Something Big!

[DRUMS01]

Yesterday, we had our weather service issue a high wind warning (over 60-75 mph). So after the winds blew through I had to make a choice, pick-up branches and finish cutting down two tree's that split or lost a significant part of itself, or take a break and work on scale modeling. Here was my reasoning used to choose modeling; the ground is still soaked and very soft from the recent rain and I didn't want to tear up the yard trying to cut up trees. Then I thought that since it was only 40 degrees (F) and wet, and my helpers (family) were nowhere to be found, scale modeling won out. Being retired I can clean up the yard Monday as it's suppose to be much nicer weather.

So, what did I get into with the 1/18 Harrier you ask? To answer that question, I will have a simple answer,... stuff.

Last update I mentioned that Jarrod and I were going to work more around the cockpit canopy. The first thing we decided to work on were the vents directly behind the cockpit tub as shown the the image below:



I believe they are part of the auxiliary intake system for the Pegasus Engine. The image only shows one side and the guide track for the canopy. So first was to mark out the areas to be removed from the kit part. Next we drilled a hole in the middle to start making space to cut them out.



Here is what we ended up with:



The challenge now was to make the support tunnels for each intake vent. We tried folding very thin plastic,.... nope. Then we tried bending thin aluminum sheet,.... nope. Next we tried using thin but stiff card stock, .... and no again. So we finally chose sheet plastic and cut individual widths for each wall of the intake, ensuring that each one was square. After that we shaped them flush to the outside of the fuselage and between 1/4 and 1/2 inch into the aircraft. If you look closely at the actual photograph,you will see guides, or ribs around the intakes and an angled brace off the outside edges. Then there is some reinforcement material supporting the ribs. Oh, we can't forget the the canopy guide rail either. Looking at the kit part for the canopy, we will need the center guide rail to be able to properly open and close it. We created the guide rail by cutting three thin stips of plastic along with one very small piece for the end cap. The rear base for the guide rail (as shown in the actual photo), was create to cover the holes in the kit. Those holes were for pins molded to the lower part of the canopy rear, so to lock or pin it in place. So after much trial, error, trial again, we managed to assemble those parts and drilled each rivet, yes... each rivet. Below is an image of our finished product:



Since we were there already, we assembled the 5 parts for the engine cover. There was a significant gap in the doors. We chose to assemble them one section at a time trying to draw them closer together with each successive phase of gluing. The result improved the gaps tremendously. Last we use a combination of thick CA to fill the remaining gaps and Tamiya thin to even them to a uniformed depth. We know they are close, but we still may need to scribe them once the primer goes on. And here is that finished assembly, also riveted (my palm and forearm feel it now).



The final item we worked on today was correcting the internal belly of the ventral brake. Just to recap, this is what is should look like:



And this is how the kit part looks like:



While the kit shows a whole lot of what appears to be rivet bumps, there is no definition or realism compared to the actual photo. So the first item of business was to measure the internal dimensions of the compartment. Also, if you look at the actual image, there is far less space between the top of the compartment and the exterior of the fuselage. After several sizings, we decided to cut and shape a thicker piece of sheet plastic to go over the bumpy area. The dimensions had to be sharp as gaps would take away from the final result. Next to get around the actuator, we had to cut a channel and hole for it to go up into the body of the aircraft. Next we started looking at the image and creating various laminate pieces to replicate thin metal skins or parts. After they were all assembled we drilled out the rivets here as well. The last item we created was a side wall where the kit part mates up to the fuselage as the kit part had nothing there and you could look into the aircraft. So,.... here is our final result for this assembly. We believe that with the paint and wash, it should look much closer to the real thing:



And since we were already working on the ventral brake we decided to scribe the panel lines on the center belly of the fuselage and hand drill each rivet on it as well (ok, not all of them, some more left to do, but I got tired of drilling them for today). And here it is:



That was all the time we had today. Thanks for continuing to follow along. Comments are encouraged.

Ben and Jarrod

[DRUMS01]

Moving along, I got the vectoring nozzles on the wing detailed. During that time Jarrod and I also detailed a little more of the wing as far as panel lines and the few rivets. We did the same thing for the vertical stabilizer too. I'm finding that there is a significant difference in panels and rivets from the original Hawker Harrier and the Boeing AV-8B versions. The Boeing variant has far fewer rivets and panels and far more epoxy fitted panels of a larger variety.

During our research for details, we located an official copy of A1-AV8BB-NFM-000, also known as the NATOPS FLIGHT MANUAL, NAVY MODEL AV - 8B/TAV - 8B, 161573 AND UP AIRCRAFT. In it was far more information that I can digest (over 500 pages). There were some nice detailed drawings which explained the controls and ejection seat in more detail, here they are:







I hope anyone building a Harrier can find these useful (?).

