Desert Storm Jump Jet

[kurnass77]

Good day all guys;

today I'll present my current build.

Is a AV-8B from Hasegawa during ODS,started for the Strike / Attack Aircraft GB.Unfortunately,this is the first GB in which I was unable to finish even a single model,but real life event don't was permissive this time...

Here the start of the build.

After finishing the various elemts was time to glue in place;I started with the nose gear,'cause as the more modified one I was really worried something can be wrong,but all go nice.Only the small Eduard PE door was a little problematic but with some patience also this was solved.

After this I glued the forward LID door.

All is visibles in the pics.

 

 

 

Next step the wings outriggers.

The legs slide in position very easily ( partly because I've sanded the fitting area in the previous building phases).

But when I tried to glue the Eduard PE doors this's the result.

 

 

 

 

So I scratched new ones out of lead foil ( to achieve the correct bended lateral edges) and plasticard,Some paint and the trick worked.

Same for the rear doors.

 

 

 

 

And in position.

 

 

 

 

I left the MLG for last;in fact I was worried that all the resins will inevitably alter the correct asset of the model and I was right.

The Aires wheel bay ( more depth and with all herfiiting problems ) and wheel ( smaller than those of the kit) resulted in a "hanging" gear.

The quickest and simpler fix was a 1,5 mm brass tube plug inserted on the gear leg ;after carefull dry fit,when I was satisfied,I added some detail and painted all.

But before the pics:I hate Aires! The detail're impressive,but look like if the producer guys work without fit concern.Not only the resins fit bad with the destined models,but very often even the parts of the same detail set don't fit and there isn't exception.

The wheel bays doors don't fit,the measure are all wrong.

For example,the MLG ones a was too long and taller,so I was forced to cut away about 2 mm from the rear edge and sanding the edge at contactc with the fuselage 'till the first line of rivets in the inner side ( green line) .In fact the doors finish to touch the main wheel,despite the latter,as I already said,are more small of the originals.

And the doors' retracting braces don't fit with the relative slots,so the cutter was again my friend...

Look at the image

 

 

 

 

All in place and the MLG leg detailed and modified.

 

 

 

 

Now some pics of various areas with,in order,the air intake probe (out of a Eduard F-4 PE set ),the painted turtle deck,the new IFR tip and new adde weathering effect as per reference pics of the real plane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

End part one.

Edited March 12, 2017 by kurnass77

[kurnass77]

Part two.

 

And finally I can show the model sit on his legs.

The pics aren't the best,as I take the photo on the working desk with a very strong light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that's all for today;I'm still in deep water,as I need to add some detail/parts but I haven't much free time .

Also I want to apologize for the dust here and there as visible in the pics,but the model sit for days on my desk between working session.Also ,in real,the panelwash of the darker gray ( Payne grey oil) is less avident and blueish.

 

Thanks all for watching guys and feel free to comment and critique.

 

 

Gianni

[John Wolstenholme]

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

[kurnass77]

Jhon,

first thanks to stop by,second,normally I put the build in  my cabinet,but in these days,with the final assembly in sight,I've left the model on the desk to work on it whenever possible.

Anyway,a soft brush will solve all!

 

 

Gianni

[Aigore]

Looking great, Gianni :D

[kurnass77]

On 12/3/2017 at 9:09 PM, Aigore said:

Looking great, Gianni :D

Thanks my friend!

I added the weapons and some small parts ( AOA probe,Antennas,acces step,ecc...) ,the airbrake is now on place but I need to add the PE details to the canopy frames.

I hope to show some pics ASAP.

 

 

Gianni

Edited March 15, 2017 by kurnass77

[ChernayaAkula]

Love the way this is coming together!

[kurnass77]

Thanks mate,glade you like it!

 

Gianni

[kurnass77]

Good night all guys,

a little update for the Harrier.

Find free tima lately is very hard,but I managed to so some work.

First I repaint the model turtleback,as by pics this area was in the same color of the sorrounding camo.

 

 

 

All the weapons in place;of this step the harder part was glue all the Brassin Winder part and glue the small string ( in stretched sprue) between the missile' fin and seeker head cover.

