Okay, just one for now, the rest is still on the workbench.
Crown/Revell Harrier GR.3
This is an old Crown/Revell kit after a lot of conversion work.
The funny thing is, the Crown kit basically looks like a Harrier (but that's only because a
Harrier looks very different from any other aircraft !) however if you look closer it
has a lot of flaws.
Since I was converting the kit anyway, I added the nose extension (from sprue),
added a pair of Aden gun pods (more sprue, some plasticcard and some filler) and the drop
tanks (converted belly tanks from Crown/Revell F-16 kits, later reissued by Minicraft).
Apart from that, make sure you have plenty of fresh filler and be prepared for some
repeated wet-sanding sessions.
Modifications to the basic shape (front to rear):
changed the flat sides of the nose in front of the engine intakes into a more bulged shape
raised and reshaped the canopy, cut the two airco vents in the trailing edge of the canopy.
canted the main intakes slightly further outward by inserting wedges between the edges and the fuselage sides.
added a 2mm extension between main fuselage and intake/nose section, this extension also contains part of the intake ducting.
reshaped the dorsal contours to the proper curved shape.
reshaped the nozzles: widened the hot nozzles and reshaped the exhaust louvres.
cut a 'step' in the fuselage sides, running from the wing trailing edge to the horizontal tail planes.
Details added (front to rear):
pitot head (stainless steel magazine staple)
pitch/yaw vanes and various small blade antennae made from squashed copper wire.
instrument panel and coaming, stick, seat details.
opened up blow-in doors on main intakes.
enlarged the engine intake fan by filing steps in the surrounding ring, making it flush with the blades.
little scoops on the back in front of the wing.
added blade antenna in front of starboard cold nozzle.
added fuel vent on the lower starboard side below cold nozzle.
added new heat deflector panels behind the hot nozzles.
added gapped end plates to wing pylons.
added hydraulic jacks to the outriggers.
opened up the scissors on the main landing gear leg.
added clear red teardrop-shaped ventral and dorsal anti-collision lights.
added interior and hydraulic ram for dive brake well and side plates to dive brake.
opened up intake at the base of the tail fin.
added a pivot cover plate at the base of each horizontal tail plane.
RWR housing on the tail fin and tail fin extension.
RWR housing on the tail stinger.
sanded down the nose wheel doors and added bump.
Roundels and squadron markings were taken from the decal sheet in the Revell kit.
The unit markings for 233 OCU are slightly oversize but looked too nice not to use.
Serial numbers were taken from a ModelArt set (nr. 144-002 "RAF serial nrs").
All warning triangles and other service markings were hand painted.
Date finished: August 24, 1990.
References
Scale Models, Sept 1982 (vol.13 nr.156) pg.478-481 'Updating the Harrier', G.M.Walton, Harrier conversion notes with 1/144 Harrier GR.3 scale drawings
'Harrier', Aircraft Illustrated Special, Denis J. Calvert, Ian Allan Publications, ISBN 0-7110-1886-3
This is an old Crown/Revell kit after a lot of conversion work.