Here are a couple more images that I found interesting:





Images on our latest work tomorrow. To those following along, thanks for checking in.

Ben and Jarrod

[digger303]

I'm back and seeing some very nice scratch building.

[DRUMS01]

Hi digger, welcome back... Where did you go?

It's time for another update, this time showing some of the results previously discussed as well as new challenges. First Jarrod and I want to show everyone the panel line scribing we finished. As you know, the kit has a few lines molded into the parts. Fortunately, they did create all the access doors, so all we had to do was scribe the main panel lines.

Here is the final results of the panel lines and rivets to the belly part of the kit:



When looking at the wings, some lines were created, others partially started but incomplete, and some not made at all. Here is our completed upper wing, just to give you an idea of the scribing. The curved line was scribed freehand, while holding my breath and squinting with one eye (smile).



Staying with the wing, the control surfaces all needed lines scribed:



And while working on them we also added some detail beneath the upper flap:



Staying with the wing, here is an image of the lower left wing exhaust port, to match actual aircraft images:



Continuing with the main wing assembly, Jarrod and I test fit the wing landing struts along with their functionality:





Moving on from the scribing, we began working on the fuselage. Specifically, the areas around the cold and hot ports on each side of the fuselage. In the kit (like most model kits), they simply leave a large open area around the exhaust nozzles that would allow you to look into the fuselage (?). While some kits are molded to not show a significant gap around each nozzle, this kit has gaps so large you can actually see the engine, and other internal stuff easily. So after numerous test patterns, we finally settled on one that could enclose the fuselage from curious eyes. Each enclosure is made of four parts. When finished, we sanded the new panels flush (blended) to the kit parts.



Other than around the canopy, we are getting finished with our scratchbuilding and will soon start painting; almost there!

Thanks for looking, comments welcome!

[digger303]

Went off to visit my daughter in Sydney and see my grand kids in Perth on the way back.
The scribing is very sharp, I usually wander off track or go too deep.

[DRUMS01]

Digger, I recently purchased a new scribing tool. It has a full size knurled handle with a hex key to hold the various widths of scribing bits. That along with some scribing tape made all the difference for me. I’ll take a photo of the set I bought if your interested. I had similar issues that you’ve described until I got these items.

[RangerNeil]

Digger, I recently purchased a new scribing tool. It has a full size knurled handle with a hex key to hold the various widths of scribing bits. That along with some scribing tape made all the difference for me. I’ll take a photo of the set I bought if your interested. I had similar issues that you’ve described until I got these items.

I'd definitely be interested in seeing what you used to create such an amazing job!!

[digger303]

Digger, I recently purchased a new scribing tool. It has a full size knurled handle with a hex key to hold the various widths of scribing bits. That along with some scribing tape made all the difference for me. I’ll take a photo of the set I bought if your interested. I had similar issues that you’ve described until I got these items.

Always interested. I myself bought a set of tools something like you describe, I wouldn't say I'm good at using them yet.

[DRUMS01]

Neil and Digger,

This is what I used for scribing the panel lines.

PFCKE 7-in-1 Model Scribe Tool with 7 Blades (0.1/0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8/1.0/2.0mm) for Gundam Resin Carved Scribing & Cutting - Ultimate Gunpla Model Chisel.





Dspiae Edged Carving Tape with Adhesive Back, 9mm x 30m (for Panel Lines)



Not sure what you both used, but I highly recommend these.

Ben

[digger303]

Neil and Digger,

This is what I used for scribing the panel lines.

PFCKE 7-in-1 Model Scribe Tool with 7 Blades (0.1/0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8/1.0/2.0mm) for Gundam Resin Carved Scribing & Cutting - Ultimate Gunpla Model Chisel.





Dspiae Edged Carving Tape with Adhesive Back, 9mm x 30m (for Panel Lines)



Not sure what you both used, but I highly recommend these.

Ben

Thanks.
Yep my chisel /scribing set is very similar, maybe the tape I used or maybe not used is the problem

[DRUMS01]

It’s funny that they call it tape. The stuff from Dispae is really a hard clear plastic with one side tacky to stay stuck once or twice where you put it. I think the hardness and thickness of the scribing tape is key. Perhaps hard is not the correct term to use. The plastic tape is flexible but its density keeps a hard edge for the scribe to guide on.

[Phillip1]

DRUMS01-Very impressive scribed panel lines! When I do scribe panel lines (which is not very often) I use label-maker tape which is probably similar.

