The Madara-chuhi or Harrier Mk 90

Gondor · November 06, 2018, 10:09:59 AM

Something that was kick started by Spinner with his Japanese Harrier

So with updating my second generation RAF Harrier kits with new Airfix kits I was left with the older Airfix kits and nothing to do with them, enter the above images. A little bit of cut and shunt and an old Airfix Gr 5 becomes a modified Gr 9/9a purchased by the Japanese from the RAF when they were told to stop operating them by the government, or something like that.

The name is Japanese for a Pied Harrier which I thought would suit the aircraft especially in the two dark blue colour scheme.

More later including some pictures of where I have got to so far.

Gondor

Tophe · November 06, 2018, 08:42:38 PM

Yes, we will see the pictures to understand better this project, thanks.

Gondor · November 07, 2018, 11:47:06 AM

As promised some pictures.

First the fuselage I have started with. As previously mentioned its the older Airfix kit so I have no problems with making it a whiff as I feel that the detail is somewhat soft

The wing with the LERX replaced with a spare from a new Airfix second generation Harrier

There will still be some alterations to bring the modifications together, such as the hatched area at the rear of the cockpit will needs to be removed

And lastly the improved Gr7/9 nose from the newer kit, for the same reason I about the detail of the older parts given above

A touch out of focus I know but that's it so far. More progress soon I hope.....

Gondor

Tophe · November 07, 2018, 07:57:01 PM

Good! Go on!

Gondor · November 08, 2018, 01:45:01 PM

More slicing and dicing of the plastic. The Hatched area in my previous post has been removed along with a bit extra which I found was necessary to get the wing and LERX to fit.

the result looking like this.....

However there is work to be done so that the wing to fuselage join is good especially as I removed part of the underside of the wing when I made the cut out for the newer LERX part

Here are my modified wing and the new wing to show the differences

and the new wing underside by itself

I must admit that I am looking forward to building one of the new Airfix Gr7/9 kits as they look like a great piece of engineering going by the construction of the wing.

The parts I need to work on are these...

Right

and Left

Filling the gaps will be interesting $:-\$ I already know that I can hide part of the Left side by fitting the In-Flight Refueling Probe

Also considering the weapons load. So far I have a pair of AAM-3's to replace the Sidewinders and a couple of ASM-2's as the main weapons load. I am thinking of adding either the British 20mm Aden gun packs or the US 30mm pack although the latter would mean the loss of the center line position. More to come...

Gondor

nighthunter · November 08, 2018, 08:18:34 PM

30mm Aden!

Scotaidh · November 09, 2018, 01:43:17 AM

Ummm - Adens are 30mm.

Gondor · November 09, 2018, 09:48:02 AM

I was wrong and so is Scotaodh,

Apparently they developed a 25mm version for use with the UK Second Generation Harriers, only they could not get it to work properly.

However as it's whiff world I can say that they did get it working properly so the Japanese bought some to go with their refurbished, slightly used

,one careful owner and no major wars, Harriers

Also thought that it may be an idea to build my real world Gr9 next to this build, at least as far as getting the fuselage and wings together, as this is where I am upgrading the older Airfix kit. Is it still kit-bashing if its the same manufacturer and the same aircraft time that parts are used from? $:-\$

Gondor

nighthunter · November 09, 2018, 09:59:53 AM

Yes, because it's still two separate kits.

kitnut617 · November 09, 2018, 10:59:12 AM

Early Harriers were equipped with two 30mm Adens, these are the GR.1, T.2, GR.3, T.4 and T.8 (also the AV-8A series had two 30mm but might be of USA origin). The improved Harrier were armed with two 25mm Adens, these would be the GR.5, Gr.7, GR.9 and T.10. The AV-8B series had a single 5-barrel GAU-12 rotary cannon mounted in one pod while the ammo was stored in the other.

Gondor · November 09, 2018, 02:57:26 PM

Not quite right kitnut617, the 25mm aden was intended for the Gr5 and subsequent models but was only ever carried by that aircraft type. As this is what-if I am altering history so that the later versions carried the weapon too.

Gondor

kitnut617 · November 09, 2018, 04:23:57 PM

Umm! that's what I said

Weaver · November 09, 2018, 04:44:29 PM

The 25mm ADEN never worked properly and was never carried operationally by RAF Harriers: the whole thing was a royal screw-up (why on Earth didn't they use the Mauser Bk.27 already in use on Tornados?

) RAF Harriers often carried targeting or countermeasures pods on the gun hardpoints.

The 30mm guns on USMC AV-8As were standard-issue ADENs, made in the UK.

Given Japan's preference for US-style equipment, they'd probably go for the AV-8B's GAU-12 setup.

Gondor · November 12, 2018, 02:02:54 PM

I decided to go with the US gun armament and managed to 'find' a spare from a Hasegawa AV-8B boxing as the one from the older all singing and dancing second gen Harrier offering is indistinct when it comes to some parts such as the the area around the gun muzzle.

Managed to get side tracked by building or at least starting a couple of the modern Airfix Harrier Gr7/9 kit to act as reference for the fitting of the 100% LERX on the older kit

Decals are from a Hasegawa boxing of the Mitsubishi F-2A/B that has not been used for anything somehow

Gondor

zenrat · November 13, 2018, 02:10:26 AM

Quote from: Gondor on November 12, 2018, 02:02:54 PM
...Managed to get side tracked by building or at least starting a couple of the modern Airfix Harrier Gr7/9 kit to act as reference for the fitting of the 100% LERX on the older kit...

I know what you mean. You dig out a kit, de-sprue some parts to see how they fit and before you know it they have glued themselves together all by themselves.