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Well, here we go. I'm sure this happens to
every modeler at one time or another... You buy a kit, decide that you will build
it eventually but it gets stuck in the loft and gets forgotten for years.
Over those years, you find all sorts of bits and pieces for that somewhat
forgotten kit and those get relegated to some forgotten area of
aftermarket resin/etched/decals (usually next to the kits).
Then something strikes you right betwixt the
peepers and suddenly the kit, decals, resin and photo-etched bits all come
together... Usually after seeing something particularly striking like an airshow
or picture or something similar! Suddenly, this subject is the NEXT kit that you
have to build! This happened to me with this AV-8A Harrier (always one of my
favourite planes) when I came across a colour photo of a tiger-tailed 'tiger
meet' bird in UK war dress.
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Click on
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The kit is the venerable Monogram AV-8A
(originally bought from
my favourite hobby shop
in the 80's, the receipt was still in the box for $6.98 Canadian!)) first boxed
in the early eighties with acceptable detail and absolutely horrid fit... Great
for the time but badly in need of a new mold. I had the Airwaves Harrier FRS1
etched brass, some marvelous decals from Aztec decals, a resin seat from
(somewhere, I don't remember!) plus lots of strip styrene...
The etched brass provided details for the
cockpit (instrument panel, HUD, levers and knobs...) and also provided the
vortex generators on the wings. The seat was a Martin Baker something-or-another
(matched my references...) and most of the other details were either scratched
or out of the spares box. The tires were 'flattened' to show weight, the blade
antenna's were also made out of styrene. I found a really easy way to make thin
wing fences... First, take a blade and cut the molded fences off the wings
entirely. Then, sand the wing until your pleased with the resulting
smoothness... Take a razor saw and cut a thin trench into the wing where the
fence was (with me so far?) Try and cut the wing only where the fence protruded.
When the cutting is done, sand the area smooth and then glue in a thin strip
(.10 thousand plasticard) of styrene and cut/sand to the shape of the fence!
The tiger tail was airbrushed. Black was
painted first and masked with hand-cut stripes. Next, the yellow, orange and red
were added. Easy to due if you have the time... The camouflage was straight from
the instruction sheet with all colours of paint provided from Vallejo thinned
with isopropyl alcohol. THIS IS A GREAT PAINT! Even when you thin it, it holds
it's colour density... It's easy to use, cleans up with water and window
cleaner, can be brushed, airbrushed, glooped on, spattered, finger-painted and
comes in any colour you can imagine! This is easily the best acrylic paint on
the market and once you learn it's secrets, will do anything you want it too...
As stated earlier, the decals are from Aztec
decals of Mexico. A great set if you can find it. Mine is as old as the hills
and still did not silver... The kit was finally given a dull coat of Model
Master acrylic.
Hank Gruben
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