Phillip1

[DRUMS01]

Hi Everyone! Jarrod and I believe that we are winding down on our scratchbuilding on this kit. We saved the most delicate part for last, the canopy detail.

If most of you are like us, we normally dread working on canopy detail. While it can offer a great boost when detailing a model, it can also destroy a model with one slip of the knife, glue, part, scratch, etc. I guess we're saying there is little space for error here.

So we proceeded with great caution, and by looking at the rear internal part of the kit, we had every right to be weary. When test fitting the kit part, it did not seal up the canopy as there were large caps everywhere. Honestly, the curvature of the part was nothing like the actual curve of the glass canopy. So we decided to make the entire assembly. We used the kit part to identify the overall size as well as where to add width and remove height on the template. After around four attempts, we can up with something we can live with. The image below shows the difference between the two parts.



For some reason, it appears in the image that the support bracing behind the part are way off center, but they actually are not (?). There is a difference in the space between them and the kit part and that is intentional. The kit parts rear braces were at the outer limits of the canopy and did not fit well. After studying the actual canopy on the real thing, we also noticed that the reinforcement ribs were not correct either. Then there are the various small parts that make up the canopy detonation cord group which were missing on the kit part. Considering it will be very visible on the model we are going to fix that on our assembly.

Here is the two pieces with the new one showing the corrected reinforcement ribs and the basic parts for the det. group.



Jarrod and I were looking at the various options for the det. cord lines and finally settled on very thin plastic rod (1/32"). Once again, after several attempts to make the parts, we came up with what you see below:



And now came time to add the canopy rails on the sides while simultaneously making sure they align with the rear canopy bulkhead. This means the angles on the back part of the rails had to be cut at the correct angle and placed in the exact location. All this without any guide, pins, tabs, etc. Oh! and it also had to be at the correct height to fit above the kit edges but below the canopy glass too.

Luck for us, we think we managed to pull it off. Our method was to add very small spot welds of CA medium cement to the rails incrementally as they also have a slight curve to them as well. So, just to clear it all up, we had the curvature of the rails front to back; the angle of the rear bulkhead to the rails; the angle and curvature of the bulkhead, and the placement of the support brackets to the rear of the canopy; all with different geometry. Sounds simple... (nope).

Here is the canopy with the rails firmly attached and the rear bulkhead sitting in place. If you look close, you can see the seam line in the center of the canopy that still needs sanded and polished out.





We are still going to add mirrors and pull handles to the canopy later, but the added scratch built parts will dress up this area (we hope).

Finally, we are going to start painting. So look for some color in our next update. Thank you all for sticking with us and following our build. Comments welcome!

Ben and Jarrod

[digger303]

I'm so surprised they could stuff up a part o badly. I've come to accept hobby boss/ Trumpeter take short cuts and make stuff up, but gez I thought they would actually fit.
Great fix

[cor]

I'd love to see this finished model in real life.

[DRUMS01]

Applied my first color on the model today. I painted the cockpit tub, side walls, instrument panel, and canopy frame FS36231 - dark gull gray. Then I painted the base of the ejection seat a custom mix of black gray and black brown. My thought was that it will show the shading and highlights better. Think of it like a very dark and dirty gray...

I'm going to let it dry for the day and then begin picking out the components, then wash, dry brush, and then the final details and any touch-ups. After that will be adding the decals and gauges. OK, perhaps not that exact order, but you understand what I'm saying....

Pictures soon.....

Ben and Jarrod

[DRUMS01]

Got more stuff for the kit: (disregard the scale size, they were the only images I could copy, all my parts are 1/18th of whats shown):











Jarrod and I also purchased a new paint set for Desert Storm Harriers, just waiting for it to arrive.

[digger303]

[DRUMS01]

Hi everyone,

Here is a sneak peek at what we've been working on. I don’t have time to show more today, but there is more that's been done.

Of course this still has some final details to add, plus decals and weathering.





Oh!, and Happy Easter Everyone!

[digger303]

Lovely work.
Happy Easter

[DRUMS01]

So, it's been quite some time since I made a proper update, yes?

