The research you've done for the little details is wonderful.

Cheers Dart. Researching for models is one of the many aspects I enjoy.

I've finished the armament. Here are Eduard's AIM-9Ls. Vastly superior to the kit parts, with super fine fins and amazing decals. If I remember correctly these were supplied to the UK by the USA in something of a hurry, and were the first Ls (and the first all aspect IR missiles) the RAF and FAA had. They would prove decisive in the air war, and contribute enormously to Sea Harrier's 27 - 0 score in air to air.




I've also completed the upgrade to the outrigger wheels. The wheels are moulded in to the 'fork' in one piece, which doesn't look too bad, but replacement wheels come with the main wheels set, so I didn't want to waste them. I've made a replacement fork from brass sheet, and a copper wire leg and axle.











They're not fixed in yet, and will help solve a problem I've seen on lots of Harrier models - all five wheels not touching the floor. I'll get the three main wheels touching, then fit the outriggers. They can be fixed at whatever length makes sure they touch the 'ground'.

Thanks for looking in again,
Gareth

Hi again, All,

The Sea Harrier is progressing nicely.

I have finished the nose wheel




These are the hot exhaust nozzles, always prone to a little surface rust, especially when operating from a carrier deck at sea. This will look more subtle when installed under the wing, just enough to catch the eye. The front nozzles, which vector the 'cold' bypass air, are painted the same as the airframe colour so will be Extra Dark Sea Grey when I get to that point.




Two vents added to the rear of the cockpit.




This is the pre-shade, which will show through the main colour to give some tonal variation. (The semi-gloss ring behind the radome is on, ready for the NATO Black radome, then the main colour.)




Cheers,
Gareth

Oh, damn, you gotta be sh*tting me:

What's the brand of the sponge you used to cover the vents? I tried to use cotton balls on my Dragonfly model but it led to small leakage into the spaces.

Hi DaBBQ - the foam is simply the stuff that comes in the packaging of Eduard addons. One good thing about being an aftermarket junkie is there's always some around. (It does need the edges sealing with something like Humbrol Maskol sometimes.)

Here it is drying in the (very busy) spraybooth. (The pylons, tanks and other parts are resting on the extractor hood as well)





A closer view, with a filter to try and show the variation of the EDSG due to the preshading.




The gun pods make a handy stand, and will be completed when I can turn it over. I love Xtracolour, but it takes ages to dry!

I'd love to see a size comparison for that thing. Prolly smaller than my thumb nail?

Hi Colonel, it's about 25mm from bottom of the flat to the top of the leg.

Okay, that's not as quite as small as I expected, but still it's an unbelievable amount of detail in such a piece.

That front gear is simply wonderful. Well done, sir.

Lots of progress. I forgot that I enhanced the fuel dump drains that are on the trailing edge of the wing, between the aileron and flap. Kinetic have included it, but it's not well done.



I've chopped them out (would have been easier if I'd decided to do this before attaching the flaps and ailerons!) and replaced with some brass tube. You'll have to take my word for it that they are nicely smoothed in.





I've finished the decals today, other than a couple of touch ups around the auxiliary inlet doors and leading edges of the fin.

Important notes!




The decals are Cartograph produced and work well with the setting solutions I use.

Crap photo, but at least you can see the fuel dumps.




There's four decals for the roundel to facilitate covering the auxiliary doors. They fit very precisely and I found it much easier if all the carrier film was trimmed off the edges.





Some touch ups needed around the back of the 'no step' stripes at the back too. Best to let the decals set hard before weathering.




Cheers,
Gareth

Is it really shiny or just in the pictures?

It’s really shiny! Decals take much better to a gloss finish, without slivering, and the washes I use for the panel lines will stain a Matt surface. FAA aircraft at this time wore a gloss finish, but I’ll tone it down to at least a satin surface. (If a finish is not a perfect, flawless gloss it looks out of scale to my eye, and I can’t spray a perfect, flawless gloss finish!)

So...when you tone it down you will spray over the decals also?

Perfect gloss is hard in large scale, never mind the models you do. It requires lots of buffing etc I believe.

Do carry on, just adding my unsolicited .02.

sweet

Getting close to the finish now. Two overall views before I put the last few parts in place.

Holy moley, that's grand!

Yowza ! Terrific. I am impressed.

Very nice!

The flat/matte spray really makes a difference. Back when I built models many years ago I was shocked how much better my models looked when I applied decals over a slick finish then cover it all with a matte finish, it's (almost) as if the emblems were painted on. It's those little things (flattening the contact area of the tire is another) that make the difference.

Hi All,
Some pics of the complete Sea Harrier. Really pleased with this one, despite a couple of inaccuracies I couldn't correct. I also dropped the model, breaking the windshield off. I managed to get it back on without it being too obvious. Despite my best intentions the wheels don't quite touch correctly (turns out my cutting mat is not perfectly flat!) which I will correct in due course. I've at least two more to build, plus the GR.3s when they are (hopefully) released.

















































As always, thanks for following along with the WIP, always encouraging when things aren't quite going to plan!