Sea Harrier FRS1 by AJohnson - FINISHED - Airfix - 1:72

[AJohnson]

Evening all,

 

Last of the plastic aircraft builds I want to finish up before I go back in to the "Boat" yard! ⛵

 

I did a search and this fine build by @Old Collingwood is the only other Sea harrier I can find here.  But this is only a tiddler at 1/72 so it won't be as complicated a build and I am doing it out of the box without "bought-in" additions.

 

 I intend to do it as FRS1 - XZ451; one of the kit options.  This aircraft was delivered in 1979 and initially served in 700A flight (see second picture, this is how I intend to finish the model), before being transferred to 899 NAS in 1981 sporting codes "100" & "VL".  It took part in the  Falklands War and was transferred to 801 NAS onboard HMS Invincible.  During the conflict it shot down a C-130H Hercules, this has caused some controversy in some quarters since as Commander Nigel "Sharkey" Ward expended two AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles and 240 rounds of 30mm cannon fire into it to bring it down.   ZX451 itself came to grief in 1989 after mechanical failures and crashed into the Mediterranean sea off Sardinia (pilot ejected).

 

Hope this log of interest to some of you. 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by AJohnson

[Dave_E]

I’m in. 😀

[Jack12477]

I'm  in 

[Old Collingwood]

I'm in,    this  will be good  -  takes me back to  my first  1/72  Shar  kit   as a teen  I built  the  Matchbox  kit.

 

OC.

[AJohnson]

4 minutes ago, Old Collingwood said:

I'm in,    this  will be good  -  takes me back to  my first  1/72  Shar  kit   as a teen  I built  the  Matchbox  kit.

 

OC.

I know the one!  I built one also as part of a “group build” when in the Air Cadets as a kid. We mocked up HMS Hermes on a table top and added our Harrier builds.  -  Happy days 😄

[Egilman]

I'm here as well... Wouldn't miss it...

[king derelict]

I'm in. I wouldn't miss a Harrier build =especially as i have a Sea Harrier kit inbound

Alan

[Canute]

I'll be hanging around for this one also, Andrew. Really like the RN paint scheme. 👍

[Edwardkenway]

I'm in!

[Landlubber Mike]

I've always loved the look of these planes.  I'm in too!

[AJohnson]

Evening gang,  I've been grappling with this little kit a bit and nearly decided to give it a miss as the quality of the moulding and thickness of many of the parts, trench-like panel lines and pock-marked sink holes everywhere offended my sensibilities!  Then I told myself to not be so "precious" and just stick it together! and remember that the eight year old me would have been ecstatic at the mount of detail this kit has compared the Airfix Harrier GR1/Kestrel of the 1960/70s...  😁 - So onwards!

 

That been said I'm not going to be buying any aftermarket bits for this kit, as it doesn't warrant it, just do what I can with some scratch built bits and pieces.  I know there are plenty of resin Martin Baker Mk.10 seats and cockpit tubs out there, but as the whole cockpit opening is less then 10mm long, I don't think much would be seen without illuminated magnification anyway. Beside the aftermarket stuff would cost way more than the kit did!

 

So out of the spare box has come some PE. bits, thin wire and plastic rod to pimp up the cockpit area and ejection seat a bit.  Pictures are before I painted any of it, also added the front fan, again a bit crude but it will be hidden deep within that gaping inlet area fortunately.

Edited October 24, 2022 by AJohnson

[DaveBaxt]

Nice to see a variety in different types of models and kits. We have a modelling club here in Washington (England) which  a lot of guys are building this kind of thing. and I am thinking of joining.I have tried a couple of these kits mainly with the Grandson but they didn,t turn out too good. Sorry I have not followed you of late but trying to catch up with what you have been working on. I am wondering where you are thinking of going next as you definately have a much varied experience. I look foreward to your progress. Andrew. Best regards Dave 

[AJohnson]

Cockpit about there for now, some little details added to the "shelf" behind the ejector seat, as the kit was devoid of anything, including the prominent canopy sliding rail; this all needs a tidy up once I have glued together and filled/sanded the body.  I also added two small slivers of plastic card to the front of the instrument panel hood as this was missing the "sunshade" projections.  I think there is an adequate amount of detail in there now, once the canopy parts added it will be hard to see much anyway.  I will be displaying the canopy open.  Time to glue the fuselage together!  