Jarrod and I are just about calling the cockpit D-O-N-E. Just to recap what has been done, we:

- Scratchbuilt 90% of the ejection seat. This included changing the frame of the seat to match the actual seat. We made the lower and back seat cushions from scratch. This was done by laminating sheet plastic and shaping it according to online images. Next we wanted to add texture to the cushions by using various styles of medical and cloth tape; created the leg restraint bar and straps from brass rod and lead foil; created the shoulder harness locking lever (at the lower left of the seat frame) with plastic, guitar string, modified pin head, and stripped electrical wire strand for the scale cable; added the emergency oxygen indicator (hole) in the seat cushion; created the emergency oxygen actuator from extra fine precision solder; created a new ejection control handle from extruded plastic rod; created the emergency restraint release from solder and sheet plastic; created the lap belts from sewing hem material with a mix of PE and plastic for the attachment points, created the shoulder harness and SEAWARS connections using the same material as the seat belts; created the ground safety control handle on the right side of the seat frame with brass and plastic rod; created a more accurate parachute container (headrest) using plastic stock and medical tape; created the canopy breakers with sheet plastic; remove erroneous mold content on the seat back; added numerous rivet and bolt heads; added brass rods for the adjustment mechanism of the headrest / parachute. And that was just the SJU-4 Stencel S-III-S Ejection Seat.



Some images show the seat, back, and headrest all the same color, while others show them all varying slightly, or even completely different colors. I chose to color the bottom and back cushions OD green and the parachute headrest in a lighter aircraft interior green. The seat frame is a custom mix for the rear frame, a black / brown base for the main seat frame, black for the headrest parachute box, and then Jarrod and I began detail painting the various components based on factory or online images. Just to recall, this is what we started with. The photo shows some modifications already underway:



As for the cockpit tub, every surface was modified. The first thing we did was remove the erroneous lump and bumps on the various auxiliary panels. This left a flat surface or better know as a blank canvas. Looking at the rear canopy bulkhead, I did the same with it due to far too many inaccuracies. The cockpit tub did not have any foot controls so we create them from sheet plastic as they would be seen when finished. The right and left auxiliary panels as well as the right and left bulkhead panels were widened to properly fill the gaps in the kit molding while the lower forward panels were built-up according to detailed drawings. The main dash panel was toy-like and had some strange raised round lumps in places where they didn't belong. See below:



After some research, we determined that the kit main panel and control stick were based on the day attack version, so we kept that configuration when recreating the various control panels. It would take far too much to describe all the details created on the scratchbuilt panels, but some things we would like to bring up was the scratchbuilt throttle and nozzle controls; very small HUD and weapons control switches; clock on the outside of the main panel cover; threat indicators, landing gear lever, and more. The cockpit tub and panels were painted to match actual photos.

So, after a couple weeks of assembly and painting, here is what we have for the cockpit tub, seat, and panels (we still may lightly weather or shade more):







Next up is painting the front landing gear bay and components. Stay tuned for more fun and thanks for watching. Comments encouraged!.....

[digger303]

Ooh so nice

[DRUMS01]

Thanks digger....

Today I finally got some primer on the landing gear bays as well as the intake ductwork. While it is drying I checked the fit of the cockpit tub with the rear of the fuselage and found that I needed to remove some of the plastic on the tub that was behind the ejection seat. After a few check fits I'm happy with how it will mate up with the forward wing panel.









Also started working on the canopy detonation line that runs inside, along the main canopy. After some sizing and shaping, I think it will be ready too. Once it's painted I will also finish the lower details inside the canopy, like the scratchbuilt handles, decals, etc. I think we will leave the mirrors off until final assembly.

As Jarrod and I are finally moving forward with the assembly, we decided to pause for two new concerns that we as contemplating on fixing or not. The first is the "kink" in the wing of the real aircraft. What I mean is that the kit wing does not have the kink or double bend. So we are wondering if we should correct it, or just build the kit? It would most likely involve partially cutting the wing, heating it slightly, and adding something like brass that is bendable but firm enough to hold the bend. (This will be a major rework)





The other item we are contemplating is if we should pose the flaps in the fat/fixed position as the kit has them, or should we scratch build the wing areas along with the forward portion of the flaps to allow them to be posed in the 60 degree down position like it is landing, landed, or taking off? (This too will be major) This would require the forward edge of the flaps to be highly modified, the hydraulics on the wing and flap, the mating surface inside the wing. and also the connections in the wing as the flaps extend out as they drop. (lots of work).





What do you all think we should do with these two issues? Fix them or just build it?

Ben and Jarrod

[digger303]

It's a shame Hobbyboss/Trumpeter couldn't have done it better, but it's a lot of work to fix and what's it going to do to your collective mojo ?
I say just build it.

[cor]

Lots of work for things not that noticeable isn't my cup of tea. You guys gotta decide if you want to really go for it or not. Considering all the first class work you've already done, id say you need to keep that pace up and do it proper...

[Phillip1]

DRUMS01-What you and Jarrod have done so far is so clean and crisp! I find my skin starting to turn a lovely shade of envy green...

