking tape cut into strips to make up an approximation of the complex strap arrangement...

hb13.jpg

 

hb12.jpg

 

Some 1:48 scale harness bits left over from the Wyvern helped to add some detail-

hb14.jpg

 

hb15.jpg

 

 

 

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A bit of wire for the seat handle...

hb16.jpg

 

And some assorted knobbly bits for (non accurate) detail😋

hb17.jpg

 

Quick coat of primer disguises a multitude of sins...

 

hb18.jpg

 

But not all of them-

hb19.jpg

 

hb39.jpg

 

I forgot to mention that having added all this detail I hadn't thought to actually see if it would fit in the cockpit...Turns out all the gubbins on the side made it too wide so I had to get the file out to make it fit🤨

hb11.jpg

 

You can see the difference in the primed pics...

 

Anyway, the first hint of colour!

hb20.jpg

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On with the engine...Normally you wouldn't see any of the detail, but there is a removable panel just behind the cockpit that allows a limited view of it. I decided to have a go at detailing what is basically a round tube with some moulded panel lines and a blob on top.

There seem to be many versions of the Pegasus and I have no idea which one was fitted to the GR.1 so the pipework/cabling is an amalgamation of several different photos; Rivet counters please note this is in no way accurate but is an approximation of the real engine bearing in mind the original 'blob' on the model seems to be in the wrong place and has very little detail either!

Anyway, I think it looks better than before at least, and if I don't like the finished article then the engine cover stays in place and all I've done is wasted some time😋

 

The engine is made up of two sections and a system of linked pieces mean it's theoretically possible to rotate the nozzles when the kit is finished. The first problem started when the linking arm(which is also in two pieces) broke off at one end whilst I was attaching it to the nozzle axle. I think I've repaired it sufficiently but time will tell...I suspect it won't get used anyway so doesn't really matter.

hb1.jpg

 

The second problem was that the holes where the axles sit were too small and needed filing out by quite a lot so that the two engine halves would fit together and the nozzles could rotate-

hb2.jpg

 

I assembled it and gave it a coat of primer.

hb34.jpg

 

And the turbine blades a coat of Vallejo steel

hb35.jpg

 

I also gave part of the body a coat of copper mixed with black to darken it a bit(which I've since sprayed over🙄) then started adding some of the bigger bits of pipework...

hb23.jpg

 

 

I also dry assembled the engine in the fuselage and realised I'd have to make some sort of bulkhead otherwise there'd be a big space of nothing. Some pics show a type of bulkhead fitted so I bodged one with plastic card. It's not perfect and will need some major surgery once I come to finally fit everything in.

hb24.jpg

I didn't have a suitably shaped bit of plastic in my oddities box so made one out of Milliput and stuck some random bits of PE to it...

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Another problem is what the actual colours were as again different pics show different shades or in some cases completely different colours. Anyway I've done the front section in Vallejo Flanker Blue(mainly cos that's all I have that looks vaguely 'right') and we'll see what it looks like when weathered down a bit.

 

 

Edited by 621Andy
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Bit more progress today despite interruptions due to our ancient 4WD not passing its TüV(MOT) and giving me a load of work to do😩

 

Anyway, back to important stuff...

 

In true Henry Cooper style; 'Splash it all over!' Oil wash with burnt umber and black and Turps...

IMG_20210415_091538.jpg

 

Let it dry, then clean it all off again!

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Whilst the engine was drying, it was on with the wings and other assorted bits...

 

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Giving the engine bay a coat of gunmetal grey-

 

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Hmm...

 

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I know it's on the underside, but why???!!🥺

 

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The wings'n'wheels went together relatively painlessly, which is more than can be said for the nozzles🤮

 

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Clearly some work to do here🥴

 

I also did a dry fit of the engine last night and discovered that the top 'hose' at the front sits too high and forces the fuselage apart. Some surgery called for there...

 

IMG_20210414_162213.jpg

 

You can see the rear bulkhead I had to scratch build here- not my best work by a long way.

 

IMG_20210414_162205.jpg

 

More pics later!

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The fuselage went together reasonably well, although getting the airbrake bay in position was a bit of a juggle involving a bit of wire through the hole to pull it into position. I then did a dry fit of the various appendages; It's certainly better than the MiG!!  There's a bit of work to do before they get firmly attached though.

 

IMG_20210415_181030.jpg

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Finally for today does anyone have any info on this part? I'm guessing it's meant to represent two halves of the engine cover? 

