G-VTOL?

[Thorvic]

Afraid not, but thanks anyway.

AFAIK none of the Harrier kits, and I've got most of them even though I've only ever built one (!), have the larger size tanks, but most them have the standard 100 gallon ones.

Luckily the original Airfix kit has the extended ferry tips. 

The Airfix Sea Harrier FA2 has the 190 ltr tanks and the old GR3 kit had larger ferry tanks although never sure if they were fact or fiction

[kitnut617]

Afraid not, but thanks anyway.

AFAIK none of the Harrier kits, and I've got most of them even though I've only ever built one (!), have the larger size tanks, but most them have the standard 100 gallon ones.

Luckily the original Airfix kit has the extended ferry tips.  

Or you could use the Heller Bobkit T.2/4 which has the ferry tips already moulded in.

Out of interest, large Hunter tank under Harrier T.2 wing

[Captain Canada]

Was there ever any talk of making conformal type tanks from the gun pods ? Seems to me it would be fairly straight forward. And what about the centerline pylon ? Wasn't it plumbed for fuel ? Before you laugh at me, even tho I'm a huge Harrier fan, today was the first time I've heard of fuel tanks on the outboard pylons !

[PR19_Kit]

190 litres? That's only 50 gallons, I'm not sure I've seen tanks that small on a Harrier. I'll have to check that older GR3 kit, it's been some years since I've run across it. 

And I have two of the Bobcat kits as well, I'd forgotten that had the ferry tips. I rather like the look of the Hunter tanks as well, they can't be far off the right size, looking at the top view that lenny found.

There's all sorts of unexpected problems about doing things to the centre underside with Harriers due to the exhaust flow during vertical and short take-offs and landings. That's one reason by GR1s and 3s always fly with either the guns or the strakes in place, so making conformal thanmks in that area may have had undesirable consequences.

[Thorvic]

190 litres? That's only 50 gallons, I'm not sure I've seen tanks that small on a Harrier. I'll have to check that older GR3 kit, it's been some years since I've run across it. 

And I have two of the Bobcat kits as well, I'd forgotten that had the ferry tips. I rather like the look of the Hunter tanks as well, they can't be far off the right size, looking at the top view that lenny found.

There's all sorts of unexpected problems about doing things to the centre underside with Harriers due to the exhaust flow during vertical and short take-offs and landings. That's one reason by GR1s and 3s always fly with either the guns or the strakes in place, so making conformal thanmks in that area may have had undesirable consequences.

My bad that's 190 gallons, should check the facts before posting late at night 

As to the belly they have used the gun pods for ECM in the past and Harrier IIs have had strakes modified to carry sensor pods, but as Kit says its probably not a good place for fuel. The new GR3 kit has the Vinten recon pod and the older kit had a baggage pod for the centre pylon which some may have confused as a drop tank.

Anyway Kit have you managed to find any photographs yet of G-VTOL in its early scheme ?

[PR19_Kit]

My bad that's 190 gallons, should check the facts before posting late at night 

As to the belly they have used the gun pods for ECM in the past and Harrier IIs have had strakes modified to carry sensor pods, but as Kit says its probably not a good place for fuel. The new GR3 kit has the Vinten recon pod and the older kit had a baggage pod for the centre pylon which some may have confused as a drop tank.

Anyway Kit have you managed to find any photographs yet of G-VTOL in its early scheme ?

In the hydraulic world, which I inhabited for 40 odd years, doing the litres/gallons conversion comes as almost second nature, complicated only by the fact that that world uses the puny US Gallon as opposed to the mighty Imperial Gallon. [Incoming warning] 

Yes, lenny's link to that amazing Russian site gave me enough info to build the model, all I need now is to clone myself three or four times so I have enough time to BUILD it!

[Captain Canada]

the fact that that world uses the puny US Gallon as opposed to the mighty Imperial Gallon. [Incoming warning] 

Now that's funny ! I'm going to have to remember that one.

[Captain Canada]

all I need now is to clone myself three or four times so I have enough time to BUILD it!

Careful : I've heard that the first clone almost invariably comes out as a JMN, and so much bickering ensues that all further clones simply refuse to work ! And then there's the matter of the bar bill down at the pub.....

[PR19_Kit]

I've just spent some time measuring bits of plastic and photos of G-VTOL and it looks like the big tanks ARE 300 gall ones, which makes them unique AFAIK.

The tanks from the Revell Hunter kit are 230 galls and are around 69 mm long. Scaled to the size on the two photos and the plans that have been sent to me the 300 gall tanks should be around 87 mm long, and if you calculate the volume from that data it comes to 290 galls. 

So it looks like I'll need two sets of Hunter tanks, but with the four cruciform fins added to the back end, should do the job. Luckily I have maybe 4-5 Hunters kits. 

[sandiego89]

And what about the centerline pylon ? Wasn't it plumbed for fuel ?

The centerline pylon on the harrier family was not plumbed for fuel.  Agree the belly is a bad place for more fuel.

Interestingly the 300 gallon tanks slighty impinged on the harrier flap when the flap was full down (the flap barely hit the tank). For emergency Falklands deployments I believe they agreed to live with this for the Gr3 and Sea Harrier.  Handling was tricky with the big tanks. 

Those Hunter tanks look like they will work well.   

[Thorvic]

I've just spent some time measuring bits of plastic and photos of G-VTOL and it looks like the big tanks ARE 300 gall ones, which makes them unique AFAIK.

The tanks from the Revell Hunter kit are 230 galls and are around 69 mm long. Scaled to the size on the two photos and the plans that have been sent to me the 300 gall tanks should be around 87 mm long, and if you calculate the volume from that data it comes to 290 galls. 

So it looks like I'll need two sets of Hunter tanks, but with the four cruciform fins added to the back end, should do the job. Luckily I have maybe 4-5 Hunters kits. 

What about the tanks in the old Airfix Harrier GR3 tooling their 76mm long ?

[PR19_Kit]

Not quite lomg enough Geoff, so I'd still have to 'cut and shut' them. I've had a look and that's one Harrier kit I don't have, odd........

[Thorvic]

Not quite lomg enough Geoff, so I'd still have to 'cut and shut' them. I've had a look and that's one Harrier kit I don't have, odd........

I know but that was Airfix's attempt at the ferry tank back in the early 80s. The kits unusal because it has a baggage pod, ferry tanks and lepus flares or rather attempts at all 3 as not sure how accurate any are, but way oustripped by the new issue or the older Esci and hasegawa versions

[The Wooksta!]

No, they're not the large Hunter ferry tanks.  The photo shows a fin on the tank and the ones on the Hunter never had them.  Plus, they look bigger.

[Mossie]

Kit, I can spare the tanks from my old Harrier if you want them.

Another option.  A Hunter did fly with 300 gallon tanks, G-APUX, the company T.66 demonstrator.  I think they were just the 230 gal tanks with a re-inforced stretch.  Odds and Ordnance did a set, if you can find them, but you'll need to add fins.
http://www.boxartden.com/gallery/index.php/Aircraft-Profiles/UK/Modern/Hawker-Hunter-2-seater-5view