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1:32 Trumpeter Harrier GR.7


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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, above slime light.lJOK2WA.jpg%20

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It's looking very good so far, John.

 

To digress very slightly, it occurred to me that ye olde ADEN cannon pods were rarely (but not never) seen in the last few years of the Harrier's RAF career. In contrast, an LRMTS GR3 would look naked without them, but later on the weapon stations were more often seen with nav. and targeting pods fitted for the 21st century version of precision strike.

 

Bur the ADENs might be more congruent with the darkgreen/lichen green era, should you decide a grey scheme is too humdrum. Though grey schemes (there was also the early light grey undersides with the hard demarcation) are certainly a common and suitable option.

Edited by chek
speeling
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  • 2 weeks later...

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 panels around all the ‘protrusions’ is fraught with risk (compound curves, filler to RWR), having experienced the difficulty of making a decent job for the RCV and slime light. For me a risk not worth taking.

cilFw4J.jpg%20

m8QR6Jj.jpg%20

 

As previously indicated I am not a fan of mass rivets, I prefer the detail to look more like:

http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1402/5111193296_153f728e0b_o.jpg

 

As an aside I have a vague recollection as a boy of my father showing me that you could see the thickness of a pencil line on a wall after painting, when viewed in the right light and angle. A bit like the rivet detail showing in the photo on p12 :rolleyes:

 

As far as I can see looking at in-flight underside photos there are no wing access panels and none on the kit. So could Trumpeter actually be correct?

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Very neat riveting lines John, and right about where to draw the line, at least in 32 scale.

 

It's surprisingly hard to find a clear enough wing underside photo - even for the pylon attachments points when unloaded.

 

But the white undersides of the linked YAV-8B 158394 photo bear out the lack of access panels.

I strongly doubt there was any revision to the composite wing once the wing design was finalised and the mould/autoclave built.

 

c65c93fd0be1fd21b0c2ad07410b388a-dag1yrh

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I find it simply mind numbing how clean and crisp your work is.  My work is a glob of plastic and glue by comparison.

 

Astonishing work, my friend.

 

Jake

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On ‎21‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 2:43 PM, jmel said:

 mind numbing

 

 

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.

6AaGfOj.jpg%20

 

 

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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.

It was a no brainer to go with (ii).

 

p.s. On discovering the problem with the Aires HUD P.E. I looked at the Eduard interior set expecting there to be an alternative. I had overlooked/forgotten there is a louvered part *(51) for this purpose. If you have this set, Option 1 is the way to go.

ypvyiX0.jpg%20

 

, and then an unwanted surprise. The Aires frame arms are 2mm shorter than the clear part.

DMlSADA.jpg%20

 

 

Edited by John Wolstenholme
p.s. added
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Definitely "UGH!", but not insurmountable.

And definitely unnecessary for that kit.

 

But is the kit canopy length correct?

 

I often wish aftermarket went with 'true' measurements rather than the kit's interpretation.

Often they err on assisting the builder rather than sticking to the correct values.

Which is mostly best for some, but not all.

 

 

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9 hours ago, chek said:

Definitely "UGH!", but not insurmountable.

But is the kit canopy length correct?

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 :crying:. Plan A is contacting Aires.

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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.r6Mzz56.jpg%20

 

Having redone the rear pair of access panels, the front pair now stand out as different, so looks like I need to redo those as well!

Edited by John Wolstenholme
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Hi John, trust things are going well with you.

 

Wing and top fuselage finally completed to the extent I am doing. Correct shape aerial slightly repositioned, re-scribed and repositioned front pair of access panels and positions for slime lights.

TbbBmlA.jpg%20

After nearly 5 years I couldn’t resist a head-on view. Starting to look the part with drop tanks etc. temporarily placed.

LF74Z7F.jpg%20

It’s been a long road!

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