As the fit isn't great I'm tempted to cut it in half and have an open engine bay, but don't want to start chopping it around until I'm sure🤫

 

IMG_20210415_200107.jpg

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Huge improvements all round Andy, really well done. Also, genius to use a pull through to position the airbrake housing... I built this a couple of months ago and used a brace from the inside which was really fiddly :doh:

 

The seat looks superb as well as the engine improvements. If you're interested, the one I did in February is here. I did some reshaping of the intake area and other improvements which might be of use to you 👍

 

Alan

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9 hours ago, Alan P said:

Huge improvements all round Andy, really well done. Also, genius to use a pull through to position the airbrake housing... I built this a couple of months ago and used a brace from the inside which was really fiddly :doh:

 

The seat looks superb as well as the engine improvements. If you're interested, the one I did in February is here. I did some reshaping of the intake area and other improvements which might be of use to you 👍

 

Alan

Thanks for your comments Alan! I viewed your build earlier and I'm now officially depressed! I'm playing in the Sunday League compared with yours🥴

I have however picked up several ideas but won't be going as far as reshaping the fuselage! This kit is such a mix of different versions I'm just going to go with what is already there. It was meant to be a fill-in before starting the Mi-17, but is now turning into a 'proper' build😆

 

I actually went over to our local Harrier yesterday at the Hermeskeil museum half an hour down the road from us yesterday. The museum has been closed due to Covid and the cold weather but opened again this weekend. I took a load of pics of the Harrier(a GR3) and realised there are a lot of differences between the kit and the real thing🤨 It was however useful for getting some reference shots. 

They've also got an Mi-8 so that was useful too!

 

There has been some progress this weekend but it doesn't look much... I need to sort the pics and then sit down and do some writing.

 

 

Edited by 621Andy
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OK, so as mentioned above I took the bike out for a run to Hermeskeil just down the road. An excellent museum and well worth the 11€ entry fee. If I was home on a more regular basis I'd probably go and volunteer there. Anyway, they've got XZ998, a GR3 there so I snapped a load of reference pics. Here's a selection:

 

hnose1.jpg

Are the undercarriage legs meant to be white or an very pale blue🤔

Hnose.jpg

 

This one proved useful for some detail behind the seat under the canopy(More on that later😉)

Hcockpit.jpg

 

Htailcone.jpg

 

Houtrigger.jpg

 

The kit wheels are completely different to these holey ones...

Hmain.jpg

Edited by 621Andy
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Sometimes, a cheap kit and lots of scratchbuilding is more fun than slapping in resin and bent brass.

Nice seat and engine. Who cares if they're not quite right? So long as they look the part. It all comes down to the paint in the end anyway!

So the shops still close halfway through Saturday? That was a pain when I was out there too ('83 to '86). 

I'm far from a Harrier expert having never worked on them (thank goodness) so can't help with details. 

My advice though, is to check out walkarounds etc and other builds on here.

 

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Right, progress since the last update. It doesn't look much to be honest...

 

Soo, following on from Alan's comment above about getting the airbrake to sit properly when joining the fuselage halves- A bit of thick bent wire through the hole to pull it into position

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2(2).jpg

The problem of the engine covers has been bothering me; Should I leave it as a single removable piece or somehow show them open?? The lack of internal support meant that was going to be a challenge... So I decided to cut it in half and have the aft sections closed. A bit annoying after all the work I did on the engine itself, but easiest to bodge. The plan was then to have each of the front sections hinged up but then there was no support. I also had no idea which way they hinged; on the centre-line or from the outside edges🤫. A lot of online research revealed only one pic showing them open on a real Harrier and a couple of models with them open but showing different positions for the support rod and different internal construction, so a bit of artistic licence was called for. In fact I don't think there is any structure as such to the panels, but I needed to add some detail. I think I've overdone it as the support frame looks way too solid but I can't be ar*ed to change it...

Initially, the two halves of the front section stayed together as I hadn't cut all the way through, but eventually and inevitably they fell apart!

3(2).jpg

 

I sanded the bars down a bit to make them thinner, but really they need to be much narrower too🥺

4(2).jpg

As you can see in one of the pics above I've also added a piece of plastic strip along the length of the engine bay to support the covers, although in reality there doesn't seem to be anything there.

 

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I also hollowed out the vents in the engine covers which were just a solid moulding.

15(2).jpg

 

Whilst I was dithering over the panels I was also reading Alan's WIP and looking at my pics of the real thing and realised there needed to be a 'fairing' from the front of the fan into the intake ducts so as I'd annoyingly already assembled everything all I could do was pay lip service to it and insert something into the centre hub...Raiding the odds and sods box came up with some sort of missile/mortar/shell that wasn't the right diameter but would do...

6(2).jpg

7(2).jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Sometimes, a cheap kit and lots of scratchbuilding is more fun than slapping in resin and bent brass.

Nice seat and engine. Who cares if they're not quite right? So long as they look the part. It all comes down to the paint in the end anyway!

So the shops still close halfway through Saturday? That was a pain when I was out there too ('83 to '86). 

I'm far from a Harrier expert having never worked on them (thank goodness) so can't help with details. 

My advice though, is to check out walkarounds etc and other builds on here.

