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Harrier II plus configuration questions


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Please excuse my ignorance towards the finer points of the harrier. I am finally getting around to finishing my 1:48 AV-8B Harrier II Plus from Hasegawa, which I started when the kit was first released. My first question, of which I'm sure more will follow, is belly ever seen without the gun pod, or strakes?  Other than perhaps a maintence configuration?  I'd like to hang drop tanks and a weapon or two under the wings but the fit of gun pack and the strikes is less than perfect. So if I can skip the work of getting the gun pack or strakes to fit all the better, otherwise back to more of the same with this kit. 

 

My second question is the deflector or brake in front of the gun pack does it ever close when the gun is installed?

 

My third question is the engine compressor fan, since the intake trunking is so short and the fan face is so visible I painted it a titanimum colour rather than a brighter silver or aluminum than I would have for a regular length intake of a jet. Is that correct?  I normally don't worry about the colour of the intake fans as they are so deep and dark that light is limited and therefore I paint them a brighter colour than they should be. 

 

Thanks

 

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The strakes are an integral aerodynamic part of the hover performance. The gun pods are shaped so that they provide a similar function to the strakes. In hover the forward (and aft?) doors or fences (what you refer to as a deflector or brake) open to form a "box" in combination with the strakes or gun pods. This "box" is used to redirect jet exhaust to improve lift and reduce hot gas re-ingestion by the engine when hovering close the the ground.  For that reason I don't think you would ever see an AV-8B without strakes or gun pods.

 

Reminded me of this incident, it won't answer any of your questions but it's worth looking at:

 

https://theaviationist.com/2014/06/26/no-nosewheel-landing-av8/

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