USMC/USN Sea Harrier

[Spino]

Still haven't done the new radome yet, can't decide whether I like it or the existing one better.  I'm going to swap the AIM-9Ms for AIM-9Xs to match the rest of the loadout, and I'll probably end up making a new canopy for improved pilot visibility, like the Harrier II.  Getting the det cord on it to look right will probably be a nightmare though.

[sandiego89]

The funny thing about Harrier/Sea Harrier radomes is that they really change the whole look of the aircraft.  The Sea Harrier FRS1 was a great-looking aircraft, but the moderately changed larger radar in the FA2 resulted in a worse-looking (but more capable) aircraft. 

The original Gr1/AV-8A was smart looking.  We shall not mention the laser nose Gr3.

The AV8B looked better before it got a radar and other lumps on the nose.   

[AeroplaneDriver]

The funny thing about Harrier/Sea Harrier radomes is that they really change the whole look of the aircraft.  The Sea Harrier FRS1 was a great-looking aircraft, but the moderately changed larger radar in the FA2 resulted in a worse-looking (but more capable) aircraft. 

The original Gr1/AV-8A was smart looking.  We shall not mention the laser nose Gr3.

The AV8B looked better before it got a radar and other lumps on the nose.   

The SHAR is truly the best looking of the Harrier Family. 

[PR19_Kit]

My fave is the all-over green GR5, or the 2-seat T10 even more.

I should get on and build one of them though!

[Dizzyfugu]

I have an Australian Navy Harrier (an AV-8B+) on my agenda, as a strike/air defense component for the new Canberra Class ships, a secret favorite of mine is the GR.3 in NATO/Lichen Green - not certain if that was a one-off, though, AFAIK the GR.5 livery was used on the earlier model in 1984 during an exercise. A GR.3 in Dark Camouflage Grey (late Tonky style) could also look good?

[Scotaidh]

The funny thing about Harrier/Sea Harrier radomes is that they really change the whole look of the aircraft.  The Sea Harrier FRS1 was a great-looking aircraft, but the moderately changed larger radar in the FA2 resulted in a worse-looking (but more capable) aircraft. 

The original Gr1/AV-8A was smart looking.  We shall not mention the laser nose Gr3.

The AV8B looked better before it got a radar and other lumps on the nose.   

I really like the GR3 - I have the 1/24 model of it yet to build. 

'Course, I was in love with the Harrier from the first day I heard about it.  I was really bummed when it was handed over to McDD, and really hate what was done to it - raised cockpit and all.  Made it all fat and round, the Americans did.  Somehow the Sea Harrier, even with the raised cockpit, didn't do that - it stayed sleek and deadly-looking. 

[sandiego89]

/quote]

And I have a soft spot for the two-seat T2, T4, T8/TAV8A

......secret favorite of mine is the GR.3 in NATO/Lichen Green - not certain if that was a one-off, though, AFAIK the GR.5 livery was used on the earlier model in 1984 during an exercise. A GR.3 in Dark Camouflage Grey (late Tonky style) could also look good?

Agree the Lichen is great, and the one-off Nordic schemes with the white for exercises is really great. 

The SHAR is truly the best looking of the Harrier Family. 

Agree! 

[Spino]

Actually I think I may just leave the nose as-is, I started to think the same way.

[Spino]

So the new plan is to leave the Sea Harrier FRS.1 nose, and use the canopy that came with the model as well.  Pictures soon (I hope).

[Spino]

Dry-fitted the canopy, glued on the HUD and windscreen, and added a crude JHMCS-type object to the pilot's helmet using hot glue.  I still need to paint the top part of it so it will hopefully look right.  Nose and tail painted Tamiya semi-gloss black to match the high-viz fuel tanks.  I also had a bit of Tamiya gull grey SF-64 or something like that, so in addition to the base grey color I added some of that for a very subdued grey camouflage scheme.

[Spino]

Have to look in the paintbox to see what I have available, I'm considering adding a bit of green for a camo scheme kind of like this:You cannot view this attachment.

Only maybe not so much green...

[NARSES2]

That does look nice

[Spino]

Turns out, there was no green in the box, only flat olive and flat brown.  I didn't figure either one would go well with the current scheme, so I'll probably just leave it as-is unless I get round to a hobby store for some green paint.

I'm mulling over painting the pilot's new visor black, it might be difficult to get right.  The upper part of his JHMCS/Scorpion HMD is painted Tamiya XF-54 grey to match the rest of the helmet.  Here's a couple photos of it.
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And here's a dry-fit of the pilot in the cockpit.

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The drop tanks have been painted semi-gloss black now to match the nose and tail.

[Spino]

I now have some minor paintwork to finish and I need to find some appropriate decals for the Sea Harrier II.  I'm holding off on putting the pilot in the cockpit and gluing the canopy on because I want to add a custom instrument panel like the one in the Harrier II.

[Spino]

Also I discovered that the Harrier II's countermeasure dispensers are faired on instead of just boxes jutting out from the fuselage, which makes sense if you think about it.  It just means the ones I added need some putty and sanding to look right.