An Old Classic For the Naval GB

[AeroplaneDriver]

Second try posting this...not sure what happened the first time...

Anyhoo...I realized I have about a week to sneak in another entry for the In The Navy GB.  I've also been in the mood for a classic Monogram kit like I used to love to build when I was a kid.  The Monogram 1/48 stuff from the 80s is as near and dear to my heart and the Airfix 1/72 kits of the 70s. 

So out comes this old lovely to be finished up most likely in Gull Gray over White...

[zenrat]

Three weeks.  There is an extension.
Although at the speed you've been knocking them out you won't need it.

[AeroplaneDriver]

Aw man, really?  There I was working hard against a deadline! 

[zenrat]

So start another two...

[AeroplaneDriver]

It's been a lot of years since I attempted a 1981 vintage Monogram kit. Shape is good...cockpit is great for the time.  But wow...some of the parts only seem to be made to come together in a general kind of way.  The two halves of the nosegear bay seem to be observing current social distancing recommendations no matter how much Tamiya Extra Thin I introduce them to.  Fortunately the Harrier only had gear doors open for maintenance or gear retraction/extansion so all the part needs to do is support the engine fan.  Definitely a lot more PSR than I am used to lately though.  Calling it a night on this one tonight and fairly happy with it so far. 

[zenrat]

What's the plastic like?  I find Monogram car kits of the period are moulded from a distinctive material which is more brittle than usual but also more shiny. and harder to sand.  I think of it as "Monogram Plastic" because I first came across it in one of theirs but I have also encountered it in Hasegawa kits of the same era. 

And another question.  I can see your "don't knock it over" device on the TET Cement.  Does it also stop you leaving the lid off because that's my problem with the stuff...

[AeroplaneDriver]

What's the plastic like?  I find Monogram car kits of the period are moulded from a distinctive material which is more brittle than usual but also more shiny. and harder to sand.  I think of it as "Monogram Plastic" because I first came across it in one of theirs but I have also encountered it in Hasegawa kits of the same era. 

And another question.  I can see your "don't knock it over" device on the TET Cement.  Does it also stop you leaving the lid off because that's my problem with the stuff...

Yeah the plastic is a little on the brittle side typical of 80s Monogram kits.  Its sands and goes nicely but definitely a little brittle. I found a couple of small parts that were broken. Easy to fix with a little TET.  I've never really had a problem leaving the lid off TET, but I needed an anti-spill device after most of a bottle tipped over a few months ago.  I can say that it cleans a tile floor like nothing else!  I just glad it into an old jar lid with Gorilla glue.  For MicroSol anti-spillage the bottle fits perfectly into the cap from a Tamiya rattle can. 

[zenrat]

Last bottle of TET I knocked over cleaned all the yellow lines off my cutting mat.
I have a bad habit of not screwing the cap on.  I come back to the bench the next day and find i've left it loose and the level has dropped.

[AeroplaneDriver]

Well I'd hoped to get this one done in 2-3 days, but SWMBO had other plans for Sunday and I really needed to get the lawn mowed in our brief rain break today so it's moving at a bit slower pace than I planned.  I did a little work on it to improve the kit.  There was no detail whatsoever in the intake blow in doors, just an empty area behind square holes, so I made drooped doors from Evergreen sheet.  The kit depicts the closed doors as raised panel lines, so I cut them to depict the doors a little better.  Not perfect but I"m happy with it.  Should be getting decals on tomorrow.  Just going to be a task looking through the USN decals in the stash and making a decision....

[Captain Canada]

I like it already. For sure those olf Monogram kits are classics. Loved them all, favourite I think was the Super Sabre, all bombed up. 

This will look great in grey over white. So obvious now but I'd never thought of it ! And I love the Harrier !

[AeroplaneDriver]

Last update before she'll be finished, hopefully tomorrow. 

So far I'm fairly happy with it considering it's a 40 year old Monogram kit that I built in basically 3 days.  Decals are a mix of Aeromaster Sea Harrier stencils and Eagle Strike A-4 sheets with the national markings from a generic sheet and the BuNo from Kinetic's TAV-8A markings with the "T" cut off. 

You don't realize how little vertical surface the Harrier has until you start trying to fit USN markings on it.  Having all those nozzle thingies taking up all the fuselage side area definitely cuts down on options.  The A-4 markings are for VA-106, "The Gladiators".  The original markings had a yellow arrow with the helmet, but just no room for it on the Harrier so I decided to add some color by painting the tanks to match the blue in the helmet and putting the arrows on the tanks.  I feel like that adds to the USN 70s feel of the build. 

Still torn on the weapons load...Leaning towards Shrikes, just for something different for a Harrier.

[DogfighterZen]

Looking very good!

[PR19_Kit]

The arrows on the tanks REALLY make it 1970s USN. 

[NARSES2]

The arrows on the tanks REALLY make it 1970s USN. 

Indeed they do, but I bet it would confuse a few people at an airshow if the pilot put her into reverse   

[sandiego89]

Yes, very classic 1970's scheme- good stuff! 

Mavericks or Walleyes might look good/different.