Resurrected: Unfinished 'Supersonic Harrier' kit conversion, ~20 years old...

Dizzyfugu · August 27, 2012, 02:30:04 AM

A blast from the past! Recently found THIS in the basement, between the stock piles of unstarted kits and model ruins from my youth which are frequently salvaged for spare parts: an almost complete kitbashing of a Sea Harrier (Matchbox) in 1:72.

It was supposed to be some kind of supersonic version (hence the additional exhaust under the tail - an engine piece from a Kangnam Yak-38!) and with a bigger payload. So it received bigger gull wings (from a Matchbox Saab J29 - they fit disturbingly well!) and a T-tail fin (from a Mirage III, stabilizers from an 1:100 A-6 and an ACMI pod).
The main landing gear wheel under the belly had to go, since there's no internal space left over, the new and rather small main wheels (twin-wheeled, but broken and gone) will retract into wing navelles (drop tanks from a 1:100 F-4, IIRC).

A new nose came probably from a 1:72 Matchbox Buccaneer. Unfortunately, the rotating Pegasus nozzles are missing, I'lll have to improvise that. But apart from that and a new undercarriage, the thing is pretty complete, though dusty and whithered.

Looks wacky, and has no intention to be dogmatically realistic - but it's a supersonic Harrier

I think I'll try to finish this thing soon - it has been collecting dust for maybe 20 years...

My current plan is to make it an FAA aircraft, in all-over mid sea grey and with toned-down markings, or in a RAF interceptor livery (Tornado F.3-like)? Other ideas and inspirations welcome!

Resurrected: Unfinished 'supersonic Harrier' kit conversion, 20+ years old by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

kerick · August 27, 2012, 07:10:01 AM

Looks cool! I recommend adding the belly strakes from the late model Harriers. Cut from plastic sheet and you're there. Maybe the LEX too. Some late model Sea Harrier markings would be my first thought.

PR19_Kit · August 27, 2012, 07:36:37 AM

Neat idea about the landing gear location Thomas, perhaps inspired by the XFV-12?

Looking forward to seeing the finished article.

Dizzyfugu · August 27, 2012, 07:46:00 AM

Thank you. Yes, it will look a bit like the XFV-12. When it was still complete, this thing had small double wheels on all of its three landing gear struts, and I want to re-build it this way.

It certainly needs something under the belly, despite the strakes (come from a F-104S from ESCI) at the rear end. I think I have a Harrier double-seater somewhere as a donation kit, which is also a potential source for new engine nozzles. I think it also contains material for "below", be it strakes or a gun pod, not certain.

I tend towards and air superiority livery, since it si supposed to be a supersonic evulotion. Maybe a "Sea Harrier F.3"? Adding some Sidewinders would be plausible, I think I even have some Sparrows/Sky Flash in store and ECM pods from a Tornado. A simple lichen-green RAF version would also look cool, though? Really torn between various directions...

Nothing definitive at the moment, but at least the model has been brought back to daylight.

kerick · August 27, 2012, 03:43:03 PM

Unlike the computer graphic models we just can't go around switching the colors back and forth. I know you will think of something!

Captain Canada · February 08, 2014, 10:39:03 AM

That's wicked ! Anymore resurrecting going on or did you forget about it ?

nighthunter · February 09, 2014, 11:10:41 AM

Looks Soviet, honestly. Still, begs the question, did this ever get finished?

Dizzyfugu · February 16, 2014, 02:43:27 AM

Not yet, as many ideas and projects...

It still rests in pieces in a dark corner of my "display room". With the huge pile of other kits and projects, it will certainly not make progress soon, as there are some difficult issues to solve, like a blind canopy and some other missing parts. But it won't turn Soviet, I think - my idea was to give it RAF colors, either a Harrier GR.7 outfith (simple NATO/Lichen Green), or a low-viz air superiority scheme. Might change with time, though...