Popular Post sohoppy Posted April 24, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted April 24, 2022 (edited) Hello all, Here are some pics of my Airfix Sea Harrrier. It was a really difficult build - some of you will know the 'curse of the rivets' and the oddly fitting parts. And there is more detail in many modern 1/72 kits than you'll find with this offering. I also made life harder still for myself by building in working flight controls and lights and so on. Then, finally, I failed, once again, to produce a decent gloss finish with an airbrush and had some real difficulties with the decals. And the Extra Dark Sea Grey is almost certainly too extra flipping dark. I could go on. And I'm sure some of you will pick up mistakes I haven't spotted yet. But, all that being said, it does make for an impressive looking thing in its own way. I would also like to thank David Hughes of the wonderful Tangmere Aviation Museum https://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/ for giving me the chance to take a close look at their FA2 as it provided many clues as to how various things move at full scale, like the outrigger wheels etc. Do visit them if you can: it's run by a very dedicated band of volunteers. My build log is here: So first up some general pics... 'Ah, but the intake vents are closed', I hear you say. That's true, of course, but she will be displayed in flight, eventually, when I get round to making a stand of some kind. Incidentally, those black lines round the gun pods are supposed to be there. They have a kind of rubber flange to make an airtight join. These usually ended up painted over post Falklands schemes. The Aim 9s sometimes had grey fins, as you can see on pictures of the Harriers on the flight deck as they headed South. Mine are perhaps too grey though. Tomorrow, some dusk and night images. Edited June 1, 2022 by sohoppy mistake 83 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binbrook87 Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 Absolute belter! Fantastic 👍👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlasticUtopia Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 My, that is absolutely stunning. What a marvelous build and the intricate detailing is second to none. Well done sohoppy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedders Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 A beauty. Well done. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerboy Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 I think you have done a smashing job, be happy to have that on display,( if l had the room), good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 I think that's probably the most realistic portrayal of that kit I've seen completed. And the EDSG looks spot on to my eye. Excellent result and worth the time and extra detail you put in 👍 Really looking forward to some action photos or video of the lighting/dynamic features 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatesy64 Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 Brilliant model of a notoriously poor kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiseca Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 It looks fantastic! I'd imagine its size makes it much more impressive in the flesh, just for sheer presence if not for the detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 Utterly stunning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sohoppy Posted April 25, 2022 Author Share Posted April 25, 2022 Many thanks everyone for your kind comments. Before we do the lights HUD and intruments panel I thought I put up some of these for fun. It was quite hard to think of a way of showing 'everything up' so I decided to borrow an idea from Gerry Anderson and have the model 'fly'. A low level pass over the garden... And coming in to land... This was done with fishing line, a bit of a touch up here or there with MS paint - and some degreee of trepidation. One screw-up and it would have been total loss of the airframe. 25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sohoppy Posted April 25, 2022 Author Share Posted April 25, 2022 The lights on this are fairly basic. There are two red flashing warning lights, dorsal and ventral, and these were made using flashing surface mount LEDs. After wiring these I found out, too late, a simple way to make the flashing coordinated. But the lights being out of sync on this model is not to big an issue because it is surprisingly hard to see both at the same time. The nav lights are all done by fibre optics connected to LEDs in the nose cone - where they can be reached if they fail. The illuminated HUD is very hard to photograph because, well, I can't get my phone into the cockpit for fairly obvious reasons but this pic gives an idea. The effect was made by using some of the black covered film from the Flightpath instrument dials and carefully scraping an approximation of a HUD display with a fine needle point. This is then illuminated from below with a LED and the lens above was made using my new favourite gloup - UV setting resin. The radar was done the same way. I also used the resin for the landing lights. And, yes, I know the windshield framing needs a touch up. Incidentally, I think I placed the rudder predals too far forward following the dimensions on the Heritage/Simian cockpit tub. This means you can't really see them. I think they should be about 3 mm aft. Well, that's it for now. I'll make short Youtube video of the controls working and post a link here in due course. Thanks for looking. 32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 39 minutes ago, sohoppy said: Incidentally, I think I placed the rudder predals too far forward following the dimensions on the Heritage/Simian cockpit tub. This means you can't really see them. I think they should be about 3 mm aft. Well, they were adjustable for leg length so the last pilot must have been a lanky lad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 Crikey that’s good. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 Wowee, what a cracking model and the you improve it with all your electrical and mechanical wizardry. Superb work. Great model. Chris 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAT69 Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 You have every reason to be absolutely and most positively proud of your work. It's wonderful! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 sohoppy , Absolutely AMAZING Sea Harrier. Your build is outstanding and Top Notch Sir. I love the Photographs especially the low level garden fly past. They look SO realistic!! Those night time Photographs with lights are superb. Thank you for your efforts and sharing your joy with us. KUDOS. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiseca Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 That is supreme! Excellent work. I am truly astounded. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in a shed Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 Gawd blimey sah! Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sohoppy Posted April 26, 2022 Author Share Posted April 26, 2022 15 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said: Well, they were adjustable for leg length so the last pilot must have been a lanky lad. Yes, it would be odd if you couldn't I suppose. But whomever they got to adjust them would need to be something of a contortionist. Not a lot of room down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 19 minutes ago, sohoppy said: Yes, it would be odd if you couldn't I suppose. But whomever they got to adjust them would need to be something of a contortionist. Not a lot of room down there. Nah, it is usually a handwheel at the foot of the instrument panel. The pilot does the adjusting to suit himself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 A superb model with a whole load of dedication, time, sweat and no doubt a few tears and obscenaties at times. Extremely well done and something to be very proud of indeed. I look forward to seeing more of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulaero Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 17 hours ago, sohoppy said: The lights on this are fairly basic. There are two red flashing warning lights, dorsal and ventral, and these were made using flashing surface mount LEDs. After wiring these I found out, too late, a simple way to make the flashing coordinated. But the lights being out of sync on this model is not to big an issue because it is surprisingly hard to see both at the same time. The nav lights are all done by fibre optics connected to LEDs in the nose cone - where they can be reached if they fail. The illuminated HUD is very hard to photograph because, well, I can't get my phone into the cockpit for fairly obvious reasons but this pic gives an idea. The effect was made by using some of the black covered film from the Flightpath instrument dials and carefully scraping an approximation of a HUD display with a fine needle point. This is then illuminated from below with a LED and the lens above was made using my new favourite gloup - UV setting resin. The radar was done the same way. I also used the resin for the landing lights. And, yes, I know the windshield framing needs a touch up. Incidentally, I think I placed the rudder predals too far forward following the dimensions on the Heritage/Simian cockpit tub. This means you can't really see them. I think they should be about 3 mm aft. Well, that's it for now. I'll make short Youtube video of the controls working and post a link here in due course. Thanks for looking. But does the altimeter move when you pick it up .....😂 Seriously amazing work 👏 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Robin Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 Seem to remember something along the lines of silk purses and sows ears. Lovely, not usually a fan of jet thingys but it's British and proud of it. Regards Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 That's a very nice Harrier! I've seen lights and even cockpit lights but never a HUD before that's next level detail right there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sohoppy Posted May 30, 2022 Author Share Posted May 30, 2022 Apologies this has taken so long but here, finally, is the promised short youtube video of my Sea Harrier's working features - flight controls lights etc. The editing was done in a bit of a hurry - which shows. The filming, on the other hand, was done by my eldest daughter with her customary humour and patience... For anyone interested, my channel has quite a lot of other kit conversions of one kind or another, armour, ships, rc submarines etc, many of them doing quite unexpected things. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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