Airfix 1/72nd Sea Harrier FA.2

[Bish]

I have never built a Harrier, but i have 5 1/72nd Airfix kits in the stash so figiured if i am doing one i might as well do 2 together. This is the Sea harrier FA.2.



I'll be adding an Eduard PE set and Quickboost resin exhausts.

I started out with geting the pit parts prepped and painted.





Not a lot of detail in the pit OOB, all the instruments are added with decals. After painting i just went straight to the PE.





Then the pit was fitted and the fuselage put together. No fit issues here.





You can see in the pic above that there a rim of plastic inside the intakes. I didn't know it at the time but this would be a problem. Its not suppossed to be there and will have to be removed. Its not flash as its thick plastic, and there is no indication on the instructions. As i went to fit the iner part of the intake attached to the fan i realised it neeed sanding back. I did this just enough for it to fit. But when i went to fit the outer part of the intake, i needed cutting all the way back. The left hand intake is fitted here, but not the right.

The wings did go on nicely, no issues there.



There was some filler needed around the intakes. tail is fitted just need to do some clean up of the filler.



More soon.

[LyleW]

Nice! Literally, can’t see how you guys do this in this scale.

[Floki]

Looking good Bish. I wonder what that rim of plastic is there for?

[BlackSheep214]

Looking good!

[Bish]

Thanks guys.

Floki, no idea, its not should in the instructions.It had a very neat edge and was as thick as the rest of the plastic. But of an odd one.

Lyle, as i always say, its what i am used to.

[Stuart]

Great stuff Bish, that PE has really added to it.

Um... Probably a bit late to point it out, but I think you've got the wrong Aux Intake doors fitted - I think you've used the 'in-flight' part - when the engine is shut down, the doors at the top fall open...

[Bish]

Thanks Stuart.

O bugger, i thought it might be the other way round. I was actually going off thise pics, which has the lower ones closed but the upper open.



So i was just thinking it didn't matter. Actually, the resin one for the GR.9 is the same as in that pic. I'l try and fix it, if not i will try and remove them and get the Pavla set. Thanks for the heads up.

Edit: just checked the kit again, and the kit does have the correct intakes. The instructions just don't tell you wants you need to use dependent on how your displayin it. Should have cheke first. I have the intakes off but can't take them apart, so going to get the Pavla set.

[Stuart]

That's cool that you have a fix - to be honest it doesn't really matter I just thought I'd mention it (some harrier kits don't even give you the option!)

The doors are just sprung loaded, so when the engine is shut down they just fall under the effects of gravity, hence why the tops are open and the bottoms closed. I think when the engine is running on the ground or in the hover, they all open due to the suction, but close when the aircraft is in forward flight.

[Bish]

Thanks Stuart, that makes sense from the pics i have seen. I really appreciate it when people point this stuff out. And i would rather now than after it was painted. Got the set on order, should be here before the end of the week. I can just sell off the Quickboost exhausts.

[Stuart]

Excellent - glad I could help Looking forward to seeing it!