Phillip1

[DRUMS01]

Well digger, cor and Phillip1, I like all your answers sort-of...

- Jarrod and I do agree that this kit will eventually zap our mojo so we are not going to accurize everything.

- We also agree with you cor that from what we've already done, we need to finish it up to the same standard.

- And Phillip, thank you and to keep you skin a Kermit the Frog green, we are going to add more.

So, what are we going to do?

We do not think the wing kink is that much noticeable for the work it will require. Also, if we do that and also try to modify / drop the flaps there will be too many compounding angles to work with to get it all back together correctly. That means Jarrod and I are going to modify the ailerons, flaps, flap extensions, into the dropped position, as shown in the previous supplied images. I think by doing this that it will hide any of the wing kink issue.

Right away we noticed that the aero-covers on the wing hydraulics will need modified to allow the surfaces to drop. Each surface will have to be modified a little differently. The ailerons forward edge needs to be built-up and rounded while also removing some of the wing pocket to allow the forward edge to seat correctly.

The top forward part of the trailing edge flaps are independent of the trailing edge flaps. They appear to cover the wing surface when the flap is extended and also follows the flap as it drops by laying on the forward edge of the flap itself. The forward portion of the trailing flap should be kind of minor. It will take laminating a thin strip on its forward edge and then shaping the forward edge correctly while thinning the back edge of it.

The main portion of the trailing edge flap will be some work and take most the time. Jarrod and I will need to remove the pins that currently hold them in the up and locked position as the new pins will have to be repositioned after we determine how we are going to extend and drop the flap pivot points. The forward edge of the flap will most likely take 5-6 laminate cut sheets of plastic that will have to be shaped (rounded).

Going back on the mojo issue, and wanting to eventually build more kits this year, we decided not to modify the leading edge root extensions (LERX) as it would be way too much work.

Photos soon on our progress.... If anyone has detailed images of the actual aircrafts flaps please share.

Thanks for your input, and thanks checking in....

[DRUMS01]

Well, it had to happen eventually.....

My old phone no longer wanted to cooperate or even work right anymore. My old phone you ask? It was an I-Phone 10 XR. First, the the charging port was getting very difficult to connect. Then the battery continued to degrade faster so it would not last a day. The final straw was when the facial recognition stopped working even after reloading. The facial recognition was tied to my passwords, so I was having to reset everything because I forgot what I set them to some time ago.

Now I have a new I-Phone 17 Pro MAX. The way items are continually recreated, I hope it will last at least a year (smile).

So why am I telling you this? All my images were taken on my I-Phone. The new I-Phone is light years more advanced than my old one. The problem is that the image on the phone will not download to my Apple PC. I've double checked the configuration, updates, and trust settings, etc.

I suspect the most likely cause is the third party adapter cable I bought. It is not factory and has multiple end adaptors for USB, USBC, Android, etc. So I believe I need a new Thunderbolt cable USB to USBC. Until then I will have to go the long way to pull them into the forum. That is attaching the image to an email by phone, sending it to myself to receive it in my PC, pull them down from the email attachments, and them upload them into Imjur so I can show them here in the forum.

Thanks for being patient with Jarrod an I while we sort this stuff out.

[digger303]

Win 11 has a phonelink app which can be used wirelessly as most things are today. Just need to load a QR reader from google playstore to help link it.
Best of luck and hopefully you won't be pulling your hair out.
cheers

[DRUMS01]

Finally, some images to show what Jarod and I have been up to lately.

This update is all about the wing flaps and ailerons. Keep in mind that all these items came as individual parts. But for some reason, they chose to make them flat edged and not poseable. That means they were created to be placed in the fixed in wing position. As you recall, Jarrod and I decided, based on your input, to change that up and modify them to be posed in the dropped position.

The separate leading portion of the flaps was easy. Since they are rather thin, all we needed to do was shape them to a better taper on their trailing edge and shape the forward edge into a rounded shape.

The ailerons needed to have a couple pieces of flat sheet laminated together, then added to the leading edge, and shaped. Once completed we test fitted them and found that the pin locations in the wing had to be enlarged too, actually enlarged towards the main part of the wing to be specific. This tightened the forward edge into the main wing. Another modification was to cut back a portion of the hydraulic actuator aero cone to allow the desired drop. After we were happy with the tolerances Jarrod and I glued them in a desired position to the bottom wing part. Here you can see them in the bottom wing part and as part of the main wing assembly:







The last, and main modification to complete was for the larger flaps. I suppose if Jarrod and I had a 3d printer we could've simply printed them to fit the kit parts, but we do not have a 3d printer. So we decided to make them the old way; by laminating eight thick plastic sheet parts together. Then we began shaping the laminated pieces by first using a belt sander, then a hand dremel, and last by hand with files and sanding paper. The flaps also needed to have a portion of the hydraulic actuator wing cone removed to allow for the drop as well.