 

Most shops are open until late on Saturday, but 'proper' model shops are only open until 1pm. In fact one local place only opens from 1100-1300! Of course everything is closed on Sundays, except petrol stations which of course stock everything you could possibly (not) need on a Sunday...

 

I'm learning a lot from the other builds on here, and walk rounds too. The problem is I'm hampered by my lack of ability and patience  to complete a kit to the standards of most on here, but it's all good practice I suppose!

Edited by 621Andy
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1 minute ago, 621Andy said:

I'm learning a lot from the other builds on here, and walk rounds too. The problem is I'm hampered by my lack of ability and patience  to complete a kit to the standards of most on here, but it's all good practice I suppose!

That's the right idea, I'm still learning from this forum since getting back into modelling 15 years ago 😉 I suppose you don't get better unless you try stuff for yourself, and there's plenty of inspiration to be found on these forums.

 

The engine covers look really good, clean cuts and decent framework 👍

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OK, on with progress!

Again as pointed out by Alan, the fins behind the stabilisers are a bit vague. But rather than making up new ones I just carved the outline of the existing ones a bit deeper making the edges a bit more crisp. Not perfect by any means, but then nothing is on this kit!

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13(2).jpg

 

I'd also lined up a nice bit of mesh to make the vents in the tail cone but could I find it? Could I bu88ery🧐 It forced me to have a tidy-up(but I still didn't find it!)

8(1).jpg

 

You can just see in the pic above this one the Plan B alternative for the tailcone. An odd bit of PE to look like a vent, but as I only had one I couldn't drill it through and the other side is naked.

 

The rear of the cockpit and the canopy frame were the next problem. Once again, Alan's WIP showed his solution to this odd area. I wasn't sure how much of the area behind the seat would be visible when the canopy was in place. I was trying to keep the frame on the sprue as long as possible to avoid me breaking the rails off, but there was no alternative apart from a proper fitting. There's a horrible slot designed to allow the canopy to slide open/shut but I wasn't bothered about that, so I had to cover it somehow. The answer was a sliver of card directly behind the seat.

9(2).jpg

The canopy frame then rests on it:

10(2).jpg

But then there's a horrible sinkhole in the middle of the frame🥺 I added some bits of card and strip to tidy it up a bit and make it less boring. However I pulled the strips off again shortly after and decided to be a bit more artistic😋

17(1).jpg

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Hcockpit.jpg

 

My efforts don't bear up to the original very much, but better than the kit and adds a bit of something there.

18(2).jpg

 

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Finally I've added a few other bits'n'bobs and had a go at filling the join with the nose cone. 

21(2).jpg

The vents in the intakes were the next problem as they're just a vague hint on the original kit. I thought about carving them out into the open position but gave up after I ended up running off line too easily as they're not an easy shape to hold with my gorilla paws. In the end I just highlighted them a bit with the scriber. They're going to be a sod to get flush with the fuselage as they're very definitely an 'extra' add-on in the kit, but we'll see how I cope in the next thrilling instalment🥴

 

11(2).jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, apologies for the lack of updates; It's been a busy week! Car is still ill, weather's been good so my bicycles have been aired, and visits to the Docs to add to the fun...BUT, there has been quite a lot of progress in between!

 

I decided after lots of online research that the Aden Cannon pods needed a bit of sorting. Unfortunately I'd already glued them on so it all had to be done 'in-situ'. Actually in some ways that makes it easier as there's no real structure to them when they're not fixed. Anyway, I drilled out the rear sections and managed to get a small file in to open up the slots in both of them.

 

18(3).jpg

 

I also drilled out various holes... I think there should be at least one more but it was very difficult to see in the pics I found online of them fitted to the Harrier; Maybe I should've just Googled 'Aden Cannon' instead🤦‍♂️ But then there's no guarantee it's the same type that's fitted to the a/c. 

19(2).jpg

 

I should also have cut the slot out for the cartridge ejecter(?), but couldn't work out a way of doing it without making a complete pig's ear of it! 

 

Once I'd finished those it was time to do something about the undercart. There are loads of pics of the nose-wheels but not many show the GR.1 and there are some big differences between the various Brit/US/Other models. As this is fairly visible it needed some work to make it look a bit more acceptable, so it was out with the wire again! I make no claims that it resembles the real thing, but it's closer than the Airfix blind stab in the dark...

 

17(2).jpg

 

29.jpg

 

27.jpg

 

BTW, I've struggled to paint the wheel centres; What's the secret🤷‍♂️??!

 

26.jpg

 

And why do everyone else's PE or non plastic sticking-on look so neat🤬 I end up having to soak everything in Superglue to get it to stick properly! I've tried using the end of a paperclip and the tip of a knife blade, but it never goes where you want to...

 

28.jpg

 

6(3).jpg

Edited by 621Andy
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