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Building the UMa Harrier II AV-8B Plus, kit D1001, 1/48th scale.

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Building the UMa Harrier II AV-8B Plus, kit D1001, 1/48th scale.

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This "blog" is about building the kit as an assembly task. It is not a review of its accuracy in comparison to the real aircraft. I will leave that to others better qualified for that task and who are no doubt itching to pull it apart on that basis. Having said that, I will point out any obvious discrepancies that I see and also reference the Hasegawa / Revell kit where appropriate.

I've included the kit instructions and images of the assembled parts where appropriate. I will finish the kit in the HTPS scheme, but for a jet flying with VMA-542.

All construction comments are based on what I did - mistakes and all - and with my level of skills and experience. All opinions are my own. Yours will be different no doubt and it will be something to bear in mind as you read through the process.

Onwards and upwards, vertically of course!

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Panda abuse - the icons for dos and dont's in the construction. You get to slice bits of his head, drill holes in it, glue him, bend him and fill him up. Call the WWF.

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For those who worry about boxes - it's big, its sturdy and opens from the top. The sprues are generally individually packed - some are doubled up (C&D, F&G, H&J, R & and outrigger housing!) - and the decals, masks, PE etc are also in sealed bags. The instruction book does have some colour, is well laid out and appears well presented on a first run through. The colour schemes with decal placement guide are are on large fold out colour sheets - unfortunately they have a number of errors that need correcting.

There are some interesting translations from Chinese into English, but I think we can forgive them that considering our (British) typical approach to using second languages (yep, shout louder, write bigger).

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Readable numbers on the instructions - that's nice. Sprue gates are often on the mating surfaces which is good and less chunky than some other kit manufacturers. In some instances this means you have to be very precise in removing the gates for a clean fit.

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The fuel tank and pylon sprues are handed - e.g. for left and right wings.

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Sprues N, R, W2, W3 and W4, Decal sheet, 3d Decals, Photo-etch, Pint masks, HUD film and Metal parts

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The slide-moulded intakes, aside from being incorrectly shaped and internally sized as already discussed, do not have an option that matches the use of dropped flaps - namely all doors open. If you want this, then RocKit Studio set 480303 is the set you require.

The photo-etch part are pre-cut and are held on sticky-back plastic with a cover.

I'm guessing the carpet monster will be making a strong claim for the nose cone tip and air data probe (metal parts).

I did not use any of the scheme decals on the build and only a few stencils, notably the formation lights and for the Litening pod and Maverick. As such, I can't provide much comment, other than the formation lights on the top of the wing are incorrect - they need to be handed for each wing - and the pylon stencils should not be black. I would recommend careful study on them before committing to their use.

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Paint Chart & Comparison Table and Paint Masks

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UMa provide the FS numbers for the main scheme and the nearest match in Mr Hobby, Tamiya, Mig AMMO and a paint brand I was unbale to identify using Google. There is no mask for the main canopy as that sits on a frame and doesn't require painting.

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VMA-311 jet in current Harrier Tactical Paint Scheme

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One has to be cautious with special scheme aircraft as to the exact paint scheme, but if this jet follows the standard then the scheme paints are wrong. The modern and final Harrier scheme is FS36118 topsides and FS35237 undersides. As the radomes are unpainted then it's whatever grey you wish to use that matches your reference images. The tailplane undersides should be the same colour as the wing undersides with a narrow leading edge of the topside colour.

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VMA-214 jet in current Harrier Tactical Paint Scheme

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As per the "Tomcats" jet, the scheme colours should be FS36118 / FS35237, etc.

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VMA-311 jet in the previous Harrier Tactical Paint Scheme

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It's quite difficult on the drawing to see the scheme on the fuselage. Easier to dig out a Hasegawa instruction set and follow that. The three colours should be FS36118 (01 colour topsides), FS36320 (04 colour undersides) and FS36231 for the middle (colour 02).

I get why artists like shadow marking for "accuracy" but when dealing with greys it only gets to confuse folks (see under nozzles area and underside of wingtip).

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The tail boom is usually the underside colour I think, but some jets appear to have the topside colour. Who'll be looking anyway?