The last thing we still need to do is determine the extension / drop and connect points to the wing. More on that in our next update.

Thanks for looking in and following along. Comments welcome....

Ben and Jarrod

[cor]

I was just enjoying looking at your work when I read you used a belt sander. Then a Dremel, etc and I realised this this is large size.

[DRUMS01]

COR, It always reminds me of its size when I try to find space on the table as Jarrod and I build up sub-assemblies because there is less and less space for them. Serious thought will have to be given on how to display it once finished…..thanks for checking in on the build…

[DRUMS01]

First off, some of you may notice that I am posting this at 1:49 AM (when I should be sleeping). I have an easy answer for that....

I have sinusitis and bronchitis which is keeping me from sleeping because of the nasty drainage, coughing, etc. Today I finally went in to see my doctor to get the diagnosis and some well needed antibiotics. Tomorrow I go for a chest x-ray, just to see if there is anything more going on in there. So, to sum it all up, I woke up gagging and trying to breath. So now that I'm up, it's time to show a little more progress on the Harrier.

Jarrod and I managed to resolve the modification and fit issues for the ailerons and flaps, with the main flap having to be mounted after the wing sections are assembled. I believe that is in step 8 or 10 and I have just finished the cockpit, so that will wait for later.

If you remember, the first couple steps involve the very basic engine, landing gear, and cockpit. With the cockpit done in an earlier update, let's look at the other areas.

The engine is very very simple, but if you're not going to display it, most of the lack of detail does not matter. Our first area of concern was the empty hole being seen behind the turbine fan. Our solution is to measure and cut a circle from sheet plastic to fit the void. We decided to use WW2 German Black / Gray. It is just a slight variation off the straight black color of the turbine fan, so that was what we were after.

This will solve any funky looks when peering into the jet intake and seeing behind the fan.





Then there was the multiple ejection pin marks on the internal intake shroud. They were filled, sanded, primed, and the shroud eventually painted white, along with the center cap of the turbine. The center of the intake shroud needed to be painted to hide behind the turbine fan. WE used the same WW2 German Black Gray. Jarrod and I still need to do some dry brushing on the blades of the intake fan before we permanently add it to the shroud. I saw some images that show some aircraft with the individual fan blades numbered in sequence (?). Not sure we are going to do that.

Then we began building up the aftermarket ordnance as well as some of the kit stuff. Here are a couple items but but not primed or painted. Not shown are the 1000lb LGB's, kit 500lb high drag bombs, and the kit Sidewinders.

ECM Pod


Corrected wing fuel tanks


Continuing with the resin stuff, here are the aftermarket wing pylons compared to the kit items. If you notice, the resin parts have the extensions for the actuator covers. Since the photo I removed them and kept those molded in the wing. In the images you can clearly see the better details and shapes.





And back to getting the items completed from steps 1-6, we started painting the landing gear bays and struts. If I would've realized exactly how much time and detail painting was involved with all the scratch built stuff, Jarrod and I would've perhaps rethought how much effort we really wanted to put into it. But after several days and studying numerous images, we have most the details done for the front wheel bay. All that remains is some wash to bring out the details. The rear or main gear bay is still a work in progress. In the image you can also see the intake shroud.



And the struts painting has begun.



Thanks for checking in or following along. If you are a member, your comments or ideas are always welcome.

[Portman]

A curse on IMJUR and the software they rode in on... oh well, A 1/18 Harrier does sound really cool though.

Sorry to hear you're suffering. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[digger303]

Takes me back to the headline caption ......this is a big project and your nailing it.

[DRUMS01]

Thanks Portman and digger. Hey Portman, you know that you can VPN to the site to see all accounts posting with IMJUR, right? I would think it kind of boring just reading my long winded remarks without images.

Well, have you ever had one of those modeling days where you make some self induced ID-10-T errors? I guess It was my turn. Let me tell you....

Jarrod and I were working on the landing gear, painting specifically. We cleaned and primed with Mr. Surfacer. Next we painted with a can of white Testors enamel, simply because I had it (very old stock). That should've been the first clue. After 2-3 days of drying I started to add the base wash to the landing gear; to do this I used Tamiya panel liner. Has anyone caught it yet? If not, the next step after the panel liner dried was to wipe it off with a light application of thinner on a cotton swab. Did you figure it out yet? Well, the removal of the panel liner also resulted in the removal of some of the white paint,.... duh. Oh, and by the way, this was also occurring on the landing bay detail too. So it all became a half painted mess. FULL STOP.

