Falklands Harrier GR.3

[Harry_the_Spider]

After my SHAR I'm going to do a GR.3 from HMS Hermes. XV744 or ZX988. Not sure which yet. 744 is a Tangmere and I'll be seeing it next year, 988 was brought down during the Falklands war but the pilot survived.

 

A question... Would it have had a re-fuelling probe? There's one in the box but I'm not sure if it was fitted.

[Hook]

It would seem that these were not part of the general fit: 

 

https://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/san-carlos-fob/

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

[Giorgio N]

The bolt-on probe was not used while the aircraft operated from the carriers, so if you want to depict your model at that time do not use it.

However the same GR.3s used the probes during the flight from Britain to Ascension, that was the first leg of the journey to the Falklands. XZ988 flew on May 5th to Ascension and from there reached Hermes aboard MV Atlantic Conveyor, arriving on May 18th.

 

XV744 did not take part in the war, so was not on Hermes. She may have carried the probe at some time during her life as a GR.3 or may not.

 

[Harry_the_Spider]

Thanks, in that case I'll do XZ988.

[rossm]

If you're depicting the ferry configuration you'll want the ferry tanks as on my model. I'll try to turn up a reference photo in a day or two.

 

[rossm]

PS This may help

 

[Harry_the_Spider]

Thanks, I’m doing it with a bomb load so it will be operational rather than in transit. Won’t fit the probe.

 

Out of interest, does anyone know what Bob Iveson in XZ988 was carrying on the mission where he was shot down?

[Selwyn]

5 hours ago, Harry_the_Spider said:

Thanks, I’m doing it with a bomb load so it will be operational rather than in transit. Won’t fit the probe.

 

Out of interest, does anyone know what Bob Iveson in XZ988 was carrying on the mission where he was shot down?

BL755 cluster bombs.

 

Selwyn

[Harry_the_Spider]

Thanks. Would he have typically been carrying three plus fuel tanks on the inner pylons?

[Harry_the_Spider]

Work has begun!

 

Can anyone tell me what colour the inside of the intakes are?

[Hook]

Dark Sea Grey, typically, at that time period.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[NG899]

Intake interiors - Dk Green stbd side and Dk Sea Grey port side, all the way back to the Pegasus. NO white or other colours anywhere!

 

Cheers

 

Nick

[Harry_the_Spider]

Thanks. Better paint the over the white bits then!

[Harry_the_Spider]

Next question...

 

What colour was the airbrake upper surface and well? 

 

The instruction say white, but they said that for the engine intakes too. 

[Hook]

Do these help?: 

 

http://cyberplasticmodeler.blogspot.com/2013/10/aircraft-walkaround-vol29-bae-harrier.html

http://plane-crazy.k-hosting.co.uk/Aircraft/Jets/Harrier/hawker_harrier.html

http://data.primeportal.net/hangar/luc_colin/harrier_gr.3/Harrier_GR.3_006.jpg 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

[Harry_the_Spider]

The answer was right under my nose...

 

Doh!

[NG899]

Dk Green. If it helps, all 4 u/c bays (dirty, especially the main gear bay) gloss white with generally dk grey fitments.

One watchout on the 100-gal tanks - stencils only ever applied to their port sides, even that fitted on the starboard side. 

 

Which kit are you using? 

[Harry_the_Spider]

Thanks.

 

The kit is the Italeri 1/72 GR3. Don't know about accuracy, but the fit is pretty good, especially the top of the fuselage and around the wings and intakes.

[Jabba]

That is one of the better one Ex ESCI, especially when you consider that it was was first produced in the 80s.

[71chally]

My favourite still, just the cockpit is lacking but nothing a bit of time and an aftermarket seat wouldn't sort.

[Giorgio N]

An annoying feature of this kit is the presence under the wings of bulges under the outer pylons.. the bulges did exist on the Harrier but were in place only when the pylons were not installed. They are easy to remove but then the corresponding "cavity" in the pylon must be filled... or since they are on the lower surfaces you may forget about them....

The cockpit is indeed pretty bare and the seat is only a rough representation of the Stencel used on the US variants.

Not an error per se, but I'd have liked to have the auxiliary intakes in the part open-part closed configuration typical of an aircraft on the ground with engine off, while Esci moulded them closed. Pavla did resin intakes that are direct replacement for the kit parts if you want to address this. The same Pavla also have an MB Mk.9 seat... that if I understand right represents the variant used on the Jaguar rather than the Harrier one but in any case is much better looking than the kit seat.

With all this said, I share James' view on this kit and on the Esci "metal wing" Harrier family, they are really pretty nice ! So much that I have several of the 3 variants they produced, some in Italeri boxes and others in original Esci ones. I should really build them all....