Airfix Harriers - jssel, AndrewR, fredk, Maverick321, Sir T

[Ian]

Have you thought about using paint stripper or brake fluid just brushed onto the areas you want stripping? That way the bits you are happy with should survive. Sounds like it should work.
Famous last words......

[Stuart]

Can you do that? Well try that then as I'm happy with the undersides and around the nose, it's the top of the wings and fuse where I've lost all the detail.

Funny really I was just wondering about cleaning out the panel lines with a pin. I'm going to have a fiddle with it over the weekend to see what I can do.


Thanks Ian

[Ian]

Can you do that?

I have no idea. Is it worth a try?

[Stuart]

Can you do that?

I have no idea. Is it worth a try?

I'd say so - need to get some brake fluid or paint stripper...

[AndrewR]

Can you do that?

I have no idea. Is it worth a try?

Make sure you use an old paint brush, which is then only used for that purpose!

[AndrewR]

Hi Andrew,

We had the same problem, damn salesmen!!

Your GR.5 is looking good, I do like that scheme!

If I've gone quiet a bit lately its because I'm having trouble again with the painting - I just can't get the colours right & I Just don't agree with Airfix's call outs. I've repainted the kit 3 times, and in places in different colors to get some thing I'm happy with - unfortuently the kit now looks like a patchwork quilt!! However I'm pretty certain now the Dark Grey on the uppers should be HUM 106 Ocean Grey, NOT Dark Sea Grey 164. And Humbrols light Aircraft Grey 166 looks brown IMHO so I've gone for either 64 or med sea grey 165. I'm alosos sure that you can't beat hum 30 for the Green - this is all my opinion of course. However if you build a lot of RAF aircraft you'll notice that on both the WWII and post war Day fighhter scheme (DARG GREEN/DARK GREY/ LIGHT GREY) Airfix keep changing their minds on the call outs - so even they're not sure.

The upshot of all this rambling is, although I now finally have paint colours I'm happy with, the kits a mess! I'can't strip it as I'll lose the painting on the fan blades, and if I just rub down and re-paint, I've still lost the really nice detail on the panel lines - aggrhhh!!!!

Basically I think I'll just can the build and buy another kit - or at least thats what I think at present - for once I miss MB's trenching tool panel lines on their GR.1, at least I could get away with re-painting that one five times! - just a shame I dropped it

So we'll see - and for anyone reading this - get the New tool Harrier GR.1 from Airfix, it's a really super kit but just watch out for the colour call outs - test paint and make your own decision!

(perhaps it's time I looked into getting an Airbrush?)

Regards

Stuart

I mostly mix my own colours from whatever Vallejo paints I have around. Any paint range only has approximate colours to the ones on the real thing, so I prefer something that looks okay to my eyes. The Vallejo drop bottles are very good for mixing, because you can measure dropwise.
I have a little plastic palette for mixing brush paint and mix directly in the airbrush cup.

I'd suggest just moving on from the colour issue and finish the build, and on the next kit, try a different colour and ignore the callouts on the box - they are someone else's interpretation of the closest colour from a limited choice from a paint range!

Cheers

Andrew

[Stuart]

Can you do that?

I have no idea. Is it worth a try?

Make sure you use an old paint brush, which is then only used for that purpose!

Will do - I wonder if bleech would work as a stripper?

[AndrewR]

Can you do that?

I have no idea. Is it worth a try?

Make sure you use an old paint brush, which is then only used for that purpose!

Will do - I wonder if bleech would work as a stripper?

There's a good chance it will, but I'd use the thickened kind, otherwise it'll run all over the place with dire consequences. An ovenpad cleaner would also do the trick. Make sure you rinse the model thoroughly after you've stripped the paint!

[IronMan129]

Ok fellas the Harrier project has started rolling!
Im affraid its going to be a quick build as my Farther Inlaw's birthday is less than a week away and iv only just had time to start.
She will be painted into the White and Grey Camo scheme that the GR.3 was painted in when 1 Squadron were posted to Norway.
Im still not 100% sure on the weapons load out yet but im thinking maybe 2 underwing drop tanks, 2 rocket pods, a dumb bomb on the centre pilon and 2 gun pods on the underside of the fuselarge.
Also I just wanted to say nice work on your Harriers fellas!
I cant help but think though that mine wont fit in as it wont even come close to the standered of the rest of them!
Pics will be uploaded later via flickr.

[Stuart]

@Andrew, Sorry I missed your earlier post - Yes I agree, I will largely ignoring call outs from now on and going by eye.

My Harriers currently sitting in a box in my garrage covered in bleach - hopefully something will come off or its out to buy some brake fluid.

Onwards and upwards :-)

Regards

Stuart

[AndrewR]

And here we have the blue Harrier getting those pylons painted dark blue



and the big underwing tanks for the green Harrier getting a Lichen Green stripe around the middle.



Unfortunately, I've put the front cockpit canopy from the blue Harrier down somewhere and can't find it.
Anyhow things will press on while I source a replacement from somewhere!

cheers

Andrew

[jssel]

Love those green Harriers. Back in a time that was very dramatic in Continental Europe.

[Stuart]

Very nice Andrew - but how have you managed to lose ANOTHER canopy?

[AndrewR]

Very nice Andrew - but how have you managed to lose ANOTHER canopy?

Because I am utterly disorganised at the moment..
I'm sure it will turn up again.

[AndrewR]

...And it did turn up, because I put it in a safe place, which I forgot about





The big drop tanks and the side rigger wheels are on the Green Harrier:



cheers

Andrew