So now Jarrod and I had to decide on whether to strip it all off with the good chance of destroying much of our scratch built details, or carefully clean and repaint just certain areas. The careful clean and spot repaint won out. Next we began to question if we should use the Testors white again, or mix up some Vallejo acrylic white as the base. So we painted samples of both whites and found that we were committed to the Testors in order to match the rest of the bay and struts that were not washed. We still had to strip all the messy and gummed up old white off before repainting. So basically, EVERYTHING became a detailed paint. The base coat was carefully and selectively repainted, the new acrylic wash was selectively painted, and the acrylic dry brush white over the wash detail painted. Now it was time to pick out the fittings, hoses, metal lines, etc.

Currently we are waiting for the repaint of the landing gear to dry. Oh!, we had the exact same problem with the wheel centers too; they are part of the group that has been repainted and drying too. Hopefully we can deliver some photos in the next couple days with the reworked landing gear finished. We are also looking for decals for the areas and struts....Till then!

Ben and Jarrod

[cor]

Oh man. I hate it when something like that happens. Really undoes all the hard work.

[cor]

Oh man. I hate it when something like that happens. Really undoes all the hard work.

[RangerNeil]

Damn - thats bad news!
I hope it all sorts OK.

[DRUMS01]

OK Folks, time for another update.... still sputtering along.

After working around my bronchitis and stuff, then "Mothers Day" (American Holiday?), church music, yard work, caring for my 96 year old mum, and on, and on, Jarrod and I finally found more time to work on the Harrier.

We are happy to announce that the front landing gear is all but complete, it's assembled and ready to add to the forward fuselage:









And to add to the good vibes, the main landing gear well and strut are finished and fully assembled (less tires). It is ready to be added when joining the fuselage halves.:







We have to keep this going, the wing landing struts are also finished and ready to add to the wing before joining the halves:



Not stopping now, the rear air brake is also finished and ready to add to the fuselage halves:





And, the simple engine is built to include the intake shroud:



All of this can only be attributed to my wonderful assistant, Jarrod:



I think a couple decals are still pending on the struts and the glass on the lights of the forward gear. The wheels and tires will be added once we have the gear in the fuselage and we are able to identify where the weighted portion of the tire is to be.

Finally, some progress..... till next time!

Ben and Jarrod

[digger303]

The rest of us are at a bit of a disadvantage when there's 2 talented builders/painters working on the one kit

[Garion77]

Canadian holiday also
Nice progress as always ! Just amazing catching up a few missed updates !

[RangerNeil]

The rest of us are at a bit of a disadvantage when there's 2 talented builders/painters working on the one kit

Must admit I wish somerimes I had such an excellent partner to share build with!!
As it is - all I get are a pair of long, pointy, black snoots that insist on sniffing the TET to see if its drinkable, actually trying to drink the water used for cleaning brushes or decaling - and if all that fails, stealing plastic bags with sprues in......

[cor]

Truly awesome work you guys.

[Phillip1]

DRUMS01-Yes, wonderful building and painting work from BOTH of you!

Phillip1

[DRUMS01]

Just a teaser for what is coming up....

[DRUMS01]

So.... what have we been up to you ask? Jarrod and I are happy to say that we have the main fuselage along with the internal components together. So yes, it is starting to get a shape, and it is B-I-G.

Steps 8-12 have us adding the landing gear bays, air brakes, air intakes, engine, cockpit, and the other greebles associated like the landing gear doors, etc. The photos in the last update show that in progress. We would like to identify some additional things we did that we recommend other builders do too, if they want a cleaner build.

1) First we highly recommend that builders test fit everything numerous times for not only fit and alignment, but also tolerances. We say that because trying to fit the two halves of this size together you will be dealing with alignment of the air brake, main gear bay, adding the functional main gear bay doors, the fuselage belly pan including the forward air brake / deflector, front landing gear, cockpit, functional front landing gear rear door, and especially the engines exhaust ports.. which fits snugly.



2) Have a plan for how you're going to attach the halves. The instructions will have you glue the halves together in one step and then in the next step screw three screws to place pressure to keep the halves as it flexes and builds up. We chose to not to do it that way. Instead we test fit the halves numerous times each time every assembly was added to identify the critical mating areas, such as around the air brake for example. By gluing them to one side with 15-30 sec CA cement and immediately adding the other side of the fuselage we ensured the assembly was properly fitted. As the CA set, we knew the subassembly would be in proper position. Then we took the halves apart to fit the next assembly glue it in place and set both sides together again until the assembly was fixed in place, then repeat until the assemblies were added. Another note, the addition of the extra gear well to the front of the main gear bay required Jarrod and I to remove a significant amount of the lower rear engine. This could only be identified with considerable test fitting as explained.

