John Wolstenholme

The fit of rear wing to fuselage required careful sanding to get a flowing joint – it may have been flush, but there was a visible bump. Loss of any detail in the area was of little consequence as it is not correct i.e. 2 No. panels are round not oval, too many fasteners along front lateral panel line and on wrong side, the gizmos between the parallel panel lines are not correct. Removed the strobe light access panel, as there does not appear to be one for this type (trapezoidal) of strobe light looking at photos. Having redone the rear pair of access panels, the front pair now st

Ugh indeed. Yes, the kit part is spot on. Looking more carefully at the Aires part I wonder if it is due to resin shrinkage . Plan A is contacting Aires.

Finished the LERXs and associated fwd fuselage panel lines. The lateral panel line just aft of the canopy was moved slightly forward not only because I did want to scribe in the wing/fuz joint, but is actually correct. Intake scoops fitted after thinning flanges and walls to be more realistic. Did some work on the canopy frame, starting by opening the louvres*. Two possible methods: (i) remove detail to produce an open rectangle, then attach with CA 4 No slats at constant angle and spacing, or (ii) open by drilling/ sanding/filing, with a fall back to (i) if this failed.

Hi Joe, you could almost be building a Trumpeter kit looking at the work you have done/are doing on these kits. Agree, the cockpits look great, especially with the realistic poses of the aircrew. Surgery on the RIO(?) looked painful. When you need any inspiration or motivation just look at this photo: The spacing may not be to scale, but it will look dramatic as if taken with a long lens. These cats are going to look spectacular when completed. Regards John.

Hi Jake, this is the description I’d use during some aspects of this project. All the way to completion this time, barring the bus. Hi John, how’s it going with the Dromeder? Thanks Charles and Vitaliy for the photos, most helpful and interesting. Wing is on, but a disappointing fit at wing rear to fuz, so sanding with loss of some detail etc. required. The port LERX is complete with a little help with filler due to the 5 thou card fairings; not using ‘hot’ solvent marks still appeared in the curvature, but all is now well. Take 2.

Thanks Vitaliy, Andy and Charles for dropping by and your comments. Yeah, back in the saddle Andy, but it’s a bit of a rodeo ride. Port wing down, starboard to go. I have redone all the access panels; had to remove a vortex generator to get template in, so that had to be redone. Additionally, the panel line along the TE has been corrected – it is not a continuous line. There are also lines, inboard aft which have been removed. I have added rivet detail along the trailing edge and panel screws to wing tip, RCV and slime light. This is the extent of scribing etc. I intend to do as scribing

I’ve been thinking about the ARBS for some time to try and represent the real thing. Sometimes an idea comes from nowhere. Of course it required a new clear cap to be made.

“February 2014 will mark the 1 year anniversary for this build and hopefully it won't take another year to finish. I guess the best I can do is keep pluggin along and hopefully have something to show here soon”. “I am at the point now where I just want to be done with this project, I have a few small details to address before I can get her into primer but, on the other hand I am sick of working on it. I guess I just need a break.” (2014) Hi Steve. A couple of your comments from back in 2014, yet here you are nearing completion. Hitting ‘The Wall’ is not just for marathon runners.

Hi Gianni, I confess the last time I visited, I too had not realised it is 1:72. A very nice job indeed. If I had another Harrier in me this would be the scheme I would go for. Well done. John

Yes indeed. http://www.airfighters.com/photo_65679.details.large

Five years (!!) later the gun pods/LIDs are on. There’s light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not an oncoming train, hopefully. Although you can still see it, the oval panel is actually filled. Time for a short break.

Looking at the fuselage there are a number of things which I haven’t yet addressed. Made a start: i) Refuelling cap/panel is incorrect size and position. ii) The fuselage/wing fillet trim extends across a panel which clearly it should not. The model has this panel with >3x the fixings than on the real thing! An application of primer after filling/sanding shows there are 4 minor areas requiring further work. iii) The fuselage contouring where curves and angular line meet/blend, below the fin, is too far aft and is poorly finished. iv) Removed access panel on stbd side, a

Gianni, it doesn't get any better than those photos with the door not obstructing the view. Thanks very much. John.

