Airfix Harrier GR.1/GR.3 Diorama

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:12 pm

great work Gav,

you looking to make it one better this time?

Post by **Coen** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:15 pm

Sorry buddy... Other then WOW! I got nothing.

Haha.
That didn't take long. Let's,see how long it takes to build the other one.... Alright. GO!

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:31 pm

Cheers Ian, umm I dunno lol. I didn't set out last time with an eye on the prize, it was just a nice aside to the enjoyment of building that model. And this time will be no different, if I am again deemed by the judges to be worthy of a prize then so be it. But my personal aim is to enjoy myself and build a unique, and hopefully well presented diorama.

Coen - Cheers dude. Got to sort the primer etc on this one first and get it pre-shaded as that's as far as I can take it at this time anyway. So once that's done (only another evenings work perhaps) then I will be starting the GR3. So on that first up will be to make the same detail additions to the ejection seat as I did on this, and paint the cockpit and away I go!

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 2:23 pm

Gav0909 wrote:Cheers Ian, umm I dunno lol. I didn't set out last time with an eye on the prize, it was just a nice aside to the enjoyment of building that model. And this time will be no different, if I am again deemed by the judges to be worthy of a prize then so be it. But my personal aim is to enjoy myself and build a unique, and hopefully well presented diorama.

Me too, I just meant that there is quite a lot of detail going into this. I am reminded of your dio build every night on the way home from work when I pass M.O.D Stafford

MOD stafford.jpg

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 2:32 pm

Heh cool. What would be the chances of you being able to get some closer pics of that gate guardian? Prob quite slim really, but if you ever had the chance to stop and ask I would be hugely grateful!

Post by **Nige201980** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:30 pm

Again great work Gav is there no where where a bit of blue tack and a cocktail can be stuck too the parts even if it means paint that area later (sorry if you have tried this and didnt work)

Post by **spruecutter** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 11:03 pm

Great work Gav, that ejector seat looks the biz

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 11:33 pm

That's good to hear, as I am just making the one for the GR.3 just now lol. So have to go through the pain of making more Tamiya tape belts. Not tonight though, my eyes have stopped working

I have just installed the ejection seat activation loop between the pilots legs on the seat, so that will do for tonight.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Thu Oct 10, 2013 11:39 pm

Update 10

Oh look at that, into double figures of updates!

Lets start this one with a Youtube video. This is just mainly for those who aren't on ISM perhaps to see what I am up to, but for completeness sake I will post it here too, peruse at you leisure.

[youtube]gPDMFnMNS6c[/youtube]

Ok so the meat of this update. I have done no more work on the GR1 as yet, so it looks exactly the same as it did in the last update (no. 9). I have since started the cockpit for the GR3 as I mentioned. And tonight I got the intakes in on each fuselage half, cut out the mounting points for the centreline pylon and stuck in the rear landing gear/airbrake section.

But mostly what I did was have a brainwave. And then I scared myself with what said brainwave would entail, but I thought "what the hell!". So onto my brainwave. You all know that the plan for this model/diorama was to have one Harrier in the camo net hide, and the other just outside it. Both being refuelled by the tanker truck. However, I then had the idea to position the GR3 as if its coming in to land just next to the hide..... I don't know why, but I think it would look pretty cool.

Now I realise that this scenario is perhaps a touch unbelievable, as in real life the taking off and landing of the Harriers wouldn't be conducted so close to a parked plane, and/or a refuelling truck! However, due to space limitations I don't care about that. It will look cool and I think that's all that matters!

Now the bit that scared me. When Harriers land, as all planes do, their flaps are lowered (heehee flaps

). The kit doesn not have positionable flaps......which meant the scalpel had to come out. And here is the result! (As well as it being a slight guide on how to cut out wing flaps...)

Take a sharp knife and gently cut along the panel lines marking out the flaps. Gentle cuts over and over will get you the neatest cut.