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This is from the official reference guide MIL-STD-2161B(AS) and confirms the 3 paints used on the previous Harrier HTPS. Note that the stencils use FS35237, which you will need to bear in mind if you use masks to paint your own.

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Note that some stencils are identified during the construction stages and require you to determine when it's most suitable to apply them. UMa have avoided providing door stencils - you may well be grateful for that. There are various aftermarket decal sheet providers who can help you with that if you need them.

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UMa divide construction into 61 steps. Like all manufacturers there's a mix of logical necessity (i.e. do the cockpit and insert before you close the fuselage) and printing convenience (i.e. adding a pitot mid way through because it saves you doing a diagram and step at then end). Break ranks with modellers and read all of the instructions before starting and make adjustments as you see fit.

For each step I have listed the parts referenced (though some may not be used based on the options you choose) and noted any errors and omissions.

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UMa have provided a MB Mk.12 seat. You'll have to find an unused Stencil seat from a Hasegawa / Revell kit or source an after-market one - RocKit Studio have released one - 480302 - for this kit and it has UMa branding on it. (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009288102897.html)

I have used the aftermarket seat and bulkhead in this model build.

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Harrier II AV-8B series S-III-S / SJU-4 Ejection Seat

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Harrier II AV-8B series S-III-S / SJU-4 Ejection Seat

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Reference images will show that the seat cushion and straps can vary in colour across the years and between aircraft.

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The cockpit colour is quoted as FS36320 - it should be FS36231, which is the standard for modern US aircraft.

Parts C19 sit very close to the sidewall of the cockpit - incorrectly in my view - but are unlikely to be noticed once the model is built.

If the tab on Part C5 is supposed to sit entirely within the slot then the tabs are too high and need trimming. As long as you can get the seat over the top it's fine - not sure what value these parts add given they are entirely hidden by the seat.

Part C29 is a curiosity. If it's meant to be the throttle it is in the wrong place completely.No throttle is otherwise provided. Part C28 doesn't look much like the nozzle lever either.

I chose to do this model using the 3D decals for the cockpit and applied them with Parts B6, B12, C12 and C13 fitted in place and added Parts C28 and C29 when finished.

NOTE - If you replace Part B4 with the resin version from RocKit then I highly recommend test fitting it with the two nose halves joined and Part B25 fitting around the cockpit opening. I found various bits had to be trimmed, including the back of the bulkhead to get Part B25 to sit correctly. Keep dry fitting and trimming until you are happy as it would be very difficult to do this later. The kit part fits beautifully with no work required. In the end, I joined the nose together without the bulkhead in place and fitted that and Part B25 later.

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RocKit Studio bulkhead supplied with the ejection seat

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Part B4 is also I believe for a GR7/9, hence why RocKit Studio have included the bulkhead with the seat. As the primary difference is hidden behind the seat you needn't lose too much sleep over it.

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Waterslide alternatives to the 3D decals

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Hoorah! We get plain and detail IPs and consoles so you can use 3D decals without the tedious sanding or parts or you can use the water slide decals or paint as preferred on the traditional approach. Now if only all manufacturers started doing the plain option, even if 3D decals haven't been done at the time as they surely will be. You also get powered-on and powered-off options for the two MFD panels, though some of the other panels look to be powered-on only.

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3D decal alternatives to the waterslide decals

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Here's the link to the instruction video identified by the QR code ... https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/9m7p3YZ0Q6quYazB4yBTCg

Alternatively, read the back of the packet containing the decals. Essentially, bend the backing paper to remove the parts and then glue them to the plastic. They suggest Superglue. I'm sure PVA (or derivative) will work just fine as does GS-Hypo jeweller's cement that I use. Once fitted, you might want to touch in some of the edges with the cockpit paint you used.

If you wish to use the MDC in the canopy, I recommend you remove this section of the sheet with a scalpel as bending the sheet elsewhere may inadvertently break the MDC.

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Note the front IP is fitted in step 31. The seat locates in the tabs of the cockpit floor. The RocKit Studio seat fits without problems. Behind the bulkhead nothing is visible, so painting not required.

