Rick's Airfix 1/72 Harrier GR3 - engine change & crew in

[rickoshea52]

One of the features of a Harrier hide is of course the camouflage netting, there is off the shelf and ready made camouflage netting available but it just didn't look the part to me. I have read that gauze dressings are a cheap alternative, it just so happens that I have a bountiful supply in my cupboard courtesy of my wife's job as a counter assistant in our local chemist. Once dyed or painted with some Woodlands Scenics scatter glued on I think I will have as much I need.

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[col68]

Hi Rick
Gauze works brilliantly as camo net.
Personally I mix very dark green acrylic with watered down PVA.
Stretch the gauze across a piece of clingfilm covered foamboard then paint the PVA/paint mix onto the gauze.
Remove the excess paint with kitchen roll and leave to dry
HTH

[rickoshea52]

Hi Rick
Gauze works brilliantly as camo net.
Personally I mix very dark green acrylic with watered down PVA.
Stretch the gauze across a piece of clingfilm covered foamboard then paint the PVA/paint mix onto the gauze.
Remove the excess paint with kitchen roll and leave to dry
HTH

Thanks Colin. I was going to pose the question but you've answered already and saved a bit of research.

Top man.

[papa 695]

Hi Rick
Gauze works brilliantly as camo net.
Personally I mix very dark green acrylic with watered down PVA.
Stretch the gauze across a piece of clingfilm covered foamboard then paint the PVA/paint mix onto the gauze.
Remove the excess paint with kitchen roll and leave to dry
HTH

Now this is timely, I need to make a camo net for my Scorpion build. So I will also thank you Colin.

[papa 695]

One of the features of a Harrier hide is of course the camouflage netting, there is off the shelf and ready made camouflage netting available but it just didn't look the part to me. I have read that gauze dressings are a cheap alternative, it just so happens that I have a bountiful supply in my cupboard courtesy of my wife's job as a counter assistant in our local chemist. Once dyed or painted with some Woodlands Scenics scatter glued on I think I will have as much I need.

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I will watch what you do with this Rick.

[flyjoe180]

Looking forward to seeing this evolve Rick

[rickoshea52]

Time to cut plastic so here are the sprue shots. This is the model that will have the engine on show.

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The engine kit instructions confused me for a moment, when looking at the sketch showing the panels to cut out it appears to me that they are on the wing panel, in fact the panels that need removing are on the two fuselage halves.

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The instructions are misleading with this sketch.

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I have marked out in black the outline of the panels that need to be removed on the right hand side, the left hand side is the same.

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After the panels have been removed.

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A dry fit with the wings installed. After an evening tinkering I think this will have to be presented as a point in the engine change task as only the overwing access panels will be open with the top of the engine on view.

[papa 695]

Nice cutting Rick

[col68]

Looking good so far rick
Found this online hope it may be of some help

http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&p=123779

[Snowman]

That is some major surgery!!

[rickoshea52]

Looking good so far rick
Found this online hope it may be of some help
http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/foru...?f=17&p=123779

Thanks Colin. I have found this thread when researching this subject earlier, the pictures here seem to be the best there is and they are a valuable resource. What I picked out from them is the Unimog, camo netting and the engine change scene. My build won't be that in depth because the engine kit is quite limited in its use and I dont fancy scratch building the lifting jacks that are a seemingly unique feature of Harriers - I recall seeing the backing arrangement when on my rigger courses at Halton and Cosford, quite different to backing any other fixed wing aircraft.

[flyjoe180]

Major surgery but well worth it Rick, looking forward to more.

[rickoshea52]

I just buttoned this up, as you can see there is a gap between the two halves of the intake casing - this is my lousy assembly skills. However, there is a piece of resin with the engine kit that will cover part of the gap. The wings are not fixed on yet.

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[rickoshea52]

Engine, wings, tailplane and fin fitted along with a bulkhead moulding at the front of the wing section and a translator sleeve at the front of the engine.

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The gun pods have two locating pins on them but the holes on the fuselage aren't there, just faint sink holes that need to be drilled out with care. The slots on the centreline will be filled but there is the option to fit a pylon in this position.

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[papa 695]

This is coming along very nicely Rick