The result

The flap removed

All that remains is to clean the cuts up and repeat on the other side

These will now be glued back in place but lowered, and I will add some slivers of plasticard in the join, a) for reinforcement and b) to give the impression of the actuators there.

I have also discovered that for this to fit together without being crowded this diorama is going to be at least A3 area in size.......and I have no idea where that is going to be displayed when finished! But I will worry about that later hahaha

Comments and criticism are most welcome. Sorry this has been a bit wordy for 4 pictures....

Til next time!

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 12:23 am

Thats it Gav, scare yourself. I'll see what I can do about the gate guardian

Post by **BrummieModeller** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:40 am

Will make it look much better now you've cut them out, great work mate

Post by **Coen** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:59 am

You'll worry about that later eh?
I think I'd be more worried about what Kay will do to you in your sleep when she sees how big your diorama is.

oh ... I could have worded that better.

Post by **Nige201980** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:03 am

WOW Gav this is going to be amazing mate good luck with it cant wait to see it finished this is going to be so cool

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 10:09 am

Gav this thing is going to be huge, be careful! We don't want any accidents

news.jpg

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 10:18 am

Hahahahahaha. Dude you have waaaaayyy to much time on your hands!

Oh, and thanks for trying to see about getting some better pics of that gate guardian, if you can't its fine as there is plenty reference online.

Post by **Coen** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:17 pm

I damn near died laughing,....nhahahaaa.
That was fantastic hahahaha

Post by **DC87** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 2:38 pm

That is awesome, nice work and fair play taking the time to do it.

YouTube · Post by **ManCupboardModels** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 8:37 pm

Cracking! Lol!!!

Post by **HobbyModeller** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:26 pm

very good

Post by **fly1ngdutchm4n** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:36 pm

Man This is

a blast!

Awesome!

And I want a Mc Pigon now...

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Sun Oct 13, 2013 11:07 pm

Update 11

Welcome along to another update. I fear this might be the last update for a while, and let me tell you why. For this build I need a few shades of paint that I don't have, namely any equivalents of Humbrol 163 (Dark Green), 164 (Dark Sea Grey) and 166 Light Aircraft Grey. I will be getting the Vallejo equivalents of these paints, which I think are Gunship Green, Dark Sea Grey and for the grey I am not sure yet, as there is no direct equivalent. But my issue is that money is really tight just now, and so I can't spare any money for hobby stuff.

So what does this mean. What it means that I will get both aircraft to the primed stage and then they will get shelved until such time as I can get paint for them. I will be needing a few materials for the diorama base as well, which I can also not afford just now anyway.

This is not a plea for help or anything, I wouldn't even be where I am in this GB without the huge kindness of someone anyway. I will get it done on time, its just going to have to go on hold for a bit that's all.

Anyway, onto this update. The GR3 has been progressing nicely. I forgot to take pics of the cockpit inside, needless to say its identical to the GR1 anyway so not that exciting. This bird will have the pilot inside, so there was no need to faff about with seatbelts this time, although I did add an ejection seat handle. Lets see some pics!

Cockpit

Fuselage together (before seams were sanded etc)

Ejection seat

Pilot. The face sculpt is really soft, so was very hard to pick out any detail which is a shame

Wings on

Flaps on, and plasticard detail to give the impression of actuators and slightly fill the gap

Current state, with fuel probe on, belly cannons, other small antennae etc

Box of pylons, weapons etc. All cleaned up.

I still have the undercarriage to do on this, and the speed brake will be primed with the other parts and added later. Although the inside of the airbrake well and the underside of the plane are the same colour so I might just go and glue it in place!

So, I will possibly do another update when its primed. But chances are that will be the last for a while, as the two planes and the refuelling truck can't progress any further than primer until I get some new paints, and at the moment I have no idea when that might be.

Please stick with me, there is a long way to go in this build and I am sure at somepoint between now and January I will manage to buy 3 paints haha. Life's a mean bitch sometimes, but you just have to roll with it.