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Part B22 should be painted in a light metallic colour. I'm not sure the detailing is particularly accurate but I think most of us can live with that.

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Not sure why this step is in here other than to label it as section A for use in a later step. Maybe it's time for a tea and biscuit - no medals yet - to admire your handiwork.

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Don't forget to paint the cockpit area side walls on Parts A4 and C22 just around where the sidewall struts are located - the rest is not visible, other than where UMa have helpfully pointed out where you need white for the wheel bay.

For those of you unfamiliar with Harriers, they do not need any weight in the nose.

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I think they could have done a better job of holding the cockpit in position but once the two halves are joined it's not an issue. No problems with the fit.

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They appear to have used some museum Harrier for the main undercarriage bay ("D") as UMa have inserted moulding for a support strut. Happily this is going to be ignored because you will of course be closing the doors and only the front section can be seen.

Harriers are almost always parked with the main gear doors closed unless they have been manually opened for maintenance reasons. They'll be closed prior to engine start up for sure.

There's a small indentation for the seating of Part C14, but again it could have been a tab and hole to make things easier. Be careful not to get glue in the two slots of Part D11 when fitting as this is where the front nose wheel oleo locates when fitted later.

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Basically it translates as Part D3 for strakes, Part D2 for gun pods. However, both parts are almost flush with the fuselage when in fact they should be sunken to allow the air dam door to close flush with the fuselage. You'll only have a real problem if you do an in-flight option, in which case leave these parts out and just fit the door.

LANTIRN (in fact it is a Litening II Pod) would only be fitted on the centre-line for the VMA-311 jet or the black tailed VMA-214 jet based on the scheme dates. (See Step52 for more information). The 1.3mm hole is for the correct location of the gun pod when fitting.

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Don't forget part R3 - it helps stabilise the alignment of the rear and also the tailplanes when fitted. All the parts seat correctly in their recesses though there are some gaps in the air dam part - deliberate I think in trying to maintain the same size panel gaps as the rest of the aircraft. Or it's my bad preparation.

It will do no harm to press the two halves of the fuselage together whilst these inserts are drying to ensure they are at the correct angle for both sides.

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Parts L1 and L2 have a faint mould line on them running from the front of each part to the rear of the heat shields roughly along the line where the scheme paint demarcation lies. A little light sanding or scraping soon removes it. The line was more obvious on part L1 on my sample.

The hole in Part L1 just behind the airbrake and next to the large panel of the avionics bay (as indicated above) has to be filled. Leave it open on the opposite side as moulded.

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Part B31 will be a bit of a dangling participle if fitted here. I suggest you ignore this step and fit it with the airbrake (Step28 in the instructions). It is painted in the underside scheme colour and silver, not white.

Part B14 to which the insert diagram refers already has a hole to receive the airbrake jack.

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Part J3 has RCVs which have no backing, so you can see through the part from one side to the other. Some plasticard behind them, painted black, will remedy the problem if it is a concern. In reality, you can see through the circular mesh vents, but these are not see through on the kit. I expect someone will do PE mesh vents in due course - because they can!

Part J3 when fitted does have a noticeable gap but again I think it's in keeping with the overall effect UMa have chosen.

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I would leave the dispensers off until the fuselage has been painted as they are a metallic colour and it will be easier to paint / decal them and then add afterwards. Full and empty options is a nice touch.

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The on-trend weathering modellers can have a field day with these tailplanes. Check the picture below as an example before you follow suit. They remind me of an old joke - what's the difference between erotica and pornography? Erotica is the feather, pornography is the whole chicken! Adapt to taste I say.

The tailplanes naturally sit at the correct angle as moulded and the retainer Part R3 means you can leave them movable.

The "bacon slicers", Parts N23 and N27, have some ejector pin marks on the inside surfaces which you may want to clean up, but they will be very difficult to notice once on the aircraft. They fit flat, so just make sure they are vertical.

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An example of a USMC Harrier II's tailplane.

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Nice to have a posable rudder, but straight is how they would normally be when parked. It's more sensible to leave Part N2 - the air temperature probe - to the end of the build.