3) When gluing the front halves of the fuselage together, it also required multiple test fitting of the front gear bay and cockpit, especially if you do much scratch building like we did. You will need to ensure the pegs from the fuselage go all the way into the holes in the gear bay and then set them with glue. The fit is tight, I assume to give strength to the whole assembly. For us, after modifying the fit of the cockpit around 1/4 " or 0.636 cm, everything was a very tight and flush fit (on purpose). Buy kit design, you also have to fit the fuselage forward of the cockpit area as part of the combining of the halves. All of this fitting tightly is critical in how the forward portion of the fuselage will fit into the main fuselage halves. Our fit based on the methods explained above was good, and that made the fit to the main fuselage clean, smooth, and tight.



4) We should also note that the fuselage did have a slight warp to it. While not terrible it should be expected for the size, even with the thickness of the parts. But over all, if you carefully fit and align the assemblies, you should not have much problem with getting it back into shape. We started by gluing the cockpit portion of the fuselage to the side which has everything else glued to it. It is attached and aligned by an upper and lower pin on each side. Slight pressure was needed to ensure it was a flush fit and some CA setting solution helps. Then it was nothing more that incrementally adding some CA cement to the small area of the two fuselage halves just in the area we were working on, which began in the front. To further strengthen the halves and belly pan, etc, we followed the CA internal bond with some Tamiya fast tack liquid cement, flowing it into the seams. Jarrod and I should note that fitting the cockpit fuselage portion to the main halves was a little problematic where the modified wheel bay trim fit into the halves. That was solved in the numerous test fittings. The results is below:



After the halves were cemented we checked the fitment of the working parts once again. We found that based on the tolerances and simplicity of the tooling, we also had to add thin strips of sheet plastic to areas to better support the alignment of the moving parts. In the photos below, we had to add a strip to the rear of the air brake area so it would properly line up with the fuselage. You can see it inside the brake bay on the rear:





The forward air deflector that we modified was not an issue, as we file fitted it during initial assembly and it already has ridges inside the bay to properly fit the parts. We did add the forward wall to the front deflector bay though as it would show directly into the fuselage if we didn't. Here is how it fit along with the tight fit of the belly pan. We should note that we have not smoothed out or puttied anything just yet. What you see is only minor smoothing of the areas. The fuselage band between the forward deflector and the front wheel door needs some putty to fill the cracks, but overall not bad for this size of kit.





Then adding the main landing gear doors, Jarrod and I had to add a similar support strip for the rear of the main bay along with a strip on one side of the doors. Without them the doors would want to easily go too far into the gear bay. Here is the results of their fit once everything was buttoned up:







And here is the bottom of the main fuselage after assembly:



We did have an area that needed some attention, it was the panel on the top of the fuselage and directly behind the cockpit. The fit is tricky as it requires perfect alignment between the right and left halves and the cockpit area. While everything else fit well, for some reason it did not, causing gaps and different part heights between it and the surrounding area it mated with. After initial fitment, we added clamps to pull it together as much as possible. That was followed with some sprue goo and CA cement. The we filed, sanded and finally came up with something respectable. We will need to clean up the panel lines and perhaps even some rivet marks, but it should suffice.





Last was adding the top spine of the fuselage which went together easily and the fit was excellent. The tabs and ridged created in the kit made the process easy, kudo's to Hobby Boss for that one. While there we also added the chafe and flare pods and the front portion of the vertical stabilizer. Here is the results:





Now it's time to clean up the seams, scribe and clean up the remaining panel lines and details. Then we begin the main wing assembly. Two things are already appearent, this thing is B-I-G, and it will need lots of paint.

Till next update.... Thanks for looking in and happy modeling!

[digger303]

Impressive.

[DRUMS01]

Spent a couple hours today adding more panel lines and many rivet depressions; mostly on the bottom half of the fuselage.

[DRUMS01]

Spent part of today building and detailing the AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Also worked on adding some detail in the wing pogo gear wells and tightening up the seams on the wings near the pogo extensions prior to permanently attaching the halves together. Another thing we worked on was adding panel lines and rivets around the lower wing vectoring exhaust vents. And last, we spent some time researching the various weapons loads found on a B model harrier. Details and images on these things on next update.

Ben and Jarrod