I also added the RBF flags,PE from CMK for the Aim-9 and in painted thin plasticard for the Rockeyes-

 

 

 

Subsequently,I glued all the small PE/scratched parts as antennas,canopy hook,boarding steps,ecc..principally around the forward fuselage and the spine and the two anticollision beacons on the spine and forward of the the speedbrakes ( sorry for the overexsposed picture,but in the last times my camera is no so friendly!.

 

 

So now the build look this way

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So,all I need to do now is to glue the PE mirrors and handgrip in the canopy bow frame,so stay tuned for the final act!

 

 

Like always thanks for looking,

 

Gianni

[TMReich]

Gianni, That is looking really good.

[ChippyWho]

Superlative! And all in 1/72 -a real masterpiece.

[kurnass77]

Thanks both guys;

despite some shortcomings from the kit and from my skill,at least I'll finish with a decent modl,but there're still some aspect of the build which left me not totally glad...maybe my other two AV-8 will be better!

 

 

Gianni

[christosxt]

Very nice job my friend! what colors did you use for the camo?

 

[kurnass77]

Thanks mate!

The color:I started following the Hasegawa suggestion of Gunze H-307 for the light grey and H-337 for the dark grey,BUT,but,the dark grey don't match well the grey visible on the pics of the VMA-331 in ODS.

In fact,the color was more blueish and in the words of pilots which deployed in the Gulf at the time,the Marines mixed some FS 36320 ( H-307) and black to obtain the darker tone.

But also in this way the color wasn't blue enough;so I reverted to the Tamiya XF-23 and hit randomly the dark grey,as I used this trick for the same problem in my Australian Hornet with success.

The color look slightly better,but still don't match the real one.

The close call to success I experimented in this build was when I made some touch-up for the various wheels well doors;here,to save time ,I mixed ( but I think will be the same with Gunze or any other producer) Vallejo color 995,some drops of black and a little bit of blue.

You can see the result in the previous post,on the outrigger scratched doors.

[christosxt]

On 29/3/2017 at 9:56 PM, kurnass77 said:

Thanks mate!

The color:I started following the Hasegawa suggestion of Gunze H-307 for the light grey and H-337 for the dark grey,BUT,but,the dark grey don't match well the grey visible on the pics of the VMA-331 in ODS.

In fact,the color was more blueish and in the words of pilots which deployed in the Gulf at the time,the Marines mixed some FS 36320 ( H-307) and black to obtain the darker tone.

But also in this way the color wasn't blue enough;so I reverted to the Tamiya XF-23 and hit randomly the dark grey,as I used this trick for the same problem in my Australian Hornet with success.

The color look slightly better,but still don't match the real one.

The close call to success I experimented in this build was when I made some touch-up for the various wheels well doors;here,to save time ,I mixed ( but I think will be the same with Gunze or any other producer) Vallejo color 995,some drops of black and a little bit of blue.

You can see the result in the previous post,on the outrigger scratched doors.

thanx a lot mate! Keep up the nice work!

[Major Walt]

Beautiful job my friend!!

[Major Walt]

Holy heads!!😳😳. Looking at your construction post I just found out that this is 1/72nd scale!  I was thinking it was 1/32nd! Truly outstanding work! You are an artist!!!

[Silenoz]

nice bird... on to the last details...

[kurnass77]

Thanks a lot guys for your appreciation!

I'll try to finish the bird this week-end,stay tuned.

 

 

Gianni

[Thommo]

Love it

[kurnass77]

Thanks mate!

[kurnass77]

Good day all guys.

Finally,I call this build done!

In reality I will/need re-glue better the canopy as I noted the error after check on the PC the pics,but this a very hard time for me,so better pics( and canopy) ASAP.

For now look at these pics and thanks all for stop by.

 

 

 

 

Some close-up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gianni

[achterkirch]

Good looking harrier Youbhave there Gianni!

[gb_madcat_sl]

Outstanding work here! I thought it was a 1/48 or 1/32 build until I read the title.

 

Mark

[John Wolstenholme]

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