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An example of the tail - the two special scheme examples really will show very little of the fastening detail.

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I found it better to insert the parts R1 inside the nozzles instead of the fuselage.

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Step 18 - Vector thrust jet & flame baffle

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Step 18 - Vector thrust jet & flame baffle

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It is stated that the nozzles, parts H1 and J1, should be mounted before the fairings, parts G17 and G22. Fortunately, with care, you can leave them off for painting and fit them afterwards, along with part H3, the heat shield, which can be slid in last. I reduced the height of the nozzle mountings to ease fitting.

Parts G22 and G17 will need some filler around them as they are not a tight fit.

The rear nozzle looks distinctly under-sized. However, it's nice that they are one-piece mouldings.

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Step19 - Vector thrust jet & flame baffle

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Step19 - Vector thrust jet & flame baffle

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Unlike the previous stage, there's no reference to the order of assembly.

Part G20 will need some filler around it as it is not a tight fit and can be fitted before J2.

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The mounting for the vent should guarantee the correct angle and a more stable fit less liable to be knocked off! You may want to leave adding Part G13 until a later stage.

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Part F1 is only fitted to the VFA-311 "Tomcats" jet. Part A9 is fitted to all. Note this statement is true for the schemes and decals as provided on the dates shown.

The lower wing, part E2, requires a little bit of sanding on the front edge at the wing tips to get it to sit level with the upper wing leading edge. There is also a little bit of flash on the same part at the wing root which needs to be removed.

Note when gluing that the wing near the inner pylon position can be flatted below the wing leading edge - be careful not to do this. Work along the wing bit by bit to ensure the parts are flush and not sunken or raised.

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Step22 - Formation recognition module & wings

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Step22 - Formation recognition module & wings

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There are a couple of ejector pin marks on the trailing edge of the wings inside of where Part F5 and Part F6 are fitted that will need to be filled and sanded.

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"Inlet open state" is for a parked Harrier and "Inlet closed state" is for a flying Harrier, but not in transition. There is no all doors open offered in the kit unfortunately.

During construction I added the nose to the intake section and then added the compressor blade, Part E3, once done. It can be done as shown, but I didn't want to run the risk of pinging the compressor blade off when inserting the nose section.

Although there's no problem joining the parts, the rear of the intakes are quite thin. A more secure mount with tabs would have been helpful.

And yes, the intakes do look odd and the compressor blade looks undersized - see the internet for more comments on that.

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Step24 - Auxiliary air intakes & navigation lights

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Step24 - Auxiliary air intakes & navigation lights

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All the inlets and antenna benefit from the recesses and make for a much more secure fit than the Hasegawa approach. I would add Parts T9 and T12 after painting.

The inside of Parts F9 and F10 are red.

Trying to determine the outline of the navigation lights on Part T9 and Part T12 is quite difficult on clear plastic. Magnifiers will help!

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It's nice to have both options for the in-flight refuelling probe included in the kit. It also has a locating tab to ensure correct positioning and fits snuggly, all of which are a welcome improvement over the Hasegawa kit.

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I assume the Parts C10 and C23 are there because of the moulding process rather than being one piece with the rest of the pods? A little bit of tidying up is required after all the parts are added.

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If you require the centre-line pylon to be mounted, use it as a template to cut a hole in the rectangular area at the front of Part B13. Placement of the pylon and the gun pods on the fuselage will make it obvious what needs to be done.

I would recommend placing the gun pods on the fuselage before Part B13 has dried to confirm it is sat at the right angle and does not leave a gap at the front with the belly of the fuselage.

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The airbrake, airbrake bay, air dam, air dam jack and air dam bay are all painted in the scheme colour - they are not white. If you're unfamiliar with Harriers, the air dam and airbrake are always deployed down when the aircraft is parked.

Part D7 just sits against the jack Part C17 despite all the holes for hinges, etc. There's something that just doesn't feel right here, aside from the lack of depth in the air dam bay.

When fitting Part D1, the airbrake, the jack should fit into the groove at the closest part of the slot to the front of the airbrake to set the correct angle when parked.

I did not try fitting the strakes.