Thanks for those photos Vitaliy. Had seen the 2nd one, but somehow missed the first. Not the complete answer, ‘cos still don’t know what’s going on at the top. Wonder if it is some sort of dampening device?

Hi Gianni, I take it they pass muster. Until the wing is attached and outriggers fixed, I cannot set the main leg oleo w.r.t. outriggers laterally and then complete detailing e.g. hydraulic lines. Oleo, scissor link and walking joint are only placed. Walking joint formed by filing down kit parts to rods. Still oversized scale wise but decided not to push my luck. Anyone know what the cylindrical unit is for? N2 pressure vessel? Need some in/out connections.

Nice photo of a clean wheel hub Vitaliy, but having reduced the linked picture in size, not even to 1:32 wheel size, how much detail can one now see with brake dust, hydraulic oil, and general grime? To win the war, I choose the battles.

Looking at the main gear, there are significant improvements which can be made. Just to be clear, as with the rest of this build, I am not saying this is totally accurate, just more accurate than the kit details. Firstly, wheel hubs have been modified to outer and inner faces. I don't know whether it is just an obsession to modify things, or maybe this is a good idea! The gear leg doesn’t look very beefy and I worry about the axle. Should a wheel break off in the future it may not be easy to effect a good repair. I therefore drilled through the axle to take 0.8mm brass ro

Hello Youngtiger1 (Mike?), thanks for dropping in, long time no 'talk'. Thanks for the input guys. I suspect after seeing the AV-8B+ photo posted by Vitaliy, all Harrier IIs are the same. Finally finished the outrigger gear legs. What do the kit, Zotz and even the highly detailed/expensive Model Alliance decals all have in common – zero representation of the data ‘plates’ which are very prominent. All you get are Tie Down decals. I have represented their shape and size with black decal, then used some ‘squiggle’ from the kit weapons decals. Better than ‘blank’ legs I think.

The main intakes are forward facing! Don’t know what these ‘openings’ are, but I wouldn’t have thought they were auxiliary intakes under the canopy. I have a clear photo taken through the canopy rear, which I do not have the photographer’s permission to share, which clearly shows the ‘ducting’, or whatever it is, is not as deep as the auxiliary inlets. The small photo you highlight is taken at a shallow angle from the front so you cannot tell how deep it is. Just by projecting this rear line in the small photo, it is not in line with the rear of the auxiliary intakes.

4T, I am not sure to what you are referring. Are we talking about the aux intakes/doors as seen in this photo? http://www.b-domke.de/AviationImages/Harrier/Images/Harrier_GR9_ZD406_28938.jpg

Whilst detail painting of the outrigger gear legs etc. is ongoing, I thought I would look at the wing tip detailing. Still to do the inset nav. lights, but had enough of this for the time being! The lenses are from sections of the clear parts sprue, sanded to dia. and ‘polished’ to clear. Still contemplating all the circles, which presumably represent the panel screws, equating to ~1” dia. full size.

Hi Janissary. Tie down rings from ~0.5mm thick sections cut with 5 thou saw blade of appropriate dia. Evergreen tubing with wall thinned internally. 0.5mm card shaped pieces attached to the rings with thin CA (sellotape on glass, not Sellotape as CA seems to stick to it) then assembly (and fingers) sanded on W&D flat stick (dry) to finished thickness. The centre being removed to form the hinge with a ground down square needle file. Cleats from 0.5mm card. Have a go. John.

Hi Gianni. Coming along nicely to a conclusion. Regarding dust, do you not use something to keep the model in during building and painting? I use the Trumpeter A-10 box base, with sides extended to take the model when fully constructed, and clear plastic cover taped at the rear. HTH. John

Not sure what the question is, but are you asking if this is complete? Since taking the photo I have rounded the bottom of the 'opening' (in the area you mark) so it is no longer square. When you see it painted it will be complete.

… and so to the leg actuation strut. I danced around with this a bit. Didn’t like the detail, so removed that, then the connection of strut to leg, then the connection of strut into bay – found the fwd part of the door sat below the outer skin. Whether this is the same when using the kit parts or made so by using the Aires components I do not know. Finally ended up with a section of rod to reform, setting the fwd connection into the front wall, and still to include wiring.