Eduard 1/48 Harrier GR.9

[Peterpools]

Eduard 1/48 Harrier GR.7/9

Limited Edition

Harrier GR.7 ZD 464/54, 20 (R) Squadron

RAF RAF Wittering Air base, 2002

 

For the most part I'm a large scale builder but starting working in 48th scale as a change of pace for a variety of reasons: subject, time and space. So before tackling my next 32^nd scale subject, I've wanted to add Harrier to the collection and with the Eduard kit in the stash, it was a no brainer.

I normally start build threads with the customary photos and what ever AM will be added. For the Harrier, I just dove in and didn't take any photographs until the fuselage was assembled, as I wasn't really sure I was actually going to do a build thread. My apologies for being so indecisive.

The value of the Eduard Edition as compared the Hasegawa kit, which is the backbone of this edition is all the PE, some resin and beautiful Cartograf decals included to bring the kit closer to today's kits. When it comes to the actual plastic: Hasegawa's is my favorite! Please excuse the photography as I'm not use to photographing kits smaller then 32nd scale. .

As per the instructions, all the raised details for the front office were removed and everything was replaced with Eduard's color PE. The IP was done with Micro Krystal Kleer instead of CCA as the rest of the office PE. The ejection seat is the resin replaced version, with some PE for the belts and placard: quite nice indeed. The seat was dry brushed with Apple Barrel Dove Gray Acrylic paint I've had for close to 30 years and does the job so very well.

Assembly to this point has been straight forward with the fit pretty good with only a bit of sanding and filler needed. Being a newbie to the Harrier, some of the part placement was a bit strange and a lot of external PE will be added just before priming, as I know I'll knock off most of it if added sooner.

The giant air intake and compressor fan was a very delicate fit and took a few tries to get it right and required removing the 'glued in fan assembly ducting' twice a tricky bit of work.

Paints used to this point:

The front Office: Mr Color Flat Black

Ejection seat and cushions: hand mixed Model Air colors to period photos

Intake ducting and compressor blade:

Primer: AK Gray Primer and Micro Filler Primer

Mr Color Gloss White

The intake gloss white is perfectly smooth with no need for any clear gloss or polishing.

The main fuselage was a strange assembly and needed a bit of tweaking. The tail assembly was also a lot of small parts, allowing for different Harrier versions to be offered and needed some sanding to get the fit right. At this point, I replaced all the panel lines that were lost sanding the seams smooth. The upper wing and LEX is just resting in place and needs to be tweaked a bit. The entire front portion of the harrier is also just resting in places for the photos and then I'll do the final glue ups tomorrow.

Next up:

Adding the wings, tail planes and starting the gear.

Thanks for checking in

Peter

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnB]

Gonna be a beauty Peter!

[Peterpools]

Thanks John

So far a fun and relaxing build

Peter

 

[GusMac]

Looks good. Love the lurid green seat cushion.

[harv]

Looking good buddy, but small....Harv

[Peterpools]

Gus

I know the cushion looks way too livid green; just doesn't look that intense in personal but you're right, still a tad on the bright side.. Way too may watts with the lights when photographing the interior as I wasn't sure how much light I would need without bumping up the exposure and shadows in Lightroom/Photoshop. Sure found out. I also went back and toned it down with Tamiya dark gray panel line wash (a mix)- does look a lot better.

Much appreciated for making me take another look

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks Harv

No t really as I do like to work in 48th scale as well. Next up after the Harrier is the Big tamiya F4J with a lot of AM and some mighty nice markings

Peter

[Bomber_County]

Peter, this looks beautiful as per usual. Cottesmore is probably 15 miles if that down the road. So probably saw this baby go past.......

 

Phil.

[Peterpools]

Phil

Much appreciated. Changed my scheme a bit to a GR.7 ZD 464/54,20 (R) Squadron, RAF Wittering Air base, 2002.

Peter

[Peterpools]

UPDATE: 8/5/18: ALMOST READY FOR PRIMING

As I am almost ready to hit the priming stage, I completed the major assemblies and started to add a number of the PE parts and small plastic details that would be a pain after painting to add. As careful as I could be, after numerous test fitting parts and assemblies, I've encountered some nasty fit issue., I'm not sure why and I'm sure somewhere I was off a bit, after also tweaking everything until it looked right. The three piece wing assembly, the LEX and the cockpit turtle deck, fit issues galore. Parts just didn't fit and after a lot of muscle, still required a lot of trimming to fit and that was going to now throw some other assemblies out of wack a bit later on.