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Remember to fit the paint masks in the intakes and on the forward fuselage before fitting - it just makes it much easier.

A simple fitting process that seems to cure the nose to body angle problem that the Hasegawa kit can cause.

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Parts used: A14, B25, C2, Photo etch 2 & 4, Decal 76

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As directed, fit the photo etch at the rear before attaching Part C2. There's a little bit of rotation on the nose - use Part A15, the FLIR housing, to ensure the part is straight.

I would fit the photo-etch parts 4 at the last possible point in the build.

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Parts D25 and C37 are for use with 3D decals.

Paint the area black where Part T6 fits into.

Note Part D25 does not have the same central tab for mounting against the central IP display that is present on Part B21 but happily can only be fitted in one way anyway.

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No issues in fitting Part B5. Note Part B2 means the main canopy does not need painting.

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The internal frame should be painted black.

I'm not sure what value the insert diagram adds to the situation as the mirrors certainly do not sit that low in real life! The back of the mirrors have a small indentation to set the correct position on the canopy mount. The carpet monster will be looking expectant when you fit these.

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I didn't attempt the bend at the top of the HUD as it was beyond my eyesight, but you will need to find a way of supporting the rear HUD glass when fitted if you don't.

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I found this quite fiddly as there's no easy way of securing the film at the correct angle other than eyeballing. I tried a small dab of PVA glue on the frame at the various points which I hope will not be seen when it dries clear and rested the film on that. It's too easy to apply to much glue. The Hasegawa approach is much easier though less impressive if this approach is done well.

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There's a small projection at the front of the HUD which means the HUD assembly has to be inserted from the rear. I actually fitted the frame in first and then added the HUD glass.

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I preferred the canopy with the etched MDC as it looks a little more understated and accurate than the 3D version. I didn't look at the decal option. I left off the metal part and the yaw vane, Part A17, at this stage.

The AOA pitot, Part C16, is located in the wrong place. It should be slightly higher and further forward.

Note the canopy has a curious mould line near the bottom where it will meet the frame. I decided to leave this rather than trying to fix it and draw more attention to it. It has the appearance of a varifocal lens! It's a shame as otherwise the canopy, detailing and fit is rather good.

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Correct location for the AOA pitot, Part C16

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Parts A1, A10 and A13 fit without issue. Part G1 and Part G2 have very thin insert tabs - you may want to check reference photos to ensure you have them at the correct angle.

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I'm not sure of the value to the modeller in making the centre pylon 3 separate parts that also require a little bit of manipulation to get lined up all square.

It should also be noted that a Harrier can have a centre pylon and store fitted when using the gun pods - in fact the Litening II is more often than not now fitted to the centre pylon following an upgrade to the Harrier to allow it to do so. If you wish to do this on your jet you will need to cut a pylon width rectangle into part B13 at the front where it has a rectangular shape marked already, albeit the panel marked is slightly wider than a pylon.

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No issues fitting pylons together, but there's quite a few sprue points to clean-up. Note they are separated into left and right wings - if you mix them up, the ends of the pylons follow the line of the wing so you can't really go wrong.

If you plan to fit parts M1-2 and M2-13 (the AIM-9 launch rails) then do not fit Parts M2-3 (ejector units) to the outer pylons, instead mount the rails direct to the pylon.

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As mentioned, the rear edges of the pylon follow the wing line in case you have mixed them up.

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Be careful when extracting the 4 metal pins from the bag so as not to lose the other 2 very small parts in there with them.

A touch of GS-Hypo cement on the pins will keep them in place whilst you join the two pylon halves together - much easier that way. Interestingly UMa have only done the "removable" option for the Mavericks and then only on the rail to the missile instead of the rail to the pylon which would make more sense.

Note Mavericks can also be fitted to one of the inner pylons if you wish. In this instance the fuel tanks, if fitted, would be fitted to the middle pylons - the option I took for the final build.

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The flaps - both level and deployed - all fit together without issue, although the seating of N24 and N26 require you to position them rather than being constrained by the other parts, although it's obvious when done.