 

Until the next instalment, thanks for the likes and follows. 😁

Edited October 26, 2022 by AJohnson

[AJohnson]

Evening all,  thought I better post something up as I've been a bit quiet on this one for a while.  Not done too much as I've been away, but what I have done has involved a fair bit of glue and multiple applications of filler! - this is not the best fitting kit! 🤔 not to mention a fair few sink marks.

 

Anyway a couple of pictures of how it looks at the moment, hopefully a nicer looking set to appear later, after a few more session of sanding down, filling, repeat! 

[Edwardkenway]

Looks good to me.

How was your break? Norfolk wasn't it?

[AJohnson]

4 hours ago, Edwardkenway said:

Looks good to me.

How was your break? Norfolk wasn't it?

Hi Edward, yes it was, a nice little break.  Unfortunately the "Henry Ramey Upcher" building was closed for the season. 😌  But plenty of other Nautical themed things to see, including lunch at the Lord Nelson pub in Burnham Thorpe, a visit to Wells to see the "Lucy Lavers" and Cromer, had a nosey at their lifeboat after a walk on the pier.  Also hadn't realised that where we were staying was so dangerous back in 1915 (see the plaque.)

[Edwardkenway]

Shame about Ramey Upcher, but it looks like you had fine weather and plenty of other things to see.

Is that plaque in Sheringham itself? I can't say as I've ever seen it🙄😔, quite a claim to fame though.

The pub looks nice, hope the lunch matched the appearance. 

[AJohnson]

4 hours ago, Edwardkenway said:

Shame about Ramey Upcher, but it looks like you had fine weather and plenty of other things to see.

Is that plaque in Sheringham itself? I can't say as I've ever seen it🙄😔, quite a claim to fame though.

The pub looks nice, hope the lunch matched the appearance. 

Yes the plaque is in Sheringham, just opposite the Wyndham Arms pub if you know it. The last time I went Burnham Thorpe to look at the Nelson bits and bobs the pub was shut, it has since been refurbished and massively extended at the back. To be honest I felt the new “open” barn style restaurant at the back detracts from the feel of the old pub at the front. Certainly Nelson would not recognise the place. Food was good though. 

[CDW]

The photo etch set made a vast improvement on your Harrier. Looks great. I admire your persistence. Going to make a very nice little model when you’re done with it.

[CDW]

Have any of you in the UK had a look at the newly released 1:48 Airfix Buccaneer yet? Their old one was challenging and I want to see the new one. Several of us did a group build challenge on the old one in the 90’s. It was a lot of fun.

[AJohnson]

13 hours ago, CDW said:

Have any of you in the UK had a look at the newly released 1:48 Airfix Buccaneer yet? Their old one was challenging and I want to see the new one. Several of us did a group build challenge on the old one in the 90’s. It was a lot of fun.

No I have not had a look at it, but I have built the previous version and yes it was a challenge!  The new one has an RRP. of over £70, so, it might take me a while to feel the need to do another...

 

I did mine in the colours of the preserved example residing at the "Yorkshire Air Museum", Elvington, near York; about 20 miles from here.

 

A Gulf War veteran that was named "Kathryn", same name/spelling as the admiral, so it had to be done!  😁

 

Here a few pictures of my old kit (must be 15 or so years old now and a bit dusty.)  I did the wings folded primarily to save space, but also the joints were appalling on the kit, though I realise it is highly unlikely the aircraft folded its wings during the Gulf War.  Also a couple of the original at Elvington.

[CDW]

Beautiful build on your Buc! My old air force buddy tells me a tale about him flying at Red Flag in his F-16 while he watched a Buccaneer race past almost on the deck supersonic. They were by all accounts a very impressive aircraft. Mine was also done in Desert Storm markings, although I gave it away long ago and have no photos of it to share. Wish I did, but in those days I did not have a digital camera and developing film was such a hassle I neglected to take photos of many many models I wish I had photos of now.