Ciao for now! :fly2:

Post by **Coen** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:09 am

That's a sweet looking bird Gav.
It didn't take long to build this one either. It's almost like you know what you're doing.
haha.
I can't wait to see this thing come together buddy. Now we have to wait longer... ahhhh you're killing me.

Sell your feet... someone must need some feet... you should be able to get a couple of pounds for them.

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 9:23 am

Looking great Gav. the actuators look good in there and add a lot of strength I guess, I wouldn't have thought about doing that.

Which Harrier will have the weapons? wondering if the flying one is outgoing or returning.

Are you planning on modeling some jetwash on the ground?

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 9:40 am

Yeah Ian, its because I had to cut the flap out, so its not a swap in one like some kits have. That meant there was a bit of an unrealistic gap between the two parts which needed something in there.

Both are going to have drop tanks for sure, and both are going to have weapons, the GR1 with rocket pods (they could well then be empty of course... lol) and the GR3 will have drops and Sidewinders (because they are cool).

And yup, I plan on perhaps using sand/pigments to create a blown dirt effect on the ground to represent jet wash. I was speaking to Lee about it and we reckoned anything more would look silly. So no cotton wool dust cloud or anything lol.

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 10:30 am

Gav0909 wrote:Yeah Ian, its because I had to cut the flap out, so its not a swap in one like some kits have. That meant there was a bit of an unrealistic gap between the two parts which needed something in there.

Both are going to have drop tanks for sure, and both are going to have weapons, the GR1 with rocket pods (they could well then be empty of course... lol) and the GR3 will have drops and Sidewinders (because they are cool).

And yup, I plan on perhaps using sand/pigments to create a blown dirt effect on the ground to represent jet wash. I was speaking to Lee about it and we reckoned anything more would look silly. So no cotton wool dust cloud or anything lol.

Mini fan in the bottom of the aircraft?

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 10:39 am

Could hollow out the jet exhausts and yeah mount a small fan in side with ducting to connect to the nozzles.....

Wonder if you could actually make it hover.......

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:29 pm

So due to the kindness of Paul, I have the three paints I was missing, which means that I can get this project back on track. Later today I will finish priming the GR1 and probably prime the GR3 while I have the primer out. Then I will pre-shade at least the GR1 and if I have time the GR3 as well.

Huge thanks to Paul for the help with the paint, much appreciated buddy. I will try to put them to good use and get a nice paint job done on these!

Post by **Paul** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:33 pm

Gav0909 wrote:So due to the kindness of Paul, I have the three paints I was missing, which means that I can get this project back on track. Later today I will finish priming the GR1 and probably prime the GR3 while I have the primer out. Then I will pre-shade at least the GR1 and if I have time the GR3 as well.

Huge thanks to Paul for the help with the paint, much appreciated buddy. I will try to put them to good use and get a nice paint job done on these!

Yeah

glad they turned up safely, look foward to seeing the camo scheme

Post by **Coen** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 2:59 pm

Yeah Paul clap:

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 11:45 pm

Update 12

Ok.....so this update can only be started with the following smilies. Take note, as the order is important!

Let me explain. I started this evening with the plan being to prime the GR3, finish priming the GR1, and prime all the various pylons etc etc. All was going fine (hence the dancing banana), I got my priming done, I then got the GR1 pre-shaded. This was also helped by the fact that, as I mentioned above, Paul kindly sent me some paints I was missing for the actual colours of the Harriers. Now I mixed up what I thought was a good enough approximation of the Light Aircraft Grey (Hum 166). As I was spraying this lightly over the pre-shaded underside, SPLAT! Bloody water was spattering out my airbrush all over my paint! I kept going thinking it was a one off, but it kept doing it (hence the first boom). So I emptied what I could out of the moisture trap on the compressor. Still doing it (2nd boom). Having made sure it had stopped I then thought that the grey wasn't really that close, so began thinking how to change the shade when I noticed the (very few) Humbrol acrylics I have tucked away. Lo and replicating behold what do I see sitting there? Humbrol no's 163, 164 and 166 THE EXACT replicating PAINTS I NEED!!!! Although to be fair I would have preferred Vallejo, but I was not going to be too picky at this stage! Hence the feeling of embarrassment at having Paul send me those paints, when all along I had some that I could have used. Anyway, great I think, I can do the underside the right colour now. But no, bloody airbrush hose keeps loosening slightly, cue me trying to tighten it with the colour cup on (siphon feed brush) and (third boom time!) the bloody thing falls out the brush onto the floor (it had paint in it..). Now at this point I very nearly completely lost my rag. I had to go and sit down elsewhere for a while and calm down as I was in a fit of rage lol.