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Dropped flaps and ailerons on a Harrier when parked and engine off are not seen. If you fit them, you really need ALL the auxiliary doors to be open on the intakes and a pilot in the seat. However, it's a model and do what takes your fancy - just expect some tutting and grumbling from Harrier enthusiasts!

Either choice fit just fine although on my build. On my build I had to glue the flaps in place - the ailerons were a tight enough fit not to require glue.

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Be careful removing the sprue attachment points on part C32 and there are some mould seam lines to clean-up on part D18.

The plastic used is quite bendy so there's no issue in bending the forks slightly to insert the tyres.

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Be careful removing the sprue attachment points on part C33 and there are some mould seam lines to clean-up on part D19.

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For reference the outriggers in this model do not fit all the way into the outrigger housing for some reason. The fixing would be a whole lot easier if it did!

There is a slight forward cant to the outriggers on the Harrier, but perhaps not as great as you might get with these parts if you push the front of the outrigger all the way down and forward.

I would fit these once you have the main undercarriage in place and then glue as required for the correct angle.

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As you can see on the left, the outrigger strut should extend to the top of the housing. On the right, the forward angle of the strut can be seen for reference.

Ignore the wingtip light and sensor arrangement on the wing as the photo is of a Harrier GR7/9.

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Hmmm. As more and more new kits move to as close to 1-piece-as-possible AIM-9s and AIM-120s, here we go in the opposite direction with all but a half-body split Tamiya / Kinetic style. And you get a jig for 90 degree alignment. Why do this? If happy, go ahead, else get some from the spares box is easier.

The Auxiliary tool is okay for the tails but it's too easy to get glue from the forward fins onto the jig when aligning these unless you are very careful. Perhaps better used slightly later when the glue has dried a little and you need to make any adjustments.

If used, the AIM-9s are fitted to the outer wing pylons with the adapter rails. Note the AV-8Bs did not have the UK fitted missile rail in front of the outriggers.

I didn't use them for my finished model.

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The instructions have transposed the parts - W3-4 is W3-6 and vice versa and W3-3 is W3-5 and vice versa. Don't forget parts R2 else the pins will not hold the Mavericks on the pylon!

The pins and the internal mounts for parts R2 need some trimming to allow the two halves to come together without a gap.

They've provided an option for live and inert AGM-64 Maverick missiles. In the overwhelming majority of cases the rear fins would be removed on the inert missiles. Simply trim the fins from part W3-1 and you are good to go, or leave them be and stay with the minority.

I've not seen any UK Harriers with rear fins on their inert Mavericks, but some US, Spanish and Italian jets have been photographed with them on.

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Part W1-3 (2) is on the sprue but missing from the instructions in the main booklet. A small correction note is included in with the decals etc and is in fact more useful as it shows all 4 fins being fitted instead of 3!

The fit of the two halves is okay - the front mating pin is perhaps a little high. The sprue gates are on the flat mating surfaces and require careful clean-up to ensure a smooth join. Despite the 3 locating pins, there's still scope to mis-align the two halves.

I didn't use them for my finished model.

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The fuel tanks are automatically "handed" by the use of a rear with a position slot unlike the separate fin on the Hasegawa / Revell tanks. They are mounted on the inner or centre wing pylons only, usually the inner ones.

The fit is good, though there are some gaps around the pylon attachment points. The rear cone join might require re-scribing to bring it back to the same depth as the other vertical tank joints.

In comparison with the Hasegawa / Revell tanks, they are marginally longer and definitely a larger diameter.

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Two errors here: #1 - the USMC Harriers use the AN/AAQ-28 Litening II targeting pod and not the LANTIRN pod that is used by the F-15E and F-16. Fortunately, the plastic is correct. #2 - the parts are on the W2 sprue and not the M2 sprue.

Unless the pod is actively being used, the head is rotated so that none of the electro/optical and IR lenses are visible (Part T1). Be sure to mount the head with the correct orientation as shown in the diagram.

If building 165592 / WE02, the pod can only be mounted on the right wing's inner pylon. For the other two schemes, the pod is normally mounted on the centre pylon, but can still be used on the right wing's inner pylon.

