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What would you like to see on a Harrier "Early Years" set?  Markings for the prototype AV-8B perhaps, and even for the Kestrels for those brave enough to try it in 1/48?? Are there any early/prototype markings for both UK and US that you would like to see?

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NASA used one of the early Kestrels. I photograped it at an outside aircraft park by Langley AFB circa early 90s. Later it was moved indoors to the Hampton Roads Aviation Museum in Hampton. 

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What would be the best way to put  together a YAV-8B though?  Kitbashing both Monogram kits together? Transplanting the Monogram AV-8A/C nose to the Hasegawa kit??

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I'm not sure that the nose shape was all that different than production airframes. The AV-8A nose was much smaller and pointed.

 

https://www.planespotters.net/photo/1502267/163197-united-states-marine-corps-mcdonnell-douglas-av-8b-harrier-ii

 

The prototype scheme is a very attractive paint job, and one I would love to build. Some of the schemes for 161398 are very interesting too.

Edited by skyhawk524
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Somewhere I have a stack of McAir 8x10 lithos of the YAV-8Bs. I worked on the first B flight sim at Cherry Point back In the early 80s.  

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1 minute ago, habu2 said:

Somewhere I have a stack of McAir 8x10 lithos of the YAV-8Bs. I worked on the first B flight sim at Cherry Point back In the early 80s.  

I think I may have some of those McAir photos as well...I'll look for them.

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There’s never been an Early Years Caracal sheet I missed buying in every scale.  Not starting now.

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A kit bash would definitely be needed to do the first prototype.   I'm not sure of all of the differences, but I know the 'B' wing was mounted to an 'A' fuselage (or maybe a full 'B' fuselage and wing with only the 'A' nose/cockpit).  The camo bird was one of the early full 'B' birds.  The red, white, and blue photos are from Oct 1978 and the camo from Oct 1981.

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Edited by fasteagle12
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There is already a 1:48 YAV-8B and Kestrel sheet available (somewhere in Northern Europe where they take care of baby seals 😉 ) but I’ m definitely in for a treatment the Caracal way. 
It’s my next cross-kitting on the list (Kinetic AV-8A x Hasegawa AV-8B)!

There were slight marking evolutions during the life of both YAV-8Bs (one of the two being very short lived indeed), not to forget the final NASA guise. Along with some colorful FSD jets, it would make for a perfect Early Years sheet!

 

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Edited by The Arrowhead
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On 6/17/2025 at 4:13 AM, KursadA said:

What would be the best way to put  together a YAV-8B though?  Kitbashing both Monogram kits together? Transplanting the Monogram AV-8A/C nose to the Hasegawa kit??

You basically have to graft the wing, upper engine cowling and intakes + front nozzles of a B to an A, stil keeping the A’s overall lenght. The tricky parts are the joints between the B intakes and A fuse, and the wing trailing edge root fairings. Also need to double the additional intake louvers (very tricky), fill the belly airbrake, and add the nose instrument probe. Plus many, many small details.

Edited by The Arrowhead
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The Original Italeri AV-8B provides the double row auxiliary intakes, married to their reboxing of the ESCI GR.1 this would be quite easy.

So why not release this sheet in both 1/72 and 1/48?

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