Anywho, later on I go back to things, put the right paint in and manage to finish off what I was painting with good results. Hence the last bananas.

Sorry that was a bit long winded, I hope your still with me!

Onto some pictures to wake you up!

The offending paints (Paul, still a huge thanks. I plan on using the dark grey and green still, as although these Humbrol spray nicely with the Ultimate Thinners, I still just prefer Vallejo). At least I have the right underside tone which helps.

Primed GR3 and drop tanks etc

Pre-shaded GR1

Underside of the GR1. This was painted with a mix of Medium Sea Grey and a touch of white, but it was still the wrong shade. And unfortuneatly by the time I came to put the Hum 166 on, the pre-shading was all hidden. But what I have done is used the 166 as a highlight in the centre of the panels instead. And I actually quite like the effect. So on the GR3 I will do the same. Pre-shade, Medium Sea Grey + white, then 166 as a highlight.

So all in all an eventful evenings work, but I am very pleased with the results. I am going to let the GR1 dry up for a while as the next stage is to mask off the underside and paint the camo on the upper. While the GR1 is curing I will pre-shade the GR3 and do its underside. I am also re-painting my GR9 in the same scheme (which is a scheme option from that kit anyway as an anniversary scheme) so I will be doing that alongside since I am using the same colours (I then remembered that is why I have the colours, is because I bought them ages ago to do the GR9, but I found the green and grey to be very similar and so it didn't look right, hence why it got shelved before).

Sorry for the long-winded update fellas. I hope you stuck with it. I am pleased that this is back on track now, so expect another update in a day or two.

Cheers, comments and criticism is most welcome.

Post by **Paul** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 11:51 pm

Ha ha that's sod law isn't it gav, finding the needed paints, but like you I would rather use Vallejo over humbrol.

Paintwork looks good mate look forward to seeing more

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:09 am

Looks like you have had a bit of a 'mare tinight, along with Tonygol.

Underside is looking great though. It is strange that alot of people preshade but everyones end up looking different. Yours are particuly good looking (I have seen some horrid ones).

Great update.

Post by **Coen** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:58 am

The only thing that you needed was a cat to Brad Pitt in your slipper and the dog to barf all over the morning news paper.
Other than that... a perfect day.
Nice build by the way... what are those... airplanes?

http://www.youtube.com/user/longlance67 · Post by **longlance67** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 1:36 am

looking good,

nice to see paint going down on the Harrier, it should look great once painted up

great work

Shane

Post by **fly1ngdutchm4n** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 6:15 am

Nice paintwork

Post by **Nige201980** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 4:20 pm

Looking great mate and well done at not launching the whole thing into the wall like I would proberly done.

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 4:29 pm

Coen wrote:The only thing that you needed was a cat to Brad Pitt in your slipper and the dog to barf all over the morning news paper.
Other than that... a perfect day.
Nice build by the way... what are those... airplanes?

I think you will find that they are AEROPLANES!

Post by **Coen** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 7:08 pm

Sure sure... ok Ian.

I stand corrected.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 7:25 pm

So you better, we didn't conquer most of the world for you to all forget how to speak the Queen's English!