The forward leading intakes assemblies with the blow-in doors were also off a bit and somehow I had the feeling the troubles started with the main intake fuselage duct and compressor blade assembly and how the assembly went in. I removed it twice, working the fit the best I could at at that stage,as it did look correct. Just seems there weren't enough positive location points and just the slightest of errors and presto zingo: there is trouble in paradise! Next, the forward fuselage assemblies was a struggle to fit and that could only be from intake assembly also slightly off.

The refueling boom assembly was a nightmare – the fit was horrendous and I used what seemed like a pound of Milliput to fill in the gaps, that you could have sailed a battleship through.

With a lot of sanding, filling, sanding and scribing, I have everything together and looking correct; fingers crossed. The glass is just strating to be fitmin various places but I'm getting there.

A small rant is now in order: for what the kit cost, I can't find fault with Hasegawa as it's not a new kit but I certainly can with Eduard. I don't know how clear or accurate Hasegawa;s instructions were but Eduard's leave a lot to be desired. Where parts go at times is a guess and flip the Harrier over and the stores are a mess of uncertainty. I'm sure a combination of of stores can be set up, but how about a loadout diagram to help us poor Yanks unfamiliar with RAF Harriers and stores? I have found some of the PE pieces are a bit to thin to represent the part they are replacing (some antennas but not all).

At this pint, I had only one run in with the carpet monster and needed to scratch out a few vents I lost.

I also decided to add the four outer wing pylons now and will add the balance after painting and decaling.

Next up:

Finishing all the glass, wind screen and canopy, then final clean up and it's priming time.

Thanks for checking in

Peter

[DocRob]

This one is nicely progressing, Peter. I always thought building the Harrier would be a walk in the park and am surprised that it is not. Seems to be the Hasegawa tag, what let me think "shake and bake". You marveled all These obstacles and the Harrier is looking the thing. Can't wait to see it painted.

Cheers Rob

[Peterpools]

Thanks Rob, much appreciated.

Many years since I built a Hasegawa kit and back in the day, fit issues were common and psrt of any build. I guess, over the years lots of the finer points are forgotten. Still a nice kit but I do think Eduard should have done a better job with the instructions pointing out the correct way certain assemblies need to be done. The drawings are vague and that’s part of the problem. Can’t blame Hasegawa as they did their job years ago but when you add to a kit, bump up the price quite a lot, a bit more care with the instructions would have been nice

Peter

[Peterpools]

UPDATE: 8/12/18: PRIMING AND AIR BRUSHING – DONE

 

It's been a busy week and lots of bench time.

First up, the windshield needed the moldline removed, polished and then the Eduard mask set added. Easy and went on well but it only covers the outside circumference and additional Tamiya tape is needed to complete the job.

The glass nose tip was painted on the interior surface, glued in place with CCA, sanded and polished. Of course being so small and my clumsy hands in no way could mask it with tape, for the very first time I tried  Mr Masking Sol Neo and I'm hoping I did it right. Of course, there will be no way to know until the very end of the build .. oh what joy!

The intakes were masked and it was time to move the Harrier into the paint booth.

Priming: The Harrier was primed with Mr Surfacer 1200, thinned with Mr Color Leveling Thinner and Mr Color Color Retarder to insure the primer went down level and super smooth. Somewhere during priming I decided to change paint schemes and went with Harrier ZD 464/54, 20 (R) Squadron, RAF Wittering Air Base, 2002 with a gloss blue tail. 2/3 of the way through painting and with the gloss blue tail also done, I changed my mind again and went back to my original build plan, which required scrapping the painting scheme I just nearly finished and back to square one.

The tail was painted Mr Color 316: FS17875 Gloss White and then to my astonishment, I didn't have Mr Color 335 – Medium Sea Gray in the paint stash for the fuselage. Nothing much to do but switch gears and I pulled out the correct MRP Medium Sea Gray. Even though both paints are lacquers, I shoot them quite differently, so I had to keep the old brain focused a bit more then usual.

All was going well and my first BIG mistake hit me smack dab between the eyes: following the instruction's build sequence, I had installed 4 of the 8 pylons and now painting the yellow/green leading edges turning from what would have been a simple and easy walk in the park, into a nightmare.

First up, I didn't have the correct color but was able to make a the mix using MRP paints. Masking the upper surfaces was snap and went very quickly but masking around the leading edges and between the pylons was a tough go. Finally after what seemed like hours of masking I was ready to shoot some paint.

