Sword 1/72 McDonnell-Douglas TAV-8B Harrier Trainer

[hsr]

This is my build of the Sword 1/72 McDonnell-Douglas TAV-8B Harrier Trainer. The TAV-8B is the 2 seat trainer version of the AV-8B. The Marines originally planned on using their TAV-8A trainers for training AV-8B pilots, but it was realized that the analog cockpit of the AV-8A vs the digital one for the AV-8B and other differences made that impractical. So the TAV-8B was developed. In the US only the VMAT-203 training squadron flew them.

 

Sword makes a boxing of this kit specific to the TAV-8B as well as a boxing for the British T.10 equivalent. As usual I didn't decide to build a TAV-8B until that boxing was out of production (OOP) and impossible to find. Luckily each boxing has all the parts for building both version and the T.10 boxing is still available. So with one of those and the TAV-8B instruction downloaded from the internet I was ready to go. Except for the decal. Caracal makes a sheet for the AV-8A that includes marking for VMAT-203  so I first got one of those (a trial in itself since it is also OOP), but it had the unit marking in white not the low vis. light and dark gray currently in use. Next I found someone selling just the decals of the Heller TAV-8B on Ebay so I was able to get them and start the build.

 

I have built several Sword kits in the past (FJ-1, TBM-3W, AD-4W) and have been very happy with them, but the fit on this kit was a bit of a disappointment. Especially problematic was the canopy part fit (it also has a vac canopy, but I have vac canopies) which required a lot of sanding and and filling to get them to look right, and I ended up with slightly foggy canopies. The engine exhausts are made from right and left halves. This wouldn't be bad but they didn't match well in the middle and the front ones did not have any vanes.

 

I didn't see a way of fixing them so I ordered a set of Aeries exhaust that look a lot better

 

 

 Also either the main gear is too long or the outrigger gears are too short so instead of sitting on all 4 points it will sit on the main gear and one or the other outriggers. The kit included a set of fuel tanks for the outer pilons but none of the pictures from the VMAT-203 web site (https://www.seaforces.org/usmcair/VMAT/VMAT-203.htm) showed them in use, and they looked much to big when I put them on, so I left them off.

 

I got all the way to the point where I was ready to apply the Heller decals when I realized they also were for an earlier paint scheme then I had used being black for the generic marking and white for the squadron ones. So next I ordered a copy of the Caracal  AV-8B sheet that had all the correctly colored generic marking, but not the VMAT-203 squadron marking. Next I scanned the AV-8A decals and spent hours in Gimp tweaking the colors to  match the AV-8B sheet. In the mean time I built my OA-4M kit.

Once that was done I returned to the TAV-8B. I then discovered that 1) the Caracal colors looked a lot lighter on the model then they did on the decal sheet, almost white rather then gray, and 2) the color from the sheet I printed looked a lot darken on the model then the sheet and that despite my spraying them with Testors' Decal Bonder and coating them with Microscale Decal Film they just dissolved away.  So since the Caracal decals were so close to white I decided to go with the white TAV-8A once and hope no one would notice.

 

So more work then I expected, but the results came out all right.

 

 

Next up is the RVHP T-44A Pegasus.

 

Enjoy

 

 

 

[F-32]

I like that a lot, very cool build

[Wulfman]

Very nice build !

 

Wulfman

[112 Squadron]

Looks very impressive. It is nice to see how skillfully you handeld the problems of that kit.  Your work and efforts really paid off. 👍 For sure, the Italeri 1/72 TAV-8B is more easily to assemble but that kit is rather dated in comparison to the Sword release since it got raised panel lines. 

[Orion]

Hello hsr,

Excellent model, despite the problems of the kit. You showed us again, that it is not always necessary to buy modelkits in excess of 50 Euro's and more. As more and more models are rising skyhigh in price. Not always keeping track with the quality that you should expect. So I hope Sword continues with bringing new models on the market. Regards, Orion

[hsr]

17 minutes ago, Orion said:

So I hope Sword continues with bringing new models on the market.

I like their line of kits. It fills in, or improves, a lot of types that don't get a lot of love from other manufacturers.

 

Thanks

[Robert Armstrong]

Looks cracking to me👍👍😁,

your issues don't bode well for me though, as I have their T2/T4 and T10/12 in my stash of Harriers. 

[hsr]

1 minute ago, Robert Armstrong said:

your issues don't bode well for me though, as I have their T2/T4 and T10/12 in my stash of Harriers. 

I am sure you can handle the canopies better then I, but I would look for after market exhausts like the Aires ones.

 

Thanks

[CaracalModels]

Your TAV-8B looks great - thanks for sharing! The two-seat Harrier really has a distinct look to it, which your build captured well. 

[Parabat]

That's a great looking model of a very interesting plane. Nicely done.

[exdraken]

Wow  great , rare Harrier trainer model!

[hsr]

Thanks. I should have the TAV-8A done in a couple of months

[twinpin]

Looks good.

I like Sword kit types too but have struggled to put my first two together.. First the T2V-1 SEASTAR.. I had problems keeping the two cockpits and the front undercarriage bay in the correct position while closing the fuselage halves around these parts..  Then the FJ3 FURY.  I Gave up trying to assemble the front undercarriage so am planning this one on a stand with gear up. 

 

 

[hsr]

2 minutes ago, twinpin said:

I like Sword kit types too but have struggled to put my first two together.. First the T2V-1 SEASTAR.. I had problems keeping the two cockpits and the front undercarriage bay in the correct position while closing the fuselage halves around these parts..

I have the Seastar in my pile for later this year. Thanks for the tip

[twinpin]

Interesting that you have the Seastar...  I thought of fixing the parts in position maybe with double sided tape, blue tack or plaster......  Need to have them correctly positioned horizontally and vertically for that to work.   Also with this kit I only used a few the PE parts.  (in the cockpits)., 

 

Good luck

[hsr]

6 minutes ago, twinpin said:

Interesting that you have the Seastar... 

I wanted to build some trainers. Then the completist in me kicked in and I had to build all trainers, so I went on a buying spree and half my production for this and probably next year will be trainers. 

 

Thanks