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 7:45 pm

Gav0909 wrote:So you better, we didn't conquer most of the world for you to all forget how to speak the Queen's English!

And with tbat in mind.

Top hole, top hole old boy. That model you have there is really rather spiffing.

Post by **Coen** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 8:06 pm

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 12:09 pm

Update 13

What ho fellow homo sapiens! (although there are some I am not entirely convinced fall into that category......*cough* Coen *cough*

Last night I was suffering from similar problems to the night before, with the airbrush spitting water all over the place. I have gotten as much moisture out of the compressor moisture trap as I can, but it was still doing it on occasion, most irritating! I can't seem to undo the moisture trap from the compressor to be able to dry it out either. Ho hum.

Well I got the pre-shading done (badly lol) on the GR3, as well as on the various stores. I then put down a coat of Vallejo Medium Sea Grey on the underside. This was then highlighted in the middle of the panels with Humbrol 166 Light Aircraft Grey. I did the same on the lower halves of the drop tanks as well. And that was pretty much it really. Next step is to mask off those lower surfaces and to paint on the Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green camo on the upper surfaces. This time I left off the pylons etc, which should make masking a bit easier than it was on the GR9 I did before.

Some pictures!

Pre-shaded GR3

Painted stores (drop tank upper halves will be dark grey)

Painted underside

So as I said, next job is to mask up the underside in prep for painting the uppers. Eulch, I hate masking.

Comments and criticism most welcome.

Ciao for now!

Post by **Coen** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 1:19 pm

Hey!!!

I'm human.... Mostly.

Haha.
That's a PITA with the moisture trap Gav, mine did that last spring after we had a crap load of rain and humidity. The trap couldn't keep up. Made a complete mess of some figures and my universal carrier that I was working on. Almost tossed the whole rig straight in the bin.

I just had to wait till the rain stopped. I could unscrew the glass part of my moisture trap and get all the water out though. I don't know if you have the same type of trap.

Where I live now I never have to worry much about humidity so that shouldn't happen again... But you never know.

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 1:57 pm

We haven't even had much rain. But its gotten colder and so I think there is just more condensation in the air in the flat as it remains warmer than out side (although not by much brrr). Yeah you should be able to unscrew the clear part, but I can't get it undone. Maybe I will try raising the compressor off the floor, I guess the higher moisture content air will collect around the floor as it sinks, and so the compressor is using that air. It I can raise it into some drier air that might help stop it having to deal with as much moisture.

Post by **Filo387** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 1:59 pm

Looking real good

Post by **Coen** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:09 pm

Gav0909 wrote:We haven't even had much rain. But its gotten colder and so I think there is just more condensation in the air in the flat as it remains warmer than out side (although not by much brrr). Yeah you should be able to unscrew the clear part, but I can't get it undone. Maybe I will try raising the compressor off the floor, I guess the higher moisture content air will collect around the floor as it sinks, and so the compressor is using that air. It I can raise it into some drier air that might help stop it having to deal with as much moisture.

You may have something there.
It's a pain to have the compressor sitting on the bench.... But spray we must eh?

Post by **UKscalemodeller** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:32 pm

Looking good Gav,

has made me think that maybe addinf the pylons to my frogfoot was a bad idea, D'oh

Post by **Nige201980** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:34 pm

looking GREAT mate

Post by **wappynutter** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:01 pm

Still looking the business Gav mate..

Keep it coming.. Have you started on the diorama base yet?
I'm looking forward to your base build the most.

Well done again..

Website · Post by **Gav0909** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:19 pm

No, not started on the base yet. Funds aren't great at the moment and so I haven't the means to get the bits I need for it as yet. Will be needing an A3 picture frame, and scale trees at minimum, I can probably manage the rest with what I have.

My thinking is that if I can get the planes done, then at least if I end up running out of time before I am in a position to get the base materials, then I still have something to enter. If I was to focus on the base, before the planes, there would be a chance of not finishing.