[CDW]

Just now, AJohnson said:

The new one has an RRP. of over £70, so, it might take me a while to feel the need to do another...

It pains me but it seems the "new normal" for newly released 1:48 modern fighter planes are right around the $100 mark. Sometimes more, sometimes a little less. Unless there is a drastic change of some sort, I don't expect this upward cost trend to get any better. Makes me wonder if we all might one day be building card models just so we can afford the model building hobby. I have recently paid as much as $150 for a newly released SU-27 kit. For me, this trend is unsustainable. 

[Edwardkenway]

3 hours ago, CDW said:

For me, this trend is unsustainable. 

My thoughts exactly, the prices of what used to cost a couple of quid or less, is getting ridiculous 😵‍💫

My recently acquired Bf110, if brand new would have been, between £59 & £70 depending on who stocks it. I paid £16 on a fleabay auction.

[Egilman]

3 hours ago, CDW said:

For me, this trend is unsustainable. 

It's insanity level pricing now, but people are paying it...

 

16 minutes ago, Edwardkenway said:

the prices of what used to cost a couple of quid or less, is getting ridiculous

I remember when a fairly large ship model was selling at the local five and dime for 2.99 to 5.99 and 5.99 was a LARGE model..... The average 1/72 scale airplane was selling for .75 cents... The tech level wasn't what it is today, but it's what you cut your teeth on when building, learning the techniques of producing accurate models....

 

The hobby today has changed so much that it's hard to recognize what it was when most of us started...

[AJohnson]

Agreed with all the statements above, many kits are getting a bit too much for my wallet. I have one “big” kit on back order - Airfix’s 1/24 Spitfire IXc due out soon, this is £95 so is my only main kit purchase this year. Not bad value compared to these 1/48 & 1/32 scale “Uber” jet kits.  
But I think it is also making the wood ship kits from Vanguard and Syren look exceptional value for what you get.  Plus at the rate I build them, even better value when looked at in terms of time spent building 🤣

Think this is why I will always return to plastic kits for the “quick hit” now and again when I need a “fix” of near instant gratification. 🫢

[Jack12477]

Have you looked at the car market lately.  You can buy a 5 year old car with over 100,000 mile with no warranty for $28,000 or a brand new 2023 car with 0 miles with 36 months/36,000 mile bumper to bumper  warranty for $34,000. Just one example.

[AJohnson]

Hello all,

 

Incremental update tonight, the outrigger wheel wells were, well missing in the kit!  Just lumps of plastic with no recess for the wheel struts to retract into, so they needed digging out and new side fairings made from plastic card adding, just to finish things off I need to fair-in the leading edges of these fairings still.  I have also built Airfix's newer Harrier GR.1 and it is a much superior kit and these details are moulded in, so this Sea-Harrier must be an earlier vintage mould where minor details like this were overlooked.

 

Next up I had another go with Mig Ammo primer as I have had poor results with it in the past, but I thought as I am not too attached to this kit, I would try it again.  Unfortunately I had similar results, even though I had the airbrush nice and clean, took ages shaking the primer, it was still "splattery" and did not self level as advertised.  Air pressure and thin coats adhered to as per the instructions, but no, not happy.  🤨 back to enamel for primers!

 

But overall progress is being made, not too much more to do before painting commences.  

 

Thanks for looking in. 😁

Edited November 25, 2022 by AJohnson

[Edwardkenway]

Is the Mig ammo primer their One Shot stuff?

I'm sure OC would know a good make of primer, he seems to get excellent results on his Waterloo figures. 

Very nice job on the recesses 👍

[Old Collingwood]

Thanks  for the mention  @Edwardkenway    with regards  to  Primer  I have only  played around and used  the  Vallejo  Acrylic Surface Primer  - its  great  on figures  as  it shrinks down  and  follows the  profile  of the figures  -  only  complaint - its  not all  that tough and can scrape away  if knocked,   its  ok   once  paint layers  are  layed ontop though.

 

OC.