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Some very careful removal and clean-up of the front undercarriage parts are required due to the placing of some sprue attachment points.

In section 2, I would suggest that you hold Parts D20 and D21 together and then open slightly to allow Part C1 to be inserted. Hold this assembly at the top and then wiggle Part D26 into place. Glue Parts D20 and D21 but to not glue the other parts as it will simplify locating C1 in the bay and it is likely that you will need to adjust the angle of D26 when the model is on all its wheels as it will sit too low the way it has been moulded. [I think the reason for this is the shallow forward angle of the fork to which the wheel fork attaches].

Although the main landing light has been provided, Part C36, the second light has been omitted (Y3 in the Hasegawa kit). The rear bulge on Part C36 sits on the same side as the missing light (see image below).

Finally, note for painting that the tyre has a rim on one side that needs to be white.

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Although this is a GR7/9 airframe, the assembly is the same as far as I know. Note the red bracing slot is for a museum aircraft, but does give you a good indication of the strut angle you will be looking for. It also indicates the steeper angle of the pivot fork which sits atop the bracing triangle. The missing light in the model can be seen on the right side view with the main light inside the blue rectangle.

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Parts C30 and C31 are small and require careful clean-up and removal from the sprue. They are probably best fitted after Part D4 and the undercarriage has been fitted to the aircraft.

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As noted, the forward section of the door is white, the rear will be the appropriate scheme colour. Part D4 is a tight fit, so be careful not to snap it during insertion. A bit of wiggle might be required!

The connecting pins don't have much depth on the front nosewheel oleo and could have been more sturdy. It's not as if the detail of them will be visible.

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How good is your eyesight? In section 1, the hub without the spoke goes through the inside of the tyre such rimmed side of the tyre facing outwards from the oleo. However, note that Part D14 can only be fitted one way onto Part D9, as can Parts C3 and C4 on Part D14. The flat side of the spoke should match the flat side of the tyre. If that is beyond your eyesight, locate both hubs, minus the tyres, on the oleo and use a marker pen / dab of paint to mark the bottom side. Remove hubs, then orient the flat part of the tyre with the mark. Proceed to section 2 then 3. Simples!

The undercarriage oleo, part D9, appears to be a POETS day design. The front torque link is moulded incorrectly to the hydraulic reservoir instead of the oleo and by implication the reservoir has been extended to the link for some reason. There's an insertion point near the top for a maintenance strut which is certainly not required for an operational jet (see also Step 8 regarding the wheel bay roof). There's no attachment points moulded on the oleo for the door jacks to part D8 nor the jacks themselves, but then again Hasegawa don't provide these either. Curious though they are provided for the front undercarriage. Finally, the fitting of D9 is a bit loose, which is odd considering the attention to fit elsewhere

Ultimately all of this is hidden by its location and most modellers viewing your model at a show can't bend low enough or get close enough to the table to see if you have made any fixes!

Note the tyres are slightly flattened so be sure to get the correct orientation - easier to fix once you are ready with all the undercarriage in place. However, the pins on the axle are small, thin and don't inspire confidence for a strong bond.

Finally, note for painting that the tyres have a rim on one side that needs to be white.

POETS day for those of you unfamiliar with the term traditionally meant Friday and stood for "Push Off Early, Tomorrow's Saturday" and thus the lack of attention to detail and quality as thoughts of the weekend imposed themselves on the worker!

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Part D17 is a support brace for non-operational Harriers and should not be used. Fill the hole in part D9. where it is suppose to fit. Once done, remember that the reservoir cylinder on the oleo faces forward when fitting.

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Insert D8 first for simplicity. As previously mentioned the bracing strut is not used.

As you have already fitted the rest of the undercarriage, it's worth checking the main oleo and wheels sit correctly before gluing firmly into place, although it does seem to be a better fit than previous 1/48 scale Harriers in this respect. You may also need to adjust where the tyre flat spot is, depending on how you fitting the outriggers and nose wheel angle.

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A slot in the fuselage enables the fuel vent to be inserted at the correct angle and gives it some protection from being knocked off. Safe to fit before finishing other bits.

