James revisits a Sea Harrier

[PaulBradley]

Most welcome, James! That's a nice photo, showing the unusual position of the code number.

Don't forget to tuck a small piece of paper by the port-side windscreen, James - looks like the pilot has put his map or checklist there.

[fredk]

Note too that the Aden gun pods are green, having been borrowed from the RAF
What can't really be seen is that the EDSG is lighter where it was painted over the white, and the panel around the starboard nose camera window is in Medium Sea Grey

[JamesPerrin]

They are already green as I had to prise them off my daughter GR3

[splash]

I had to prise them off my daughter GR3

That's just cruel, does anyone have the number for child line?

[iggie]

I had to prise them off my daughter GR3

That's just cruel, does anyone have the number for child line?

Strange name for a daughter mind you......

Do you think there are GR1 & GR2 as well?

[JamesPerrin]

Work is progressing nicely. The fuselage has bee closed, filled and sanded after painting of the cockpit and seat to add some missing detail.



I've started adding surface details, starting with the tails vent and vectoring openings were drilled/carved in the plastic



After adding the wings (and fill/sand) I will add the details to the upper/lower fuselage. The wings have and some work too but are not finished yet.

[JamesPerrin]

...and here are the wings. I've chiselled the vectoring openings above and below the wing. Fuel dump pipes have been added from brass tube between the control surfaces. I've since added the raised outrigger landing gear. The housings were unnourished and were beefed up with 5thou plastic card. Shims were also added to the recesses in the wings to provide a more positive location.

[PaulBradley]

Nice photo of the WWI trench system, James.

[IronMan129]

Nice work James.
Its nice to see a few more are also building this kit for this GB.

[iggie]

That's some great attention to detail!

[JamesPerrin]

Ta. Forgot to mention, as I cropped them out of the picture, that I also straightened up the dogtooths as they were at 45degs to the direction of flight!

[JamesPerrin]

I've spent a happy couple of hours just working on weapon pylons. The sway braces have significant fairings long the lower edge of the pylons which are missing from the otherwise accurate parts. After consider several methods I decided to make the fairings as single pieces as this would make them easier to handle and to produce to a consistent size and shape. A strip of card was simply sanded to the right shape.



I then marked the depth of the pieces on the pylons and carved/sanded away the excess until I had snug fit. Once these were dry I filed the slots where the sway braces sit (no I'm not going to add them I don't have AMS honest)



The outer hardpoints are missing the launch rail and adaptor for the sidewinders, one was adapted from the parts robbed from the Bucc and the other was made from scratch.

The rest of the airframe is now together. I made a cardboard template of the wing dihedral by simple tracing it from some plans. The tail appears to have the degree of droop. Tape was used to control to placement of Tamiya filler on the upper surface, below I used perfect putty as the area is almost impossible to sand so excess was wiped away while wet. I don't rate Peferct Putty for sanding far too soft/chalky but is useful in areas such as these.

[fredk]

Lots of improvements going on here
Great work too

[JamesPerrin]

Cheers Fred. I've cracked on tonight with scribing the details I wish to add. I got to try out my new Trumpeter scriber. Though a sewing needle in a pin-vice is still the most controllable it does not actual removed much plastic, just ploughs a groove. I found tonight a combination of the two was best. The pin makes the initial mark which the Trumpy scriber can then follow and not wonder off on it's own. Here I'm finishing marking out a new airbrake replacing the inaccurate and raised kit detail. I used vinyl tape which is great as long as you are careful not to stretch it as then straight lines can become curves.



I finished off the airbrake with some strakes made from thick foil. I also scribed the main gear doors, a couple of large grilled vents on the spine and all the blown in doors.

[PaulBradley]

Nice!