Second BIG mistake: Wait, not quite yet: The rear stabilizers needed to have the leading edges masked as well. Holy smokes – why in earth did I again follow the instructions and install them before painting? Now another simple masking job turned into a few more unnecessary work.

Finally the air brushing was done and no problems to report.

Wait, another easy masking job still needed to be done: the tail cone – now masked and painted Dark Green as per the instructions.

The shadow line on the leading edges is a photographic shadow line from how I positioned the lights. I tripled checked and there is no seam line on the model: whew!

Next up:

Gloss and decals, the gear and wheel wells (?) and start the loadouts.

Thanks for checking in

 

 

 

[JeroenPeters]

Lovely!

Currently building a 1/48 Wimpy myself and kinda like the change from 1/32 for once.

Following this.

[Bomber_County]

Looking really good Peter.

Have just finished my re-organisation of my garage. Can now permanently install the spray booth. Only trouble vacation time over and back to the grind stone........

I must have five projects to spray up and finish........

 

Phil

[Peterpools]

Jereon

Very much appreciated and nothing like a change of pace to keep the juices flowing.

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks Phil

Glad you have your garage re-organization done and next on the list is to install the spray booth. Everything takes time and when it's ready to roll and tims allows, you will be set to hit the booth and bench at full throttle

Peter

 

[JohnB]

Sure is looking good Peter!

[Peterpools]

Thanks John

To my mental lapse, I didn't realize I had installed the chaff and flare Spenser backwards and needed to cut it out with a micro saw and flip it around. Of course, it was now a tough job as I couldn't use the glue tabs and needed to do a bit of additional surgery. It's back on now and I'm working on cleaning up the mess and carefully applying some Greenstuff to further clean up the seams.

never seems to amaze me, when I think things are rolling along: Murphy shows up.

Peter

[JohnB]

I hear that Peter! It never fails. LOL

[MARU 5137]

Peter...

 

Well that takes every biscuit in the cookie jar. 

WOW !!!

Its nice to see you working in 1:48 scale and your Harrier  is turning out to be one  classy  build.. 

 

[Peterpools]

John

Seems to be my specialty these days but all fixed, gloss on and decal work is under way.

Peter

[Peterpools]

Maru, So very much appreciated

Fanstastic to  se you posting on LSM and it's surely starting to feel like the Old Gang again and happy days ahead.

Making some progress and hoping to finish up the Harrier in a few weeks as I have a number of 32nd scale projects piling up and ready to go.

Peter

[Peterpools]

UPDATE: 8/18/18: DECALING IS UNDERWAY

Always pushing to make progress and of course; I made blunder number four in my zeal and I didn't even realize that I had the chaff and flare dispenser installed backwards until after I air brushed on the MRP medium Sea Gray.! What a boob I am!!

Normally when using Tamiya Extra Thin, parts can be popped off without much trouble and of course in this case it wouldn't, as the part is held in place with a plug that was very well secured with a boatload of Extra Thin. My only recourse was to cut the part off with a micro saw, sand and clean up the mess, then install the part correctly. When dry it required three healthy applications of Squadron Green Putty to blend everything in, priming with Mr Surfacer 1200 and then a few light layers of MRP paint. All told a good amount of unnecessary of work if I hand my thinking hat on.

The Harrier was glossed with Mr Color Clear Gloss thinned with Mr Color Leveling Thinner plus some Mr Color Retarder: smooth, hard as nails and ready to go.

While I'm only at the beginning of the decal stage, I thought a quick update would keep things flowing as to where I am and break up the building sequence a bit.

Decals are by Cartograf and on their end, no problems. It was a bit of a pain to get the tail decal to lay down over the leading edge but so far, so good with a fair am amount of Micro Set and Sol. I'm sure I'll need a bit of touch up to blend the two sides together where they touch on the leading edge and that the right hand side decal work, starts tomorrow.

As decal work continues, I am finding a rather strange pattern: Eduard's decal and placement diagrams laid over some very nicely done scale drawing are showing a few short-comings with the kit:

Some panels and panels lines are missing or not in the correct place

The lower blowout doors have not been molded or even depicted with recessed panel lines. Either Eduard should have correct the kit or corrected the decal placement guide. Not a biggie but still a bit of a let down.

Next up:

More decaling and finishing up the canopy.

Thanks for checking in

Peter

The caff and flare repair - done and in the books

[JohnB]

Sure looking good Peter!