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Nice to see a nose wheel bay and doors open option that is sadly absent from the Hasegawa kits. If you want them closed, use part B20 and scribe a suitable dividing door line on it.

Beware, the forward struts on Parts B18 and B19 are incredibly thin - I managed to break both in fitting, which makes the fitting of the doors more difficult than it perhaps needs to be.

Open doors are provided for the main gear, though these are usually closed. A closed option is available - part G9, but you will need to separate the door that attaches to the strut and draw a line down the remainder of G9 as this is not scribed on the part. Some trimming is also required to get it to fit. I didn't try using the two separate doors, but that remains an option of course. UMa nearly got there!

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A bizarre last step to finish with, but who was following the sequence anyway?

Some work with a razor saw may be required to help fit the wing fences as the slots are quite thin and may have some glue present, depending on how you glued the wings together.

If you've got this far, congratulations and thanks for staying the course.

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In terms of assembly and overall look of the kit ...

What's to like ....

Level of detailing compared with Hasegawa kit

Ease of assembly and very good fit of parts overall

Sensible use of tabs and slots for angled items (e.g. airbrake, navigation lights, etc.)

3D decal / decal / paint options for cockpit with matching plastic

One-piece intakes (although not accurate) for ease of assembly

Nicely presented instructions and colour paint diagrams

Dropped flap option

What's not so good ...

Depth and width of panel lines and height of rivets / fasteners which can lead in some instances to confusion over what is a designed gap versus poor fit

Shape and size inaccuracies which should have been noticed - Air dam bay, nozzles, etc

Poor attention to detail on main undercarriage

Canopy moulding

Excessive parts breakdown which adds no value to the finished item - AIM-9, GBU-12, etc.

Errors in paint diagrams

There is not an all-open auxiliary door option to go with dropped flaps

In terms of representation of a Harrier I would say it's going to be close enough for those not overly familiar with the aircraft. However, there are a number of size and shape inconsistencies which hopefully can be fixed before the next iteration. Whilst it's nice to get aftermarket fixes for some of these items, it starts to make the cost of the build prohibitive for most model makers. These days expectations are high for any new kit and it only takes a few social media posts to make an adverse impact on the reputation of the kit. Given we've had to wait a very long time for a manufacturer to do a modern tooling in this scale, we should be grateful that it's a pretty good place to start from.

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As of the time of writing there are 3 items available for this specific kit, details of which follow below. There is of course a wide variety of product for the Hasegawa Harrier II AV-8B Plus which can potentially be used for this kit if desired.

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RocKit Studio - AV-8B Next Generation Landing Gears 480301

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RocKit Studio - AV-8B Next Generation Landing Gears 480301

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Replacements of the front and main undercarriage and the outriggers.

As you would expect these days, the level of detailing is quite extraordinary. They've added the second light on the front undercarriage and look to have more detail in the main oleo - which now has a spring so you can practice your Harrier bounce landings with your model. Ho, ho, ho.

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RocKit Studio - SJU-4 Ejection Seat 480302

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RocKit Studio - SJU-4 Ejection Seat 480302

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This is a replacement for the incorrectly provided Martin Baker ejection seat and GR5/7/9 bulkhead provided in the kit.

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RocKit Studio - Workable Air Intake 480303

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RocKit Studio - Workable Air Intake 480303

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If you desire an all-open auxiliary air intake option for your model then this is a set that will provide this. This resin upgrade allows you to position doors as you require through the use of a magnet and metal on the inside of each door.

Personally an all doors fixed open would be sufficient given the two options provided in the kit. Yes the doors can vary a little when the aircraft is at rest, but I don't think most folks will be wanting to do this variation!

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I chose to do the model as an Operation Iraqi Freedom jet from VMA-542 "Flying Tigers" using the Flying Leathernecks decal sheet FL48006 for the markings and stencils. I used the formation lights and markings for the Litening pod and Maverick using the kit decals. A replacement seat and bulkhead was from the RocKit Studio set.

The models was brush painted with Mig AMMO paints and finished with Tamiya weathering powders and Flory Model washes. Note that he main canopy is not cemented in place for these photos.